Samuel "Mouli" Cohen
Mouli Cohen | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 8, 1958 Jerusalem, Israel |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, venture capitalist |
| Known for | Executive roles at gaming companies; convicted of fraud |
Samuel "Mouli" Cohen (; born April 8, 1958) is an entrepreneur and venture capitalist of Israeli-American background who was convicted of fraud. He professed to hold executive roles such as president, chairman, and CEO at multiple public and private gaming companies, claiming these businesses created shareholder value exceeding $3 billion. Since the 1980s, Cohen has been linked to firms including Playnet Technologies, Voltage Capital, LAMIA, Aristo International, and Ecast.
In April 2012, following convictions on 15 wire fraud counts, 11 money laundering charges, and three tax evasion offenses, Cohen received a 22-year federal prison sentence. He is currently incarcerated at Terminal Island Federal Correctional Institution.
Career
During the mid-1990s, Cohen gathered a group of seasoned video game producers, engineers, marketing experts, and executives for Playnet, a company listed on NASDAQ. He occupied the roles of President, CEO, and Chairman. Among the notable team members were Nolan Bushnell, creator of Pong and founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese; Joe Ybarra, previously a producer at Apple and Electronic Arts and president of Infocom; along with Glenn Sblendorio, formerly CFO at Sony Entertainment.
Playnet’s product lineup centered on two innovations: a touchscreen "bar top" coin-operated video game device and a digital jukebox capable of holding and downloading an extensive music library. The firm later rebranded as Aristo International and maintained offices in San Francisco, New York City, and Virginia. In October 1997, Playnet secured a pilot agreement with Holiday Inn to deploy its gaming machines in at least six Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza hotels throughout the United States. Despite this progress, Playnet filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1998.
Additionally, Cohen established Voltage Capital, which specialized in research and investments within the solar energy and green technology sectors.
Personal life
Born in Jerusalem, Israel, Cohen emigrated to the United States in 1987. He is married to Stacy Cohen, a writer and former actress known for authoring The Kosher Billionaire's Secret Recipe.
Cohen’s fraudulent activities were highlighted in the television program American Greed, specifically in the episode titled "Dealing in Deceit".
Conviction
In 2009, Cohen orchestrated a scheme defrauding investors of more than $28 million, resulting in two separate lawsuits. He deceitfully asserted that his company Ecast, Inc. was on the verge of being acquired by Microsoft, inducing victims to purchase founders' shares based on these false claims. A federal grand jury indicted him in 2010 on 32 felony charges including fraud and money laundering, leading to his arrest in August that year.
By November 2011, Cohen was found guilty on 15 counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of money laundering, and three counts of tax evasion, while being acquitted on six other allegations. Following the verdict, he was immediately taken into custody.
The evidence revealed that Cohen defrauded over 55 investors among them actor Danny Glover and the San Francisco-based nonprofit Vanguard Public Foundation, which supported civil rights initiatives. His fraudulent conduct played a major role in Vanguard’s closure in 2011.
Cohen chose not to testify during his trial; his defense attorney announced intentions to appeal the conviction. At sentencing, the judge denied requests for leniency despite Cohen’s $2 million donations to charity, stressing that he had misappropriated "other people’s money."
Prosecutors labeled Cohen as a "congenital liar and serial fraudster," advocating for a prison term ranging from 30 years to life without bail pending sentencing. On April 30, 2012, Cohen was sentenced to serve 22 years behind bars.
External links
- 1958 births
- Living people
- American business executives
- American individuals convicted of fraud
- American inmates and detainees
- American citizens of Israeli heritage
- American individuals convicted of money laundering
- American individuals convicted of tax offenses
- American fraudsters
- Mail and wire fraud offenses
- American business figures convicted of crimes
- Israeli nationals convicted of tax offenses
- American businesspeople