United States vs. Pigida et. al Case number: 18-CR-00294

United States vs. Pigida et. al   Case number:  18-CR-00294

Case Summary:  VOLODIMYR PIGIDA and MARINA BONDARENKO agreed to create and operate Trend Sound Promoter AMG, Corporation (Trend Sound Promoter) as a work-at-home internet-marketing scheme, which promised significant returns with minimal training or effort.  Throughout the company’s existence, the Defendants claimed Trend Sound Promoter was a legitimate, investor-backed, online advertising and marketing company, created to promote music and other goods and services on the Internet.  In fact, Trend Sound Promoter was a Ponzi scheme without a commercially viable product or investors, premised on a purported email marketing system, through which Defendants solicited and obtained in excess of $22 million from approximately 6,750 individuals located throughout the world in slightly over one year of operation. 

                VOLODIMYR PIGIDA and MARINA BONDARENKO further agreed to undertake a variety of means to transfer money paid into Trend Sound Promoter out of the company for their own personal use and benefit, and to conceal these transfers from purchasers of Trend Sound Promoter’s work-at-home marketing packages (known as Independent Promoter Distributors (IPDs)).  These unauthorized and fraudulent transfers included but were not limited to, real estate purchases, transfers of funds to wholly-owned related companies, the direct payment of personal expenses with Trend Sound Promoter funds, and the placement of assets into legal trusts to disguise VOLODIMYR PIGIDA and MARINA BONDARENKO’s theft of Trend Sound Promoter funds to purchase the assets.

                Finally, VOLODIMYR PIGIDA and MARINA BONDARENKO further agreed to defraud creditors of Trend Sound Promoter, including thousands of IPDs, as well as the Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Washington, and the Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustee, in connection with, and in relation to, the company’s bankruptcy proceeding.  In anticipation of, during, and in relation to, this proceeding, VOLODIMYR PIGIDA and MARINA BONDARENKO fraudulently failed to disclose and affirmatively concealed transfers of Trend Sound Promoter funds for their personal benefit, and made and caused to be made false and fraudulent representations related to the operation of Trend Sound Promoter, and their misappropriation of money and property from Trend Sound Promoter, all to prevent their misappropriation of these assets from being discovered and adjudicated as part of the bankruptcy estate of Trend Sound Promoter and liquidated on behalf of unsecured creditors. 

Defendant:  Marina Bondarenko

Court Dates: 

Arraignment:  December 21, 2018 2:00 p.m. Courtroom 12B

Trial:  February 25, 2019, Courtroom 13206

Trial Continuation:  March 2, 2020, Courtroom 13206

Change of Plea:  September 11, 2019 at 10:00 A.M., Courtroom 13206

Sentencing:  December 6, 2019 at 1:30 p.m., Courtroom 13206

Sentencing Rescheduled:  January 31, 2020 at 10:00 a.m., Courtroom 13206

Sentencing Rescheduled:  February 13, 2020 at 2:00 p.m., Courtroom 13206

Defendant:  Volodimyr Pigida

Court Dates: 

Arraignment:  December 21, 2018 2:00 p.m. Courtroom 12B

Trial:  February 25, 2019, Courtroom 13206

Trial Continuation:  March 2, 2020, Courtroom 13206

Trial Continuation:  September 8, 2020, Courtroom 13206

Trial Continuation:  June 14, 2021, Courtroom 13206

Trial Continuation:  June 13, 2022, Courtroom 13206

Trial Continuation:  October 11, 2022, Courtroom 13206

Sentencing:  March 24, 2023 @ 10:00 am, Courtroom 13206

Sentencing Continued:  June 30, 2023 @ 11:00 am, Courtroom 13206

Sentencing Continued:  August 4, 2023 @ 10:00 am, Courtroom 13206

Court Documents:

            Indictment: United States vs. Pigida et. al 

            Plea Agreement: Bondarenko

            Judgment: Bondarenko

Other Documents: