Los Angeles, California — A San Fernando Valley man has admitted guilt in a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme that targeted elderly Fil-Ams in California. Sylvein William Maximilian D’Habsburg XVII, 48, pleaded guilty Friday to wire fraud and faces a potential 20-year prison sentence.
D’Habsburg, who legally changed his name to resemble European nobility despite having no lineage, operated a Ponzi scheme through his companies, Wild Rabbit Technologies LLC and BAI Intelligence LLC. From 2018 to 2023, he employed recruiters to find investors, focusing on the Filipino community, including elderly Fil-Ams attending church.
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He falsely claimed connections to Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and other prominent figures, asserting they were investors in his ventures. D’Habsburg also made misleading claims about possessing AI technology capable of predicting the future and detecting COVID-19.
Instead of legitimate investments, he used the $5.9 million obtained from victims to fund a lavish lifestyle, purchasing luxury vehicles and antiques. Sentencing is scheduled for May 30.
