Joseph Ford Jr., a federal police officer based in Brentwood, California, has been identified promoting multi-level marketing (MLM) cryptocurrency Ponzi schemes on YouTube. His activities appear to contradict his training and duties within the Department of Homeland Security's uniformed police force, raising questions about his professional conduct.
Ford Jr. graduated from the Department of Homeland Security's Uniformed Police Training Program on December 15, 2020. A year later, he reflected on this achievement, marking it as a significant personal milestone. That same month, he received notification to attend a specialized "crypto currency investigations" course, designed to teach hands-on investigative techniques for digital asset fraud. Ford Jr. expressed enthusiasm for the program, stating it was "definitely up my alley."
The course was scheduled for January 11-13. But on January 7, Ford Jr. tested positive for COVID-19, preventing his attendance. Just one day later, on January 8, he began promoting a cryptocurrency course of his own creation. By January 19, after recovering from his illness, Ford Jr. was deeply entangled in promoting MLM crypto securities fraud.
On January 23, Ford Jr. announced his qualification as a Senior Manager at Intelligence Prime Capital (IPC). This scheme promised investors returns of up to 40% per month, purportedly generated through forex trading. Achieving Senior Manager status required Ford Jr. to recruit others who collectively invested at least $10,000 into IPC. He presented himself as a "forex trading expert" and publicly asserted that the scheme was "broker regulated and fully compliant." Intelligence Prime Capital, widely believed to be operated by fraudsters in Asia, collapsed in February, leaving investors with significant losses.
Following IPC's collapse, Ford Jr. intensified his involvement in the MLM crypto fraud circuit. He established a group named PIN, an acronym believed to stand for "Passive Income," through which he continued to promote new cryptocurrency Ponzi schemes. The PIN Facebook group currently holds over 200 members. By mid-March, Ford Jr. claimed he and his downline had collectively defrauded individuals of nearly $1 million. He frequently hosted PIN Zoom webinars, where he and his "business partners" pitched various scams to consumers.
In April 2022, Ford Jr. promoted MetaFi Yielders, another MLM Ponzi scheme. This operation advertised daily returns of up to 4.2%. Later that same month, he began endorsing COTP, a separate Ponzi scheme promising returns as high as 4% per day. Ford Jr. may also have promoted HyperFund, later rebranded as Hyperverse. His recent activity includes joining the "Hyperverse Scam Now What!?" Facebook group, placing him within the community of affected investors and potentially exposing his past involvement.
On April 27, Ford Jr. publicly suggested that his earnings from promoting these MLM Ponzis exceeded his income as a police officer. He referred to his law enforcement role as a "side hustle." His stance creates a significant conflict of interest for a federal officer whose duties include investigating financial crimes. Such schemes rely on a constant influx of new investor funds, rather than legitimate business operations, to pay earlier participants. They are typically unregistered securities offerings, making their promotion illegal under U.S. financial regulations. Law enforcement officials engaging in such activities face severe legal and ethical repercussions, undermining public trust in institutions meant to uphold the law.
Joseph Ford Jr. remains employed as a federal police officer.