A Miami resident has been sentenced to over 19 years in federal prison for orchestrating a Ponzi scheme that resulted in more than $40 million in losses. Pablo Silverio Rebollido, 48, was sentenced on October 2 by Chief U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga to 230 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay more than $16 million in restitution.
Rebollido had previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud related to his operation of two Miami-based companies, E-Card Lending LLC and E-Card Merchant LLC, which claimed to provide merchant cash advances (MCAs). The business purportedly offered short-term financing for small and medium-sized businesses by providing lump-sum cash advances in exchange for a portion of future credit card sales or daily bank deposits.
According to court documents, between August 2019 and February 2024, Rebollido solicited investments under the false promise that the funds would be used for legitimate MCA transactions. He promised investors regular monthly returns based on company profits. However, investigators found that E-Card had no actual clients. Instead, Rebollido used new investor money to pay earlier investors and fund his personal lifestyle. Over 70 individuals were defrauded through this scheme.
“This defendant built his fortune on lies while leaving investors in ruin,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “We will continue to protect investors, safeguard our markets, and ensure that criminals who commit financial crimes face justice.”
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert F. Moore and Jon Juenger prosecuted the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff handling asset forfeiture.
Additional details about this case can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl as well as through court records available at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-20127.
