The Number of People Who Claim They Have Been Ripped Off by RI Businessman Is Exploding
GoLocalProv News Team
The Number of People Who Claim They Have Been Ripped Off by RI Businessman Is Exploding
Aubin, a former U.S. Marine, claims he is a hard money lender and successful real estate investor. According to some of his alleged victims, he uses his military service to build trust.
According to sworn statements, lawsuits, and interviews by GoLocal with alleged victims, Aubin has taken millions of dollars and repeatedly promised to return investments with interest but repeatedly missed those deadlines.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTSome of his alleged victims claim that Aubin is living large off their money and that he is running a de facto Ponzi scheme.
And while they have been demanding repayment of their money, Aubin can be seen traveling and using hundreds of thousands of dollars for charter flights, as seen on social media posts. In some media interviews, he has claimed he makes big money and drives big returns to investors.
MORE ON AUBIN'S USE OF PAID PODCASTS AND PAID MEDIA COMING SOON ON GOLOCAL
But despite the claims and the promises by Aubin to repay investors, GoLocal has tracked nearly twenty victims who combined claims they have been taken by Aubin.
One of the people claiming Aubin has stiffed them is one of the owners of a charter plane company.
Kaden Green is one of the founders of Escape Aviation, a Miami-based charter jet company. Green tells GoLocal that Aubin used their services a number of times and initially paid for his flights. Then, Aubin continued to use the services for flights both in the United States and in Eurpoe, but said he would wire the payments.
He never did, says Green.
"[Aubin] sent three separate fake 'proof of payments' - the same exact thing from his TD bank for $100,000 each, one after another, boom, boom, boom. It looks so real. It's not even a screenshot. It's him taking a picture of his computer and it says 'processing' as if it's from TD Bank. I mean, I don't know how you can fake that, but you know, we never got the money. So then we're like, okay, we're getting a lawyer involved," said Green.
"This is getting ridiculous. So our lawyer was like, you know what? You're not going to get your money. We have to do something about this. And just at that time, I looked up his name and saw [the GoLocal article] article and I was like, oh boy, I'm so screwed," said Green.
Green said he and his company are now preparing to file a litigation against Aubin. He said he is out hundreds of thousands of dollars.
But Green is just one of many who have come forward in recent weeks with allegations about Aubin.
Jonathan Carvalho, a native Rhode Islander who now lives in Florida, says he is now out $85,000. He, too, invested with Aubin. The father of a newborn, Carvahlo places some of the blame on the Rhode Island State Police.
He says the Rhode Island State Police received complaints about Aubin months ago, and he and others never would have lost their money if the agency took action.
"If the State Police did something when all these people had reported stuff. I would not have had one dollar lost [because of Aubin.]," said Carvalho.
Those claiming they were ripped off by Aubin are from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Florida, and Arizona.
Another Rhode Islander who has come forward is Micheal Avarista of Cranston. He swore out a complaint on December 17, 2024, to the Cranston Police that he had learned that Aubin "had created four fraudulent loan documents" in Avarista's name.
To date, Cranston Police have not taken action against Aubin.
And two more Massachusetts residents filed lawsuits in January against Aubin. SEE MORE BELOW. A total of four Massachusetts residents have now filed lawsuits against Aubin.
Many of the lawsuits name Aubin, his company, and his girlfriend Ashley Corcoran in the lawsuits.
In September, GoLocal first reported on claims that Aubin was allegedly taking money and failing to return the monies he promised — one of Aubin’s investors claimed that he was running a Ponzi scheme. Patsy Sperduto and one other man initially filed suit against Aubin and his company, Anchor State Investments.
Now, six others have joined Sperduto’s lawsuit against Aubin and Anchor State Investments.
Aubin and Corcoran are representing themselves "pro se" as their lawyer has withdrawn. Attorney Rich Nicholson was representing Aubin, Corcoran, and the company, but as of January is only representing the company.
But that lawsuit is now just one of many legal actions against Aubin.
Since that lawsuit was first filed, Aubin was arrested by Cumberland Police and charged with a felony for “forgery and counterfeiting” and was released on $5,000 personal recognizance.
Sperduto said he is frustrated by the lack of action by law enforcement.
He said that, besides the Rhode Island State Police, victims have contacted the FBI, the Attorney General's office, and the IRS.
"If they had taken action, it would have stopped [Aubin] from ripping off so many people. Some of these people are small business people, and they are wiped out," said Sperduto.
And, in December, GoLocal reported that an Arizona man, Matthew Tooker, said he had been ripped off by Aubin.
In a series of audio tapes provided to GoLocal by Tooker, age 25, he said he gave Aubin the $50,000 and was promised to have his money back in just over 30 days at a $6,000 profit. The money was much of Tooker's wealth.
In audio recordings, Aubin is on tape bragging that his lawyer is former Rhode Island Speaker of the House John Harwood, and that Harwood has influence in the Rhode Island courts and with the Rhode Island State Police.
Many of those who alleged to have been ripped off by Aubin took place since the Rhode Island State Police began an investigation. But the State Police has yet to take action.
When asked about how long the investigation has gone on and that a number of victims have raised concerns that more and more individuals are becoming victims while the now six-month investigation goes on, the State Police refused to comment on the matter.
“Per your question, the Rhode Island State Police would not comment on open investigations and does not confirm or deny the existence of any investigation,” said Lt. Colonel Robert Creamer of the State Police in an email to GoLocal.
GoLocal has been provided copies of text messages between alleged victims and a member of the State Police Financial Crimes Unit.
"[Harwood] called, like, the Major, like the number three guy at the State Police,” Aubin told Tooker in the taped recordings.
When Tooker asks, “What do you mean the phone call guy?" Aubin says, “Like, he's the guy that, like, gets stuff done with the phone call, you know what I'm saying?"
"It's like this the other guy [Harwood], I can literally call and be like hey, like, who do you, whatever, like can you call, like the state police and tell them that, like, if they get a call you're already on it. They'll be like yeah and they'll be talking like the major of the state police, and he's like tell your dad I said hi, I'll see him Thursday, then he hangs up the phone," Aubin tells Tooker in a taped recording.
"I guess if you're Speaker of the House for a while...[Harwood] made a joke at one point that [he] 'helped appoint half the judges in Rhode Island,'" Aubin continues.
According to Court records, Harwood is now only representing Aubin in the pending Cumberland felony case.
In the past two months, four Massachusetts residents have filed lawsuits against Aubin in the Commonwealth. The total claims against him total about $1 million.
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In January, two new lawsuits were filed against Aubin, Corcoran and his company Anchor State.
According to the lawyer filing the suit, Ronald Dunbar, "The total for one small business person is $220,000. The individual lent $150,000 to Anchor State on September 12, 2024. The $150,000 loan was to be repaid on December 12, 2024. She lent an additional $70,000 to Anchor State on October 10, 2024. The $70,000 loan was to be repaid on November 10, 2024."
The other alleged victim is Kevin Farrell who provided Aubin $50,000 ($25,000 on October 22 and $25,000 on October 24). It was all to be repaid on January 21, 2025. Aubin never repaid him.
The lawsuit filed in Bristol County Superior Court states, “Aubin and Anchor State solicited loans from Farrell. Aubin and Anchor State represented to Farrell that the loans solicited from him would be used for various construction and real estate projects.. Based on Aubin and Anchor State’s representations, Farrell made two loans to Anchor State. He lent $25,000 to Anchor State on October 22, 2024, and he lent $25,000 to Anchor State on October 24, 2024. In total, Farrell lent Anchor State $50,000. Anchor State was obligated to pay Farrell the $50,000 on January 21, 2025. When the loans became due, Anchor State did not repay them."
Between just those two recent alleged victims, the total is $270,000.
In late December, a two-count lawsuit was filed in Bristol County Superior Court in the Commonwealth, and Aubin was accused of fraud.
In the first count of the lawsuit, conversion, the filing asserts, “Aubin intentionally or wrongfully have exercised acts of ownership, control or dominion over personal property to which he has no right of possession at the time. As a result, the Plaintiffs were damaged.”
In the second count, a claim of fraud, the lawsuit states, “Aubin made a false representation of a material fact with knowledge of their falsity regarding Anchor State's business and the use of the funds for the purpose of inducing the Plaintiffs to act thereon.”
According to the Massachusetts lawsuit, “Aubin and Anchor State solicited loans from HOB [name of the business] and Jordan [Teixaria]. Aubin and Anchor State represented to HOB and Jordan that the loans solicited from HOB and Jordan would be used for various construction and real estate projects. Aubin and Anchor State promised HOB and Jordan that they would receive the principal amount of their loans, plus interest on their loans, within 90 days. HOB and Jordan lent $546,557 to Anchor State…”
“Every time one of Jordan's and HOB 's short term loans matured, Aubin convinced Jordan and HOB to ‘rollover’ the loans into ‘other projects’ so that Aubin and Anchor State would not have to repay Jordan and HOB their funds when they became due. As of December 1, 2024, all of Jordan's loans and HOB's loans to Anchor State were due. Jordan asked Aubin for the return of her funds on December 1, 2024, but she has been continually stalled and lied to. Aubin and Anchor State have continually promised to repay Jordan and HOB but every time the payment is promised, it is never received,” according to the lawsuit.
Alysha Melo, a second woman who is a party to the Massachusetts lawsuit against Aubin, alleges that she, too, is a victim of Aubin.
“Alysha lent $85,000 to Anchor State. The $85,000 was due to Alysha on September 20, 2024. On October 2, 2024, Alysha requested her money back, but Aubin and Anchor State refused to return the money,” according to the lawsuit.
Combined, the two women claim Aubin owes them more than $600,000.
As the months go by, the number of people alleging that Aubin is ripping them off continues to grow.