SEC Charges Founder and His Two New Jersey-Based Companies in Alleged $16 Million Ponzi Scheme

The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Ernest Ossei Boateng and two New Jersey-based companies he controls, Intercontinental Wealth Network LLC and I Wealth Network LP, for allegedly raising approximately $16 million from more than 200 inexperienced investors through a Ponzi scheme he operated from at least January 2020 until at least March 2026.

According to the SEC’s complaint, Boateng, acting through his two companies, solicited, recommended, and sold interests in an alleged investment fund, primarily targeting Christians of Ghanaian heritage in New York and New Jersey, many of whom had no prior investing experience. The complaint alleges that Boateng told investors that their investments would generate guaranteed fixed returns and that the investment fund would pursue a low-risk investment strategy. Rather than investing the money as promised, however, Boateng allegedly misappropriated more than $5.8 million for his personal expenses, including the purchase, renovation, and furnishing of his home. Boateng also allegedly used approximately $6.6 million to make Ponzi-like payments to earlier investors. The complaint further alleges that, to the limited extent Boateng did invest the money, he failed to do so in low-risk investments with fixed returns. Instead, according to the complaint, Boateng used investor money to engage in high-risk, speculative day trading, leading to more than $750,000 in trading losses.

“We allege that the defendants’ investors included retirees, taxi drivers, home health care providers, students, an ailing widow with young children, and at least two churches and one prayer group,” said Thomas P. Smith, Jr., Associate Director of the SEC’s New York Regional Office. “The defendants’ sales pitch to victims included assuring them that their investments were safe and without risk—telling many their money was protected by so-called ‘financial, investment insurance.’ That’s as big of a red flag as we see in these types of scams.”