A man accused of profiting millions from a $65 million Ponzi scheme just fired off a cease-and-desist letter over reporting that he may be involved in another alleged scam.

Renato Rodriguez, through California-based attorney Scott Hughes, is threatening BehindMLM for suggesting he might be connected to AirBit Club. The problem: BehindMLM explicitly stated it hadn't independently verified Rodriguez's involvement. That didn't stop Rodriguez from lawyering up anyway.

Hughes, who bills himself as a "dedicated, aggressive and successful" criminal defense lawyer, claims Rodriguez's reputation and business have been damaged. Which business he's referring to remains unclear. Rodriguez's track record in the MLM space tells a different story.

Rodriguez first caught BehindMLM's attention as an investor in WCM777, where he stood alongside CEO Zhi "Tiger" Liu. In late 2013, while Rodriguez promoted WCM777 across South America, his activities triggered alarms. After one event in Colombia made local news, the country's president ordered a police investigation into the scheme. Within three weeks, the Colombian government suspended all WCM777 operations and launched criminal investigations into local promoters.

Rodriguez vanished before the shutdown hit. Four months later in April 2014, the SEC dismantled WCM777 as a $65 million Ponzi scheme. By Rodriguez's own admission in an April 16, 2014 article, he made "millions of dollars" from the fraud.

Before the SEC moved in, WCM777 attempted a desperate rebrand as Kingdom777 in January 2014. That lasted two months. It relaunched again in late February as Global Unity and collapsed within a month.

Just days before the SEC shut down WCM777, Rodriguez launched Vizinova. The scheme operated like countless others in his orbit: affiliates invested thousands in Vizicoins with promised returns up to 166%, and payments flowed to recruiters bringing in new victims. To shield himself from regulatory scrutiny he'd already experienced, Rodriguez enlisted Michael Sander to establish Vizinova through a trustee in a jurisdiction offering "independence from the EU and the U.S."

Vizinova collapsed by early 2015. Sander later described his relationship with the company as a "shit situation," according to internal communications.

Now Rodriguez is threatening legal action over speculation he's tied to AirBit Club. It's worth examining why a man with his history would risk drawing more attention to himself. ViziNova co-founder Gutemberg dos Santos has been publicly confirmed as an AirBit Club co-founder. Multiple sources claim Rodriguez is involved. Whether he sues or not, the pattern speaks volumes.

🤖 Quick Answer

Who is Renato Rodriguez and what are the accusations against him?
Renato Rodriguez is an individual accused of profiting millions from a $65 million Ponzi scheme. He subsequently became the subject of reporting suggesting potential involvement in another alleged scam, specifically AirBit Club, prompting legal action through his attorney.

Why did Renato Rodriguez send a cease-and-desist letter to BehindMLM?
Rodriguez, through attorney Scott Hughes, threatened BehindMLM over reporting suggesting his possible connection to AirBit Club. Hughes claimed Rodriguez's reputation and business were damaged, despite BehindMLM explicitly stating it had not independently verified Rodriguez's involvement.

What is Scott Hughes's professional background?
Scott Hughes is a California-based attorney who identifies himself as a dedicated, aggressive, and successful criminal defense lawyer. He represents Renato Rodriguez in cease-and-desist matters concerning

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