United States of America v. Benjamin Paul Wiener

Sioux Falls, South Dakota, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343, bank fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1344, and aggravated identity theft in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1018.


Reported by Kent Morlan

Benjamin Paul Wiener, age 43, devised a fraud scheme to obtain money and digital currency from victims who invested with Wiener’s companies. Wiener made materially false statements and fraudulent representations to induce his victims to invest money with his companies. His fraud scheme has negatively impacted dozens of victims throughout the region, including in South Dakota and Minnesota.

After obtaining funds from his victims, Wiener then allegedly moved victims’ funds to conceal and disguise the location, source, ownership, and control of the funds. In other words, as alleged in the indictment, Wiener laundered the fraud proceeds through and into various financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges to cover his conduct and to control and expend the funds on personal expenses. In furtherance of this scheme, as alleged, when victims’ funds became depleted or a certain investor requested the return of their investment, Wiener would seek new investors to then use new funds to use on personal expenses and to pay back previous investors. As a result of Wiener’s conduct, the government alleges the estimated total loss is approximately $20 million.

Wiener allegedly used the following entities to perpetrate the fraud scheme and money laundering activities: Benaiah Capital LLC; Benaiah Holdings, Inc.; Benaiah Digital Fixed Income LP; Benaiah Digital LP; Benaiah Management Company, Inc.; Benaiah Enterprises, LLC; Aslan Management, LLC; and Runway Four10.

As with any indictment, the charges are merely accusations, and Wiener is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.