Jail for man behind US R22 Ponzi scheme

A 68-year-old man from St. Louis, Missouri, has been sentenced to prison for orchestrating a Ponzi scheme involving the trade of ozone-depleting R-22 refrigerant. Robert F. Rothluebbers was convicted of wire fraud after admitting to running the scheme from October 2014 to May 2017, during which he defrauded unsuspecting investors of $350,000.

Rothluebbers solicited investments, promising to use the funds to purchase R-22 refrigerant in bulk at discounted prices, with the intention of reselling it at a 50% profit. He also claimed that the gradual phaseout of R-22 would further increase profits for investors.