The Daily Fuckup

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan unsealed separate indictments on May 13 charging Goran Spiridonov and Kristina Janeva, both citizens and residents of North Macedonia, with fraud tied to the sale of fake “Trump Bucks” and related products. The Justice Department says the items were pitched as if they were legitimate legal tender, linked to Donald Trump, and redeemable through banks. Prosecutors say that was false, and that the products had no connection to Trump, his campaign, or the Trump Organization. The defendants remain at large. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/two-foreign-nationals-charged-fraudulently-using-trump-name-scam-victims-across-united?utm_source=openai))

According to the indictment, the alleged scheme ran from at least 2023 through the present and used online marketplaces and encrypted messaging apps to market a grab bag of items with names like “Golden Checks,” “Membership Booklets,” “Golden Badges,” “Trump Dollars,” “Trump Checks,” “Golden Trump Checks” and “Diamond Bucks.” The DOJ says promoters told victims that the products were backed by money, tied to a Trump re-election effort, or could later be exchanged for cash during a Trump presidency. Prosecutors call those claims lies. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/two-foreign-nationals-charged-fraudulently-using-trump-name-scam-victims-across-united?utm_source=openai))

The filing says the sales pitch was aimed at victims across the country, many of them seniors, and that the defendants used the Trump name to make the products look official. The case is narrow in one important sense: it is a fraud prosecution, not an accusation against Trump, his campaign, or the Trump Organization. But it also shows how a famous political brand can be turned into bait when scammers know a name will do some of the persuading for them. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/two-foreign-nationals-charged-fraudulently-using-trump-name-scam-victims-across-united?utm_source=openai))

The charges are conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. As with any indictment, the allegations are not proof, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/two-foreign-nationals-charged-fraudulently-using-trump-name-scam-victims-across-united?utm_source=openai))