Los Angeles, CA – A West Hills man has agreed to plead guilty to running a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme that preyed on elderly church parishioners and other investors with false promises of cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology, federal prosecutors announced.
Sylvein William Maximilian D’Habsburg XVII, 48, who also went by “Sylvein Scalleone,” admitted to one count of wire fraud after defrauding victims of more than $5.9 million between 2018 and 2023. He is expected to formally enter his plea in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles in the coming weeks.
According to his plea agreement, D’Habsburg recruited investors through two companies — Wild Rabbit Technologies LLC and BAI Intelligence LLC — by falsely claiming he had developed AI technology capable of predicting the future and detecting COVID-19 from video recordings. He told victims that retired athletes and celebrities, including Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and Steve Wozniak, had invested hundreds of millions of dollars into his ventures.
Instead of using the funds for patents or staffing, D’Habsburg spent the money on luxury items, including a 1933 Rolls Royce Phantom II Continental Sedanca de Ville by Barker and a pair of 19th-century Italian carved giltwood thrones.
The fraudulent scheme primarily targeted members of the local Filipino community, many of them elderly church parishioners, prosecutors said.
D’Habsburg faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison. The FBI is leading the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason C. Pang and Alexander Su.
Key Points
- Sylvein D’Habsburg, 48, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in a $5.9 million Ponzi scheme.
- He lured elderly churchgoers with false claims of AI technology and celebrity backing.
- Instead of investing, he bought luxury cars and antiques; faces up to 20 years in prison.
Federal prosecutors said D’Habsburg’s guilty plea marks a step toward justice for dozens of defrauded investors.