ARLINGTON, Texas – A fourth member of an Arlington family who was part of a multimillion-dollar tax fraud scheme has been sentenced.
What we know:
Brandon Hunt got 7-and-a-half years in prison after being convicted of orchestrating the plan to file false tax returns in the names of purported trusts.
Hunt’s twin brother Baylon, his father David and his half-brother Corey Burt were previously sentenced to years in prison as well.
The backstory:
Prosecutors said the men sought $8.5 million in tax refunds to which they were not entitled.
Brandon and Baylon Hunt also submitted fake documents to the IRS that included altered money orders even after receiving warning letters from the IRS, prosecutors said.
According to prosecutors, the group received more than $1.7 million in tax refunds, and used the money to buy luxury items, furniture, cryptocurrency, a Cadillac Escalade and a house…
THE BHI TRUST PONZI SCHEME (SOUTH AFRICA)
Date: Ongoing updates through February 2026 Perpetrator: Craig Warriner (Principal), with alleged co-conspirators
Case Description: The BHI Trust scandal remains one of South Africa’s most devastating financial crimes, involving the loss of between R1.9 billion and R3 billion. Craig Warriner, the “genius trader” behind the trust, turned himself in during late 2023, but the legal and recovery battles reached a fever pitch in 2025 and 2026. Warriner operated the trust as a textbook Ponzi scheme, utilizing “Old Boy” networks and high-profile brokers to lure in pensioners and high-net-worth individuals with promises of 20% annual returns.
In early 2025, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) faced heavy criticism for “provisionally withdrawing” charges against alleged co-conspirators Michael Haldane and Sona Pillay. However, civil recovery efforts by joint trustees have continued into 2026, aiming to claw back hundreds of millions in “fictitious profits” from early investors to redistribute to those who lost everything. The case is a masterclass in the failure of fiduciary duty; the FSCA eventually banned several advisors for up to 30 years for peddling the unlicensed scheme despite clear red flags, such as the lack of a website, the absence of regulated financial reports, and a fee structure that was triple the industry average.
Link to Original: Moneyweb – BHI Trust Scandal Deep Dive