New Jersey Man Admits $47 Million Ponzi Scheme Targeting Ultra-Orthodox Community

Lior Moshe, 43, from Toms River, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in federal court in Trenton to operating a $47 million investment fraud scheme. His sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2026. Between June 2019 and June 2023, Moshe raised funds from 97 victims, mostly members of the ultra-Orthodox community, through his company Capital Funding ASAP. He promised investors that their money would be used exclusively for short-term business loans yielding returns between 9% and 53%. Instead, Moshe ran a Ponzi scheme, using new investors' money to pay earlier investors and embezzled approximately $11 million for personal expenses, including gambling debts, home renovations, mortgage payments, and car loans.

U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer highlighted that Moshe exploited the trust of the ultra-Orthodox community to perpetrate the fraud, stating, "The defendant turned the community's trust into a tool for deception, leveraging personal connections to fuel a massive Ponzi scheme." Frazer emphasized the commitment of federal law enforcement to expose financial frauds and protect investors. FBI Special Agent Stephanie Rudy noted the severe impact of investment fraud on victims, saying, "Dozens of victims trusted Moshe's promises, who admitted to using their funds to cover his gambling addiction among other expenses." The FBI Newark office pledged to pursue anyone exploiting victims and to seek justice for those harmed by such scams.