Current:Home > FinanceNevada 'life coach' sentenced in Ponzi scheme, gambled away cash from clients: Prosecutors-LoTradeCoin
Nevada 'life coach' sentenced in Ponzi scheme, gambled away cash from clients: Prosecutors
View Date:2024-12-23 16:12:12
A self-described life coach will serve a year in a Nevada county jail after he admitted to running a Ponzi scheme in which victims gave him hundreds of thousands of dollars to invest that he instead blew at casinos, prosecutors said.
Rodney Dean Buckle, 66, was also ordered by a judge to pay back $282,980 after he previously pleaded guilty to two fraud-related charges, including securities fraud. A judge suspended Buckle's prison sentence Thursday and instead placed him on 36 months of probation, which includes a year-long stint in jail, Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford said in a new release.
For at least three years, Buckle presented himself as a life coach and financial advisor who is accused of swindling his clients out of large sums of cash. Many of those he conned were elderly, Ford said.
“To deceive and manipulate others, and worse our seniors, for personal gain is both immoral and illegal," Ford said in a statement. "Fraudsters exploiting hardworking Nevadans will continue to face investigation and prosecution by my office.”
Fraud jail sentence:Rapper G Herbo to serve 3 years probation in credit card fraud scheme
Reports: Buckle gambled millions at Las Vegas casino
Buckle's alleged scheme involved establishing phony businesses that allowed him to attract clients who paid him money under the false pretense that he would invest it for them, prosecutors said in court documents.
Clients listed in court documents as victims forked over upwards of $1,000 in several cases to Buckle, perhaps lured by his promise of a 100% rate of return on their investments. Instead, Buckle is accused of gambling away a fortune at Las Vegas casinos, according to KLAS-TV, citing records obtained from the Nevada Secretary of State's office.
At one casino, Buckle placed $2.4 million in wages at the sports book, losing $76,000 before he was banned, the outlet reported. At another casino, Buckle wagered $440,000, losing all but $6,000 of it.
The Nevada Secretary of State's office launched an investigation after receiving numerous complaints about Buckle and his sham businesses. Prosecutors allege the scheme lasted at least between Feb. 1, 2014 and April 30, 2017 before Las Vegas police arrested him years later in 2022.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department referred questions to the Nevada Attorney General's Office.
USA TODAY left messages Friday with both the Nevada Secretary of State's office and Attorney General's office seeking additional documents. Those messages were not immediately returned.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]
veryGood! (92)
Related
- OneTaste Founder Nicole Daedone Speaks Out on Sex Cult Allegations Against Orgasmic Meditation Company
- How to watch the Geminids meteor shower
- Get used to it: COVID is a part of the holidays. Here's how to think about risks now
- What is the longest-running sitcom? This show keeps the laughs coming... and coming
- Flurry of contract deals come as railroads, unions see Trump’s election looming over talks
- With no Powerball available, a Mass. woman played a different game and won $25,000 for life
- If you haven’t started your Thanksgiving trip, you’re not alone. The busiest days are still to come
- Bradley Cooper Reacts to Controversy Over Wearing Prosthetic Nose in Maestro
- Horoscopes Today, November 9, 2024
- Aaron Rodgers has 'personal guilt' about how things ended for Zach Wilson with the Jets
Ranking
- When do new episodes of 'Cobra Kai' Season 6 come out? Release date, cast, where to watch
- 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' turns 50 this year. How has it held up?
- Hailey Bieber Drops a Shimmering Version of the Viral Rhode Lip Tint Just in Time for the Holidays
- Police say 2 dead and 5 wounded in Philadelphia shooting that may be drug-related
- World War II veteran reflects on life as he turns 100
- College Football Playoff rankings: Washington moves up to No. 4 ahead of Florida State
- Charleston, South Carolina, elects its first Republican mayor since Reconstruction Era
- Kate Spade Outlet’s Black Friday Sale Is Officially Here: Save Up to 90% Off Handbags, Accessories & More
Recommendation
-
Week 10 fantasy football rankings: PPR, half-PPR and standard leagues
-
Robbery suspect’s colorful underwear helped police arrest him, authorities say
-
Another Ozempic side effect? Facing the holidays with no appetite
-
With no Powerball available, a Mass. woman played a different game and won $25,000 for life
-
Wicked Director Jon M. Chu Reveals Name of Baby Daughter After Missing Film's LA Premiere for Her Birth
-
2 charged with operating sex ring that catered to wealthy clients will remain behind bars for now
-
Do you know this famous Sagittarius? Check out these 30 celebrity fire signs.
-
King Charles honors Blackpink for environmental efforts: See photos