U.S. Department
of Justice
United States v. Kelvin O. Ramirez
PENDING CRIMINAL DIVISION CASES
United States v. Kelvin O. Ramirez
Court Docket Number: 4:21-CR-379 (S.D. Texas)
Court Assigned: This case is assigned to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, 515 Rusk Street, Houston, Texas 77002. The assigned judge is U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison.
Latest Updates: On December 9, 2021, defendant Kelvin O. Ramirez was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release.
On March 15, 2022, Ramirez’ sentence was amended to include restitution of $677,991.81.
Overview: Defendant Kelvin O. Ramirez is a U.S. national and resident of Houston, Texas, who used the social media platform Instagram to promote himself as a successful retail foreign currency or “forex” trader. Through his Instagram accounts, Ramirez attracted investors and potential investors by falsely presenting himself as a successful forex trader and by falsely promising rates of return on investments and low or no-risk returns on investments.
From in or around September 2015 through in or around January 2019, Ramirez marketed two general types of fraudulent investments that purportedly traded in forex: (a) so-called “investment groups” and (b) so-called “private accounts” purportedly managed by Ramirez himself. For both types of investments, Ramirez fraudulently solicited individuals by using false representations about high returns on investments, and making false promises about the risk associated with the investments and false guarantees about returns on investment.
Instead of using investors’ funds for trading in forex as promised, Ramirez misappropriated investors’ funds for his own personal use, including car purchases, dining out, and recreational activities. In total, Ramirez solicited more than $650,000 from over 100 investors through the use of false and misleading statements about his prior trading success, the performance of past investments, guaranteed returns on investments, and other material facts.
For more information about United States v. Kelvin O. Ramirez, please see below:
Victim Impact Statement: If you would like to submit a Victim Impact Statement you may do so by mailing the Victim Impact Statement below to: Victim Witness Unit, U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, 10th & Constitution Avenue, NW, Bond Building, Room 4416, Washington, DC 20530. You also may submit the Victim Impact Statement via email at Victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov or by fax at: (202) 514-3708. Please note: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic response, statements submitted by regular mail and fax may be delayed. For that reason, victims are highly encouraged to submit victim impact statements by e-mail to: Victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov.
The information on this website will be updated as new developments arise in the case. If you have any questions, please call the Victim Assistance Line toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or email us at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov. Please note: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic response, the most reliable method of contacting victim-witness staff is via e-mail. If you need to speak to someone over the phone, let victim-witness staff know in your e-mail, and someone will call you as soon as practicable.
Presumption of Innocence: It is important to keep in mind that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty and that presumption requires both the court and our office to take certain steps to ensure that justice is served.
Crime Victims’ Rights Act and Right to Retain Counsel: The Crime Victims’ Rights Act (18 U.S.C. § 3771) applies only to victims of the counts charged in federal court, and thus individuals may not be able to exercise all of these rights if the crime of which the individual is a victim was not charged. Section 3771(c)(2) of this Act requires that we advise you that you have the right to retain counsel. Although the statute specifically sets forth your right to seek advice of an attorney with regard to your rights under the statute, there is no requirement that you retain counsel. The Government may not recommend any specific counsel, nor can the Government (or the Court) pay for counsel to represent you. Government attorneys represent the United States.
If you elect to obtain counsel to represent your interests, please have your attorney notify this office in writing at: U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, 10th & Constitution Avenue, NW, Bond Building, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20530, Attention: Victim Witness Unit; fax: (202) 514-3708; or email: victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov. If you elect not to retain counsel to represent your interests, you do not need to do anything.
Plea Agreements: Please be aware that many criminal cases are resolved by plea agreement between the Department of Justice and the defendant. You should also know that it is not unusual for a defendant to seek to negotiate a plea agreement shortly before trial is scheduled to begin. Plea agreements can be made at any time and as late as the morning of trial, leaving little or no opportunity to provide notice to you of the date and time of the plea hearing. If the court schedules a plea hearing in this case, we will use our best efforts to notify you of available information as soon as practicable. If you want to inform the prosecutor of your views regarding potential plea agreements, or any other aspect of the case, please call the Victim Assistance Line toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or email us at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov.