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Lee Elbaz
In this photo from July 16, 2019, Lee Elbaz arrives at federal court for jury selection in her trial in Greenbelt, Md. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
August 7, 2019, 7:24 pm
Israeli binary options operative Lee Elbaz convicted in US in $145 million fraud
Elbaz oversaw fleecing of clients worldwide as CEO of Yukom Communications, one of 100+ binary options firms that ran from Israel until industry was banned after ToI reporting
By Simona Weinglass
In this photo from July 16, 2019, Lee Elbaz arrives at federal court for jury selection in her trial in Greenbelt, Md. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
August 6, 2019, 10:05 pm
In bizarre twist, juror in binary options trial dismissed after overhearing talk
Deliberations in fraud case to begin again with alternate after juror tells Maryland judge he caught Hebrew conversation suggesting suspect Lee Elbaz is a bad person
By Simona Weinglass
Lee Elbaz arrives at federal court for jury selection in her trial in Greenbelt, Maryland, July 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
August 3, 2019, 3:26 pm
Fraud trial of Lee Elbaz to enter third day of jury deliberations
As the prosecution and defense await verdict, jury members ask for sticky notes, paper clips and a definition of ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’
By Simona Weinglass
Lee Elbaz arrives at federal court for jury selection in her trial in Greenbelt, Maryland, July 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
August 2, 2019, 5:42 am
Jury hears closing arguments in fraud trial of Israeli binary options operative
Lee Elbaz was at the heart of massive fraud scheme, trained employees to lie, federal prosecutors say; defense attorney claims client never crossed line into criminal activity
By Michael Kunzelman
In this photo from July 16, 2019, Lee Elbaz arrives at federal court for jury selection in her trial in Greenbelt, Md. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
August 1, 2019, 5:40 pm
Jury to begin deliberations in fraud trial of Israeli binary options operative
Jurors will first hear final arguments in case of Lee Elbaz, the ex-CEO of Yukom Communications who is accused of defrauding investors out of tens of millions of dollars
By AP and TOI staff
Liora Welles in a photo she uploaded to Facebook in December 2015. (Screenshot: Facebook)
July 30, 2019, 6:39 am
Convicted binary options operative: ‘I’m taking responsibility for what I did’
Liora Welles, one of thousands of Israelis who worked in widely fraudulent industry, tells US court at boss’s trial that ‘it took me a long time’ to realize magnitude of the crime
By Simona Weinglass
Lee Elbaz, an Israeli woman on trial in the United States for binary options fraud, enters the Greenbelt, Maryland courthouse on July 25, 2019. Behind her is Larry Burton, an American man who testified during the trial that he lost $140,000 to the Israeli-run website BinaryBook.com (Photo credit: Times of Israel)
July 28, 2019, 11:24 am
Israeli woman on trial for fraud called herself a ‘f-cking money-making machine’
FBI reveals conversations in which binary options operative Lee Elbaz took credit for allegedly fraudulent firm’s success, dished about her bosses, worried about traveling to US
By Simona Weinglass
Lee Elbaz arrives at federal court for jury selection in her trial in Greenbelt, Md., Tuesday July 16, 2019. Elbaz was CEO of an Israel-based company called Yukom Communications. She is accused of engaging in a scheme to dupe investors through the sale and marketing of financial instruments known as "binary options." (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
July 17, 2019, 3:54 am
US prosecutor: Israeli trained staff to lie repeatedly to binary options victims
At opening of landmark trial, Lee Elbaz, former CEO of Yukom Communications, alleged to have overseen ‘massive’ fraud; her lawyer says ‘She wanted her employees to work clean’
By AP and TOI staff
Lee Elbaz arrives at federal court for jury selection in her trial in Greenbelt, Md., Tuesday July 16, 2019. Elbaz was CEO of an Israel-based company called Yukom Communications. She is accused of engaging in a scheme to dupe investors through the sale and marketing of financial instruments known as "binary options." (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
July 16, 2019, 1:46 pm
Jury selection to begin in landmark US trial of Israeli binary options operative
Federal trial opens Tuesday for Lee Elbaz, former CEO of Yukon Communications, accused of fraudulently bilking investors out of tens of millions of dollars
By AP, David Horovitz and Simona Weinglass
BinaryBook's website homepage.
July 9, 2019, 9:38 pm
Ahead of fraud trial, US lays bare ‘multitude of lies’ of Israeli binary options
Confirming years of investigative journalism by The Times of Israel, US Justice Department describes the cynical modus operandi of crooks who stole billions from victims worldwide
By David Horovitz and Simona Weinglass
Employees of Yukom Communications Ltd receive cars for achieving high sales quotas in 2015 (Facebook screenshot)
June 17, 2019, 3:15 pm
US indicts nine more Israeli binary options operatives
In a February indictment just unsealed, 3 alleged BinaryBook and BigOption bosses are charged with wire fraud and conspiracy
By Simona Weinglass
Austin Smith, owner of Wealth Recovery International that offers to recover money for victims of binary options. (Facebook screenshot)
March 15, 2019, 12:17 am
Israeli-American claiming to help binary options victims pleads guilty to fraud
Austin Smith, owner of Wealth Recovery International, nabbed in the United States, along with second man, Yair Hadar
By Simona Weinglass
Liora Welles in a photo she uploaded to Facebook in December 2015. (Screenshot: Facebook)
December 27, 2018, 11:22 pm
2 more Israeli women charged in US in binary options fraud case
Liora Welles and Shira Uzan, accused of working as sales representatives to swindle millions of dollars out of victims, plead guilty to conspiracy charges
By AP and TOI staff
A Facebook photo of Lee Elbaz taken during her house arrest in San Francisco in January 2018 (Facebook screenshot)
October 20, 2018, 6:39 pm
Joining the likes of Madoff, alleged binary options fraudster to get DOJ website
Notorious distinction is because US government alleges Lee Elbaz, former CEO of Israeli binary options firm, may have ‘affected thousands’ of victims
By Simona Weinglass
Lee Elbaz, former CEO of Yukom Ltd. (Linkedin)
March 24, 2018, 9:50 pm
US grand jury indicts alleged Israeli binary options fraudster Lee Elbaz
CEO of Yukom Communications charged with defrauding investors all over the world through the websites Bigoption.com and BinaryBook.com
By Simona Weinglass
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