Federal Enforcement Expands - RI Businessman Now Tied to Alleged RI Marine Ponzi Schemer
GoLocalProv News Team
Federal Enforcement Expands - RI Businessman Now Tied to Alleged RI Marine Ponzi Schemer
GoLocal first uncovered the story in September of 2024, months before law enforcement took action.
On Friday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) expanded its enforcement actions in the case of the alleged Ponzi scheme run by Aubin and Corcoran. Now, the case includes Rhode Island businessman Russell Miller, Jr.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTCorcoran claimed in a July court filing that she no longer has a relationship with Aubin after federal agents raided their home in May. She claims she left that day “with only the clothes on her back.”
“Law enforcement seized all of the designer handbags, wallets, and glasses that were gifted to me by Aubin at the time of the raid,” Corcoran wrote in her official legal response to the SEC.
Miller, age 37, resides in Cranston and he is the founder and principal of Miller Property Group LLC. “On information and belief, Miller is the relative of a business associate of Aubin,” said the SEC in new filings.
“Miller Property Group LLC is a Rhode Island limited liability company with a principal place of business in Cranston, Rhode Island. Miller Property was formed on February 12, 2020. According to Rhode Island Department of State records, its purpose is to “manage real estate and do basic repairs,” cites the SEC in its expanded complaint.
Golocal found that Miller, Jr. has ties to The Dumpster Company in Johnston, according to state records. GoLocal spoke to Miller, Jr, in June before the SEC added him to the case after learning of transfers being made to Miller by Aubin.
In a phone call with Miller in June, he told GoLocal that the money he had borrowed from Aubin’s company was repaid. “He’s all set. … yeah, I believe all the attorneys have all that documentation.”
“Um, yeah, I don't know, I don't know his, uh, financial history. I don't know anything about that. But, yeah, no, any, uh, any wins that he did they have been paid back, so,” said Miller in the phone interview.
Miller could not remember the last time he spoke to Aubin. Miller told GoLocal.
Aubin and Miller
While Aubin was taking in money from investors, including former Marines, small business owners, and retirees, he was then allegedly moving the money to Miller.
According to the SEC:
Aubin and Anchor State transferred proceeds from their fraudulent investment scheme, through a title agent, to Relief Defendants Miller and Miller Property for no legitimate purpose or consideration.
In December 2023 and January 2024, Aubin and Anchor State transferred approximately $300,000 from an Anchor State bank account to fund the entire purchase price of property located at 1314 Chalkstone Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island (the “Property”).
Despite the fact that Anchor State paid the entire purchase price of the Property, Defendants allowed the Property to be titled in the name of Miller Property. At the time of the Property’s purchase, Anchor State’s account was substantially funded with investors’ funds.
Then, in January 2024, Defendants transferred an additional $70,000 from an Anchor State bank account to Miller and Miller Property to fund renovations to the Property.
The transferred funds also came substantially from investors’ funds. Miller and Miller Property received personal benefits from both the titling of the Property in the name of Miller Property, and the transfers of funds to them to pay for the Property’s renovations.
Miller and Miller Property are not entitled to retain the financial benefit they received by virtue of these transfers.
Now the property is on the market with an asking price of $465,000.
In a separate motion, the SEC filed to seize the house to try to ensure that there are some assets to repay the victims of the alleged scheme:
Defendants also engaged in extensive lulling, providing myriad excuses in an attempt to convince investors that their repayments would be forthcoming, and were only temporarily delayed. This motion is filed as an emergency to prevent the dissipation of the only currently identified asset that may be available to repay investors – the Property.
The Property, located at 1314 Chalkstone Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island, was purchased and renovated largely with misappropriated investor funds. The Property is now on the market for $465,000, and may be sold soon. Based on the Commission’s review of Defendants’ known financial institution accounts, there is very little left in terms of liquid assets that can be used to repay investors the more than $2 million that Defendants owe them.
Victims Tell the Story
As GoLocal has previously chronicled, about 20 people are alleged to have been ripped off by Aubin.
Now, many have told the court of their experiences.
One of the alleged victims who submitted an affidavit claims his attempt to recover funds was fruitless.
SEC staff accountant Patrick Noone found in his investigation filed with the court, "I have examined the uses of the funds deposited into the Relevant Accounts to determine whether any of the 24 investors identified by the Staff received payments of some or all of their investment principal and interest from those accounts. For 15 of those investors, I see no repayments to them (either in their own name or in the name of an entity that invested funds) out of any of the Relevant Accounts. The other 9 investors received payments of some or all of their investment principal. In total, out of the over $2.5 million invested by the 24 investors, those investors collectively appear to have been repaid approximately $491,000, leaving a difference of over $2 million."
GoLocal's investigation continues.
Editor's Note: The Dumpster Company business filing is linked to Russell Miller, but does not specify if it is Russell Miller, Jr.