"Ponzi Game Mastermind Sentenced to 45,376 Years for $131M Farm Bank Scam"

The creator of a mobile gaming app that was later deemed to be a Ponzi scheme has been sentenced to a staggering 45,376 years in prison. Mehmet Aydin, the mastermind behind Çiftlik Bank (“Farm Bank”), was found guilty of embezzling large sums of money from hundreds of thousands of people, both in Turkey and abroad.

The game, inspired by Farmville, allowed users to “invest” in virtual livestock in order to supposedly earn a return on real-world agricultural assets in Turkey. Aydin's scheme managed to defraud over 350,000 domestic Turkish investors and another 150,000 foreigners before authorities seized the company’s assets and arrested several executives. Aydin, however, fled to Uruguay, where he remained at large for years.

Eventually, Aydin was spotted in Uruguay driving a Ferrari, which triggered a manhunt. He ultimately agreed to turn himself in to the Turkish embassy in Sao Paolo, Brazil. At a hearing, Aydin claimed complete innocence, stating that the seizure of his assets prevented him from compensating the victims. His brother, Fatih Aydin, who was also charged, claimed that he was not involved in the scheme at all.

It is estimated that Farm Bank wrongfully profited at least 1.1 billion Turkish lira, or about $131 million. The court's sentence of 45,376 years in prison reflects the severity of the crime and the extent of the damage caused to the victims.