Investigators Unveil Evidence of Witchcraft and Lavish Lifestyle of Advisor Accused of Ponzi Scheme
Documents relating to the federal investigation of Dawn Bennett were unsealed earlier this week in a Maryland federal court, offering a glimpse into the lavish lifestyle of the former high-profile investment advisor and radio talk show host who was charged with running a $20 million Ponzi scheme by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
FBI agent Keith Custer’s affidavit includes photos from a search of Bennett’s primary residence, a penthouse condominium located in Chevy Chase, Maryland, where agents found “a wealth of personal effects demonstrative of her lifestyle,” including a room filled with hundreds of pairs of designer shoes and sunglasses.
Perhaps most surprising was the discovery that Bennett conducted paranormal “hoodoo spells” against Securities and Exchange Commission attorneys that she was attempting to silence. One such spell included instructions called, “Beef Tongue Shut Up Hoodoo Spell.”
According to the affidavit, “In handwritten notes on [her personal] stationary, along with other directions such as slitting open animal tongue, the instructions called on the spell-caster to state the name of the individual on whom to cast the spell followed by ‘I cross and cover you, come under my command. I command you to hold your tongue.’”
The search also uncovered biographical information for three SEC attorneys investigating Bennett’s alleged misdealings, as well as two freezers containing dozens of sealed Mason jars with beef tongues and identifying information for the same SEC attorneys. Custer suggested that she had conducted numerous silencing spells against the investigators, to no avail.
Bennett allegedly targeted elderly and financially unsophisticated investors by misrepresenting the profitability of her luxury sports apparel company, DJB Holdings, touting it as a profitable business able to pay annual returns as high as 15 percent.
In addition to paying earlier investors in a Ponzi-like scheme, she allegedly spent investor proceeds on luxury hotel stays, anti-aging treatments, jewelry, high-end clothing, mystics, and a $500,000 annual lease for a luxury suite at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
In November 2007, Bennett had entered into a 20-year agreement to lease suite 242 on the Hall of Fame level of the Dallas Cowboys football stadium, but started missing payments in 2013. The following year, the Dallas Cowboys filed a lawsuit against her seeking $7.3 million for non-payment, late fees, and interest. To bring her back into good standing, Bennett eventually made payments totaling approximately $1.1 million, which the feds suggest were sourced from investor funds.
Yesterday, Bennett surrendered her passport to the court as a special condition of her release.
