⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit hears argument in United States v. Pigida. Volodimyr Pigida was convicted on twenty-six felony counts after a nine-day jury trial in the Western District of Washington; the jury deliberated about eleven hours. The charges arose from allegations that he and a co-defendant ran a work-at-home internet marketing scheme through a company called Trend Sound Promoter — prosecutors called it a Ponzi scheme with no commercially viable product, in which roughly six thousand seven hundred people worldwide bought advertising packages — and that he later lied to a bankruptcy court about the company's assets. On appeal, Pigida's attorney challenges several aspects of the trial. The core issues include whether the district court abused its discretion by admitting testimony that the Securities and Exchange Commission had referred the case to the FBI based on suspicions the business was a Ponzi scheme, whether a conspiracy instruction should have clarified the potential for two separate criminal agreements rather than one, and whether a new Supreme Court decision changes the analysis of false-statement counts tied to the bankruptcy proceedings. The argument also touches on whether Pigida qualified for a sentencing reduction for acceptance of responsibility after he fled across the country before sentencing and was extracted from hiding.

United States v. Pigida (No. 24-3223) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, argued August 3, 2026.