Court Rules
All enforcement actions
Enforcement ActionLow Risk

Conviction of Tax Preparer Miles Burton Marshall for Decades-Long Ponzi Scheme

Miles Burton MarshallApril 28, 2026New York Attorney General

Consumers Affected

988

Summary

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the conviction of tax preparer and insurance agent Miles Burton Marshall for operating a decades-long Ponzi scheme that defrauded 988 investors out of more than $50 million. Marshall pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, Securities Fraud under the Martin Act, and Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, and faces four to 12 years in prison plus approximately $90 million in restitution to victims.

Remedy

Marshall will be sentenced to four to 12 years in state prison and must enter judgments in favor of 988 victims totaling approximately $90 million in principal and interest restitution.

Contract Impact

This enforcement action involves criminal securities fraud and Ponzi scheme charges, not privacy violations, so there are no privacy-related contract clauses (e.g., data processing, breach notification, consent) to review in vendor, customer, or employee agreements as a result of this action.

Laws Cited

Martin ActGrand Larceny in the Second DegreeScheme to Defraud in the First Degree

Violation Types

Entity Details

Entity

Miles Burton Marshall

Industry

Financial Services

Official Sources

Source Evidence

Entity Name
"Miles Burton Marshall"
Laws Cited
"Martin Act"
Laws Cited
"Grand Larceny in the Second Degree"
Laws Cited
"Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree"
Violation Types
"operating a massive Ponzi scheme that fraudulently stole more than $50 million from 988 investors"
Consumers Affected
"988 investors"

Related Enforcement Actions

NY

N/A

New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert on May 18, 2026, warning residents of potential price gouging by transportation service providers during the Long Island Rail Road strike. The alert reminds businesses that New York’s price gouging laws prohibit unconscionable price increases on essential services like transportation during market disruptions. No specific privacy violations or enforcement actions against individual entities were announced in the alert.

NY

No specific entity cited

New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert on May 18, 2026, warning businesses against engaging in price gouging on transportation services during the Long Island Rail Road strike. The alert reminds businesses that New York’s price gouging laws prohibit unconscionable price increases on essential goods and services during market disruptions, with potential penalties of up to $25,000 per violation. No specific enforcement action against a particular entity was announced, only a general warning for businesses and a call for consumers to report suspected price gouging.

NY

N/A

This press release announces New York Attorney General Letitia James leading a coalition of 21 state attorneys general, the District of Columbia, and Pennsylvania’s Governor in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court to stay a Fifth Circuit ruling that would reinstate in-person dispensing requirements for mifepristone, a medication used for abortion. The coalition argues the ruling is scientifically unsupported, would restrict telehealth access to reproductive care, and undermines state sovereignty over abortion policy post-Dobbs. This is not a privacy-related enforcement action, as the content addresses reproductive health policy rather than data privacy violations.

NY

Uphold HQ, Inc.

$5.0M

New York Attorney General Letitia James secured a $5 million settlement from cryptocurrency platform Uphold HQ, Inc. for promoting Cred’s fraudulent CredEarn investment product as safe and reliable, when Cred was making risky loans to uncreditworthy borrowers in China. Uphold also falsely claimed Cred had comprehensive insurance and promoted the product without registering as a broker or commodity broker-dealer under New York law. As part of the settlement, Uphold will pay $5 million to harmed investors, remit $545,189 from Cred’s bankruptcy to customers, improve due diligence policies for third-party products, and register as a broker with the OAG.

NY

Purdue Pharma

$7.4B

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the shutdown of opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma as part of a $7.4 billion settlement with a bipartisan coalition of 54 other state attorneys general. The Sackler family, former owners of Purdue, are permanently barred from selling opioids in the U.S. and have no involvement in Knoa Pharma, the new public benefit corporation replacing Purdue. Purdue was sentenced on criminal charges related to its role in the opioid crisis on April 28, 2026, with the new entity operating under strict oversight and excess revenue funding opioid abatement efforts.

NY

American Express, Capital One, Citi Group, Mastercard, Visa, PayPal, Stripe, Sezzle, Block (operator of Square, Cash App, and Afterpay)

New York Attorney General Letitia James led a bipartisan coalition of 24 state attorneys general, Puerto Rico, and New York City in sending letters to nine major credit card companies and payment processors urging them to block transactions facilitating illegal vaping product sales. The coalition cites federal and state laws prohibiting unauthorized e-cigarette sales, particularly to youth, and requests collaboration to prevent payment networks from processing such transactions. No enforcement penalties or actions were imposed as part of this initiative.