RICHLAND, Wash. – The pastor of a Spanish-language church in Pasco has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of fraud in connection with a cryptocurrency scam case, according to a release by the U.S Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref announced that on November 7, 2024 Francier Obando Pinillo, 51, of Miami, Florida was charged with 26 counts of fraud stemming from a scam that defrauded investors of millions of dollars between November 2021 and October 2023.
Pinillo used his position as pastor at Ministerio Apostolico Profetico Tiempos de Poder to induce members of his congregation and others to invest their money in a cryptocurrency investment business known as “Solano Fi”, the release said.
“Fraudulent investment schemes are not new, but cryptocurrency scams are a new way fraudsters take money from hardworking, honest people,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Cryptocurrency fraudsters often quickly route funds to international accounts, which presents new challenges for law enforcement attempting to recover lost funds. My office and our partners at the FBI are committed to doing all we can to recover the proceeds of these frauds for victims and to hold the people running these scams accountable.”
Pinillo was arraigned Thursday, January 9, 2025 at the U.S. District Court in Richland on the fraud charges which carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, the release said.
