佐治亚州纽南——一名曾经营庞氏骗局的佐治亚州知名共和党人已被判处15年联邦监禁。联邦检察官称，该骗局导致300多名受害者损失超过7600万美元。
NEWNAN, Ga. — A prominent Georgia Republican who ran a Ponzi scheme that federal prosecutors said caused losses of more than $76 million to more than 300 victims has been sentenced to spend 15 years in federal prison.
69岁的埃德温·布兰特·弗罗斯特四世于今年5月对一项电信欺诈指控认罪，该指控源于“第一自由建筑与贷款公司”于2025年6月倒闭后展开的调查。弗罗斯特已公开为自己的行为道歉，他还被勒令支付超过7600万美元的赔偿金。
Edwin Brant Frost IV, 69, had pleaded guilty in May to a charge of wire fraud that resulted from an investigation that began after First Liberty Building and Loan collapsed in June 2025. Frost, who has publicly apologized for his role, was also ordered to pay more than $76 million in restitution.
据《亚特兰大宪章报》报道，弗罗斯特在量刑听证会上发言，称“在这里听”受害者讲述他们所遭受的伤害“令人难受”。“我毁了很多好人的生活，”他说。
Frost spoke during his sentencing hearing, saying it was “difficult to be here and to listen” to victims speak about the harm they suffered, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported . “I have messed up a lot of good people’s lives,” he said.
据该报报道，美国首席地区法官利·马丁·梅表示，刑期之长反映了损害之严重。
Chief U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May said the length of the sentence was a reflection of the severity of the damage, the newspaper reported.
投资“第一自由”的推介常常在由保守派人士主持的脱口秀节目中进行，包括埃里克·埃里克森、休·休伊特和查理·柯克。
Investing in First Liberty was often pitched on talk shows hosted by conservatives, including Erick Erickson, Hugh Hewitt and Charlie Kirk.
该公司承诺通过向企业发放高息贷款来提供高达16%的回报。弗罗斯特是一位福音派权力掮客，他鼓吹“让普通街投资者获得华尔街级别的回报”。但美国证券交易委员会的一项诉讼称，他为自己、亲属及其关联公司截留了1700万美元，还放出了数百万美元贷款，借款人从未偿还。
It promised returns of up to 16% by making high-interest loans to businesses. Frost, an evangelical powerbroker, touted “Wall Street returns for Main Street investors.”But he skimmed $17 million for himself, his relatives and their affiliated companies, and loaned millions more that borrowers never repaid, a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit said.
该公司的倒闭震动了为其位于亚特兰大西南郊区纽南的业务提供资金的宗教和政治网络。此事还可能对州共和党政治产生影响，切断弗罗斯特及其家族所青睐的极右翼候选人的资金来源。调查人员称，弗罗斯特将投资者资金中的57万美元用于政治捐款。
The firm’s collapse rocked the religious and political networks that fed cash to the business, based in suburban Newnan, southwest of Atlanta. It also could have ramifications in state Republican politics, cutting off funding to the far-right candidates that Frost and his family have favored. Investigators said Frost spent $570,000 from investor funds on political contributions.
美国联邦检察官西奥多·S·赫茨伯格将弗罗斯特比作“假先知和披着羊皮的狼”，利用宗教、政治和财富承诺来剥削投资者、中饱私囊。
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg likened Frost to a “false prophet and ravenous wolf in sheep’s clothing,” using religion, politics and promises of wealth to exploit investors and enrich himself.
“这是一次令人震惊、罪恶且亵渎神圣的滥用信任行为，毁掉了数百名投资者，其中包括失去毕生积蓄的退休人员和老年人，”赫兹伯格在一份新闻稿中说。
“This was a stunning, sinful, and sacrilegious abuse of trust that wrecked hundreds of investors, including retirees and seniors who lost their life savings,” Hertzberg said in a press release.