Sioux Falls Crypto Investor Benjamin Wiener Indicted in Alleged $20 Million Fraud Scheme
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Sioux Falls Crypto Investor Benjamin Wiener Indicted in Alleged $20 Million Fraud Scheme

Wooden judge’s gavel on a courtroom bench, with a blurred U.S. flag and Northeast Radio SD logo in the corner.

Northeast Radio SD News – South Dakota - A Sioux Falls cryptocurrency investor is facing a sweeping federal indictment alleging a years‑long fraud and money‑laundering scheme that prosecutors say cost victims across South Dakota and Minnesota an estimated $20 million.


According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota, Benjamin Paul Wiener, 43, was indicted last month on 29 counts, including wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on July 10 and entered a plea of not guilty.


Federal prosecutors allege Wiener solicited investments into several business entities he controlled — including Benaiah Capital LLC, Benaiah Holdings Inc., Benaiah Digital Fixed Income LP, Benaiah Digital LP, Benaiah Management Company Inc., Benaiah Enterprises LLC, Aslan Management LLC, and Runway Four10 — while making “materially false statements and fraudulent representations” to investors.

The indictment claims Wiener used new investor funds to pay personal expenses and repay earlier investors, while moving money through financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges to “conceal and disguise the location, source, ownership, and control of the funds.”

In one alleged incident in April 2025, Wiener is accused of defrauding a Sioux Falls financial institution by falsifying documents to obtain a $1 million line of credit, using another person’s personal identifying information without authorization.

If convicted, Wiener faces significant penalties:


·        Wire fraud and money laundering: Up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines per count

·        Bank fraud: Up to 30 years in prison and $1 million in fines

·        Aggravated identity theft: A mandatory additional two‑year prison term

Restitution may also be ordered.


The case is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case. Wiener has been released on bond pending trial, which is scheduled for September 15, 2026.


As with all federal indictments, the charges are accusations, and Wiener is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

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