Con man pardoned by Trump charged with fraud

Eliyahu "Eli" Weinstein and four others are charged with fleecing more than 150 people out of $35 million. Using the alias Michael Konig, Weinstein and the others formed a company called Optimus Investments Inc. The group claimed it had "lucrative deals" on N95 Covid masks, "scarce baby formula" and "first-aid kits bound for Ukraine." If convicted on all charges, the five face a maximum of 25 years in prison and fines. The SEC has also filed a civil complaint against Weinstein. Weinstein was one of 74 people who received pardons from Trump in the final hours of his presidency in January 2021. Weinstein had, at that point, served 8 years of a 24-year sentence for his $200m real estate Ponzi fraud that preyed on fellow Jews.