Investment Advisor Charged in Federal Court With Defrauding Client

CHICAGO — An investment advisor has been charged in federal court with defrauding a suburban Chicago client out of approximately $500,000.

JORDAN ROMAN, 47, of Rancho Park, Calif., is charged with wire fraud in a criminal information filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.  Arraignment in federal court has not yet been scheduled.

According to the information, Roman operated Illinois-based Drumstick Timpani Fund L.P., through which he solicited and obtained funds from clients.  Per the information, from 2012 to 2024, Roman fraudulently obtained funds from an investor in a Chicago suburb.  He allegedly did so by misrepresenting the intended use of the investment and falsely boasting of the investment’s performance and value.  In addition, Roman falsely told the victim that he would invest the money on the victim’s behalf, even though Roman knew some of the money would be used for Roman’s personal benefit, including paying utility and credit card bills, the information states.

Roman concealed his misappropriation by creating bogus account statements and tax forms that falsely represented the victim’s investment was greater than its actual value, the information states.

The information was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hasten and Paige Nutini.

The public is reminded that an information is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.