It was announced this week that Tyrone Gilliams, Jr., was indicted on charges of securities and wire fraud for operating a fraudulent United States Treasury Strips investment program. Treasury Strips are securities derived from United States Treasury Bonds.
Gilliams is the owner of TL Gilliams, LLC. In the summer of 2010, Gilliams personally solicited $4 million dollars from an investor for purposes of trading in United States Treasury Strips. Upon receiving the money from the investor, Gilliams misappropriated almost all of it.
A substantial portion of the investor’s money was used by Gilliams to fund a black-tie gala called the “Joy to the World” festival, which was held at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Philadelphia on December 18, 2010. Gilliams spent more than $1 million on that event and on promoting the “Gatta Be Jokin Comedy Jam” in the Bahamas in December 2010. He used another $450,000 of the $4 million to refund a deposit from a prior investor. Gilliams also misappropriated approximately $1.6 million for what he claimed was a gold investment in Ghana.
The Indictment charges Gilliams with one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud. Each count carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. He also faces a maximum fine of $5 million or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense on the securities fraud count, and of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss from the offense on the wire fraud count.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty – Source.
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