ALEXANDRIA, Va. -

Working on behalf of the U.S. Treasury, VSE Corp. — a federal services company — is holding a public auction next month with Manheim to sell the seized and forfeited vehicles of convicted Ponzi scheme culprit Byron Keith Brown. 

Receiving the proceeds generated from the sale — which includes a bevy of luxury and classic vehicles — is the Treasury’s Asset Forfeiture Fund. Net proceeds from the sale are to be offered as restitution for the scheme’s victims.

The sale is being held at Manheim Baltimore-Washington on March 1 at 1 p.m. (EST).

On Feb. 28, the general public is invited to the facility — located in Elkridge, Md. — to browse the inventory from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The vehicles for sale include:
2007 Lamborghini Murcielago                    
2005 Rolls Royce Phantom
2004 Mercedes Benz Maybach 57
2006 Aston Martin
2008 Maserati Gran Turismo
2002 Ferrari 360
2004 Bentley Continental
2007 Jaguar XKR CPE
1936 Auburn Speedster
2006 Land Rover
2006 Mercedes Benz S500                           
2005 Land Rover Range Rover
2007 BMW 3 Series                         
2004 Audi AA8
2005 BMW 7 Series                         
2005 Volkswagen Beetle
2005 GMC Canyon
 
Officials indicated the IRS Criminal Investigation team investigated the Ponzi scheme case against Brown and he was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The vehicles were reportedly obtained by Brown through the scheme, which is said to have defrauded online investors of more than $17 million.
 
Convicted of wire fraud and money laundering in June 2009, Brown received a 15-year prison sentence on Dec. 21 and must undergo three years of supervised release after he leaves prison.

Brown — who hails from Vienna, Va., and Ellicott City, Md. — ran the scheme from 2003 to 2009, according to the Department of Justice.

“Byron Brown used the Internet to make it appear as if he were running an investment management business for wealthy investors, when in fact he was stealing millions of dollars from investors and using it to buy a fleet of luxury cars,” U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein claimed. “In addition to sentencing criminals to prison, our goal is to seize any assets purchased with criminal proceeds.”

"Fraudulent investment schemes can result in a total loss of the investment," noted Rebecca Sparkman, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge, Washington D.C. Field Office. "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

Those interested in seeing the vehicle list and photos can visit www.treas.gov/auctions/treasury/gp.