SOMERSET — A coordinated identity?theft scheme unraveled last Tuesday after police stopped a Dodge Durango moments after a woman allegedly attempted to withdraw $30,000 from a Rockland Trust Bank using a stolen identity.
One of the five people arrested was a Lowell man, identified by the Somerset Police as Donnie Earl Smith, 25, who was taken into custody after officers intercepted the Durango on Slades Ferry Avenue. Also arrested in the vehicle were Troy Donell Gathers Jr., 23, of Marlboro; Brandon Kevin Williams Jr., 23, of Chelsea; Kayana Evon?Laurine Powell, 20, of Taunton; and Donnie Earl Smith Jr., 24, of Randolph. According to police, the Smiths share the same father.
Police said in a press release that the incident began when Rockland Trust employees at the bank’s 100 Slades Ferry Ave. branch noticed irregularities in a large withdrawal request. The suspects had allegedly…
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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