Former Investment Advisor Arrested For $20M Fraud

NORFOLK, Va., Aug. 24 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Dana J. Boente, issued the following news release:

The former owner of a Virginia Beach investment company was arrested today for his alleged role in leading an investment fraud scheme that caused losses of at least $20 million.

Daryl Gene Bank, 47, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, and Raeann Gibson, 45, of Palm City, Florida, were previously residents of Virginia Beach. Each have been charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail and wire fraud, and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions. According to the allegations in the indictment, Bank created, owned and operated dozens of Virginia limited liability companies, including Dominion Investment Group (DIG), and Dominion Private Client Group (DPCG), with offices in Virginia Beach and in Port St. Lucie.

According to allegations in the indictment, Bank and Gibson engaged in a conspiracy by which they operated several investment fraud schemes from approximately January 2012 through July 2017. For example, in one fraud scheme, Bank caused numerous material misrepresentations and omissions to be made to several investors, including BC, who was blind and in his late 70s at the time he invested $20,000 of his retirement funds in an investment fraud called Prime Spectrum. Immediately upon receipt of BC's funds, Bank and Gibson misappropriated 70 percent investment funds and sent BC a statement reflecting his investment in Prime Spectrum was fully invested.

During the various fraud schemes, Bank and Gibson prepared materially false and misleading investment offerings, and knowingly omitted information and made material misrepresentations to at least 300 investors, causing his victims to lose at least a combined $20 million.

According to the indictment, in 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a civil complaint against Bank and entities he controlled accusing him of running a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud investors. That same year, the Virginia State Corporation Commission filed a civil enforcement action against both Bank and Gibson to enjoin them from the fraudulent sale of unregistered securities.

If you believe you may be a victim in this case, please call the FBI's Norfolk Field Office at: 757-609-2514.

Bank faces a maximum penalty of 260 years in prison if convicted, and Gibson faces a maximum penalty of 240 years in prison if convicted. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Norfolk Field Office, Kimberly Lappin, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa E. O'Boyle and Elizabeth M. Yusi are prosecuting the case.

The FBI's Miami Field Office provided significant assistance with the execution of the arrest and search warrants.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-126.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.