Benjamin Paul Wiener, founder of Benaiah Holdings and related investment companies, was arrested by federal authorities last week and made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on Monday. Prosecutors allege Wiener operated a Ponzi-style scheme that defrauded investors of tens of millions of dollars.
According to reports, the indictment includes eight counts of wire fraud, 18 counts of money laundering, one count of bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
The criminal case follows a series of civil lawsuits filed by investors. In one lawsuit filed last year, a Florida trust alleged it lost $4 million after investing with Benaiah in 2021. The lawsuit claims the trust received account statements for about a year before communication stopped. When the trustee gained access to the investment’s cryptocurrency account in March 2025, the balance had fallen to less than $600.
Court records also show the FBI and IRS searched Wiener’s business and residence in June 2025 as part of the investigation. A federal judge later appointed a receiver to take control of Benaiah’s assets and eventually expanded the receivership to include Wiener personally.
Federal prosecutors allege Wiener used several companies to solicit investments while misusing investor funds. The criminal case remains pending, and Wiener is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
