New York Attorney General Letitia James’s office said four promoters of the NovaTech and AWS Mining schemes will pay nearly $6 million in disgorgement for victims and are permanently barred from the securities, commodities and cryptocurrency industries. The office listed payments of $2.9 million from Martin Zizi, $2.05 million from Frantz Ciceron, $750,000 from James Corbett and $275,861 from Ricardo Roy Sr.

Separately, the office filed an inquest asking a court to order NovaTech founders Cynthia and Eddy Petion to pay $1.3 billion in damages and disgorgement. The request follows a default judgment issued in August 2025; the $1.3 billion is being sought, not reported as a newly awarded amount. The attorney general’s office said more than 11,000 New Yorkers lost tens of millions of dollars in the schemes, which it said used prayer groups, social media and WhatsApp to reach investors.

Why it matters

  • The requested amount remains distinct from the promoters’ settlement obligations.
  • The case highlights alleged investment-scam recruitment through trusted community networks.