The Daily Fuckup

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan say two North Macedonia nationals were charged in separate indictments unsealed on May 13, 2026, over an alleged fraud built around fake products marketed as tied to Donald Trump. The Justice Department identified the defendants as Goran Spiridonov and Kristina Janeva and said both remain at large. Prosecutors say the scheme has operated since at least 2023, and they said the conduct may be ongoing. The charges are allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent.

According to the Justice Department, the alleged operation sold worthless items as if they were connected to Trump, his family, the Trump Organization, the Trump administration, and Trump’s reelection campaign. The release says the products included “Trump Bucks,” “Golden Checks,” “Membership Booklets,” “Golden Badges,” “Trump Dollars,” “Trump Checks,” “Golden Trump Checks,” and “Diamond Bucks.” Prosecutors say some buyers were told the items were valuable, preloaded with cash, or redeemable at banks during a Trump presidency. The government says those claims were false.

The filing says the scheme targeted older Americans and generated hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims across the country. The core pitch was simple: attach a famous political name to something with no real value and sell the illusion of access, legitimacy, or future payout. In that sense, the case is less about a clever product than about how easily a recognizable brand can be turned into fraud bait.

The Justice Department’s language matters here. It did not say the scheme definitely continues; it said the conduct may be ongoing. Even so, the case shows how a political name can be repackaged by strangers who know it can still move money. The allegations say the value was never in the paper. It was in the promise.