How a Ponzi Scheme Mastermind Made Millions Off the Most Vulnerable
A con man who ran what the FBI called “the largest Ponzi scheme ever prosecuted in western New York”, and then tried to sell the federal government nonexistent COVID-19 masks during the pandemic, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
“I think you are a con man, the biggest con man I have ever had to deal with in this court,” U.S. District Judge Frank Geraci Jr. told Christopher Parris, 42, at his sentencing on December 19.
Parris was convicted of defrauding over 1,000 victims who invested over $100 million as part of the scheme which involved a string of fake companies and non-existent investment opportunities.