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Man charged in US with stealing $450 million from Mexican billionaire in loan scheme
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Man charged in US with stealing $450 million from Mexican billionaire in loan scheme

The Independent·Dave Collins·27 days ago
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#salinas#astor#sklarov#loan#company#article
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A man with multiple aliases used the name of the famed Astor family to dupe a Mexican billionaire out of around $450 million in a bogus stock-backed loan scheme, according to a newly unsealed U.S. indictment and other court records. Vladimir Sklarov, 63, also known as Gregory Mitchell and Mark Simon Bentley, set up a sham company, Astor Asset Group, that purported to be a legitimate and experienced loan provider that was connected to the Astors, federal prosecutors said. The storied New York family included John Jacob Astor, one of the wealthiest men in America in the mid-19th century. Although the indictment unsealed on Monday does not name the victim, court records in litigation in England show it was Ricardo Salinas Pliego, the Mexican TV, retail and banking magnate. Salinas also confirmed he was ripped off by Astor Asset Group in an interview with The Wall Street Journal last year. “I feel like an absolute idiot. How could I fall for this?” Salinas Pliego told the newspaper.…

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