MIAMI – Two men have been accused of bilking their fellow Haitian-Americans out of nearly $700,000 in what authorities are describing as a fraudulent investment scheme. Anson Jean-Pierre, 61, and Edy Durosier, 50, allegedly promised investors they would become "millionaires" by helping to fund developmental projects in Haiti, according to Local10 and Siegendorf News.
Jean-Pierre, who operated Brothers Investment Group International, LLC, and Durosier, who ran the Advantage Realty & Investment Group, allegedly spent investor funds on personal luxuries including vacations, hotels, and restaurants. Authorities claim the pair did not invest in any of the promised ventures. This swindle spanned from 2017 to 2019, and the alleged fraudsters were taken into custody this Tuesday, face a slew of charges including racketeering, money laundering, organized fraud, and securities fraud. Jean-Pierre is currently being held on a $730,000 bond.
In a tangled web of deceit, the suspects held meetings in South Florida, promising investments in real estate and agriculture in Haiti. For example, Durosier is accused by authorities of fabricating the existence of a "renewable energy device" that was supposedly intended to provide solar power and internet services to Haiti, as reported by Local10. The duo also allegedly sold fraudulent "foreign diplomatic classes" for $600, claiming these would grant investors special international travel privileges.
According to the arrest warrant, "(n)one of the investors gave money for investment in a burger franchise," yet that was the only investment-like transaction made when Brothers wired $60,000 to BurgerIM Group USA, Inc. In a further blow to investors, reports by Siegendorf News stated that Jean-Pierre paid some investors approximately $21,000, purportedly to dampen rising complaints about Brothers Investment's lack of returns.
Despite the mounting charges against him, Durosier's current whereabouts are unclear, and he is not yet listed in court or jail records in Miami-Dade or Broward counties. On the other hand, Jean-Pierre appears to be facing the consequences of the alleged scheme as the legal process unfolds in a Florida courtroom. As the Haitian-American community in South Florida comes to grips with this betrayal, the case serves as a somber reminder of the perils that can accompany investment opportunities that seem too good to be true.
