U.S. Department
of Justice
United States v. Brian Kaplan
Pending Criminal Division Cases
8 Figure Dream Lifestyle LLC (8FDL) Cases
United States v. Alex Dee f/k/a Alex Dowlatshahi
Court Docket No.: 23-CR-00461
United States v. Brian Kaplan
Court Docket No.: 23-CR-0416
United States v. Jerrold Maurer
Court Docket No.: 23-CR-0418
Court Assigned: These cases are assigned to the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, Alfred A. Arraj United States Courthouse, 901 19th Street, Denver, CO 80294 before Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney.
Latest Updates:
The jury trial for defendant Alex Dee has been set for October 7, 2024 at 8:30 AM in Courtroom A702 before Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney. A motions hearing is set for September 4, 2024 at 1:30PM. A trial preparation conference is set for September 16, 2024 at 9:00 AM.
On November 15, 2023, defendant Brian Kaplan pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The sentencing hearing previously set for May 20, 2024 at 9:00 AM has been continued to December 16, 2024 at 1:00 PM in Courtroom A702 before Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney.
On November 29, 2023, defendant Jerrold Maurer pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The sentencing previously set for May 20, 2024 at 10:00 AM has been continued to December 16, 2024 at 2:30 PM in Courtroom A702 before Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney.
Criminal Charges: On January 11, 2024, an indictment was unsealed charging Alex Dee, formerly known as Alex Dowlatshahi, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud for his involvement in a multimillion-dollar pyramid scheme under the name 8 Figure Dream Lifestyle LLC (8FDL). Guilty pleas by Dee’s co-conspirators, Brian Kaplan and Jerrold Maurer, were unsealed on January 12, 2024.
According to court documents, Dee, Kaplan and Maurer co-founded 8FDL. From January 2017 through June 2019, Dee allegedly ran 8FDL as a pyramid scheme. Dee and his co-conspirators allegedly recruited participants through emails, robocalls, promotional videos, and webinars. They allegedly told consumers that 8FDL was a legitimate business with real products and lied to prospective members about how much money they could make, how much others who had joined 8FDL had made, and the ongoing costs associated with the business. For example, Dee allegedly wrote and sent mass-marketing emails claiming that typical members with no prior skills or experience could easily earn between $5,000 and $10,000 in 10 to 14 days after joining the program, and that most members were averaging two to three sales in their first 30-45 days. In fact, the vast majority of people who joined 8FDL never made any money.
For more information about the charges in United States v. Dee, please see below:
For more information about the charges in United States v. Kaplan, please see below:
For more information about the charges in United States v. Maurer, please see below:
Information
Plea Agreement
Press Release
Victim Impact Statement: If you would like to submit a Victim Impact Statement, you may do so by mailing the Victim Impact Statement below (or a letter to the court) to: Victim Witness Unit, U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, 10th & Constitution Avenue, NW, Bond Building, Room 453, 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.
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.
Presumption of Innocence: It is important to keep in mind that a criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and 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: Because charges have been filed in this case in federal court, you also may be entitled to the following rights, according to the Crime Victims’ Rights Act, Title 18, United States Code, Section 3771: (1) The right to be reasonably protected from the accused; (2) The right to reasonable, accurate, and timely notice of any public court proceeding, or any parole proceeding, involving the crime or of any release or escape of the accused; (3) The right not to be excluded from any such public court proceeding, unless the court, after receiving clear and convincing evidence, determines that testimony by the victim would be materially altered if the victim heard other testimony at that proceeding; (4) The right to be reasonably heard at any public proceeding in the district court involving release, plea, sentencing, or any parole proceeding; (5) The reasonable right to confer with the attorney for the Government in the case; (6) The right to full and timely restitution as provided in law; (7) The right to proceedings free from unreasonable delay; (8) The right to be treated with fairness and with respect for the victim’s dignity and privacy; (9) The right to be informed in a timely manner of any plea bargain or deferred prosecution agreement; and (10) The right to be informed of the rights under this section and the services described in section 503(c) of the Victims’ Rights and Restitution Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. § 10607(c)) and provided contact information for the Office of the Victims’ Rights Ombudsman of the Department of Justice. 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 contact the prosecutor assigned to this case or call the Victim Assistance Line toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or email us at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov.