Evolutionary Triangle Community | $100,000 pyramid fraud: sentenced to 15 months in home confinement

(Saint-Hyacinthe) Pyramid fraud refuses to die. It always proliferates in the form of a “circle of gifts” or an “evolving triangle”. A leading figure in such a community of 2,000 members was sentenced Thursday to 15 months in home confinement for pocketing more than $100,000 from naive victims.

Give $5000 to get $40,000? This is the promise that the recruiters of the Community of the Evolutionary Triangle, like Lioudmila Minina, made to new members. Window dressing, obviously. Thanks to undercover agents, the fraudster fell from her pedestal in 2020.

“The strength of the Community and of M^me Minina is to convince the members that they are participating in a solidarity movement to distract them from the sad reality: the Community constitutes a classic pyramid scheme,” summarized Judge Catherine Perreault on Thursday at the Saint-Hyacinthe courthouse.

At the end of a lengthy trial last summer, a jury convicted Lioudmila Minina of fraud and lottery and gambling charges. The 60-year-old naturopath hoped to get away without detention, while the Crown demanded 18 months in prison. The Superior Court judge finally gave him a suspended prison sentence (at home). She will have to repay $100,000 within three years to avoid serving 23 months in prison.

In the past, there was “The Harvest” or the “Dream Weavers”, as revealed by a survey by The Press in 2019. This time, the fraudulent group was called the Evolutionary Triangle Community, an initially nebulous organization with 2,000 members. Lioudmila Minina, alias Milady, was not the leader or founder, but a very prolific member of this “mutual aid and sharing” group.

A “journey to abundance” and a “sharing of wealth”. This is how the “presenters” portrayed the Community to the recruits. A “donation” of $5,000 to the community certainly allowed a recruit to receive $40,000 thanks to the “circular movement of money,” it was said.

“It’s not if you’re going to have your party, but when,” Lyoudmila Minina promised the recruits.

Fifteen women are part of each “evolving triangle,” one at the top and eight at the bottom, who each donated $5,000. When a pyramid is completed, the “birthday girl” at the top receives $40,000 in “gifts” during a celebration of abundance and sharing. Lioudmila Minina was “celebrated” six times.

Two new pyramids are then formed with the remaining members. Each member moves up one floor in the “triangle”. Those who were previously at the bottom of the ladder must then recruit two people willing to give $5,000 for the scam to continue. Several “triangles” exist at the same time in the Community.

At the same time, Lioudmila Minina maneuvered to “evolve” more quickly than the others. For example, she negotiated with participants to share more advantageous positions on certain triangles. The goal is not to get stuck in a triangle that is “dying” due to lack of members at the bottom of the ladder.

“Fun names” to keep the secret

To keep the scheme secret, members had to use “fun names” rather than their real names. For example, Milady, Athena, Maximus or Volchok. Exchanges between members took place on the encrypted Telegram application. They were forbidden from recording the presentations or speaking about “triangle” in public.

Furthermore, members of the Community testified in favor of the accused during the trial. The organization still appears to exist.

Of the fraud of more than $250,000, Lioudmila Minina benefited from more than $170,000, according to the Crown. An amount which justified firm detention. On the defense side, we advanced a smaller amount. However, Judge Perreault instead estimated the fraudster’s profit at $109,000.

Among the aggravating factors, the judge considers the amount of fraud, premeditation, repetition, the important role of the accused and the vulnerability of the victims. However, the judge did not accept that the accused acted for the benefit of a criminal organization.

Mitigating factors, however, tipped the scales towards a home prison sentence. In fact, Lioudmila Minina has a low risk of reoffending, has complied with her release conditions since her arrest and does not represent a danger to society.

The Crown demanded the partial confiscation of the residence of the accused and her partner Dominic St-Pierre, since around twenty “parties” took place there. But the judge concluded that the measure would be disproportionate.

M^e Simon Lacoste and M^e Cimon Sénécal represented the public prosecutor, while M^e Gabriel Bérubé-Bouchard and M^e Célia Hadid defended the accused. She appealed the guilty verdict.