In a courtroom drama reminiscent of a high-stakes thriller, Roger “Rocket” Knox, the mastermind behind a global $150 million “pump and dump” scheme, faced his day of reckoning as a federal judge handed down a surprising three-year prison sentence. Knox, a British national with a record of military service, offered a heartfelt apology to his victims moments before the judge’s decision.
Roger Knox Trial : A Tearful Apology
Before U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton, Knox, 53, openly expressed remorse for his actions that caused “loss and suffering to the victims and their families.” It was an emotional moment in a courtroom filled with tension and uncertainty. Knox’s tearful plea for forgiveness appeared to sway the judge, who acknowledged that Knox’s apology and cooperation had spared him from a much harsher 10-year sentence.
“I think that the remorse is sincerely there,” Judge Gorton told Knox, highlighting the former life Knox led in Sallanches, France, near the Swiss border before his 2018 arrest.
A Shady Scheme Unraveled
Knox, once at the helm of Swiss asset management firm Silverton SA, later rebranded as Wintercap SA, played a pivotal role in facilitating “control groups” orchestrating the scheme. The nefarious groups executed their plan by surreptitiously transferring millions of shares of penny stocks, which were then artificially hyped and sold for profit. Using intricate methods, including encryption, Knox aided in concealing the trail. He eventually became a key asset in helping prosecutors untangle the complex web of deception.
