Sarasota Lawyer Sentenced to 10 Years for Role in $72 Million Oasis FOREX Fraud

Published Nov. 6, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

A lawyer who drafts the notes and offshore paperwork for a trading “opportunity” can be as central as the pitchman. On Nov. 19, 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced that licensed attorney Joseph S. Anile II, 56, of Sarasota was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, money laundering, and filing a false income tax return in the Oasis International Group FOREX scheme [1].

Status: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven. He pleaded guilty Sept. 26, 2019. The court entered a money judgment of $3,283,467 and ordered forfeiture of real property, vehicles, currency, gold coins, and silver bars [1].

How the scheme worked, according to court documents

According to court documents summarized by prosecutors [1]:

1. From November 2011 through April 18, 2019, Anile and others persuaded at least 700 victims to invest more than $72 million in a foreign-exchange scheme known as Oasis International Group.
2. As a licensed attorney, Anile created offshore entities, secured broker-dealer licenses, drafted promissory notes and disclosures, monitored wires, and interacted with investors. A “back office” website falsely depicted safe balances and earnings while most funds were not profitably traded.

The person sentenced

Joseph S. Anile II, 56, Sarasota, Florida. Licensed attorney. Sentenced to 10 years [1].

Case status (as of Nov. 6, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status	Source
Joseph S. Anile II, 56, Sarasota	U.S. District Court, M.D. Fla. (Judge Mary S. Scriven)	Pleaded guilty Sept. 26, 2019; sentenced Nov. 19, 2020 to 10 years; $3,283,467 money judgment + forfeitures	[1]

Statuses can change, including through appeal.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida, “Lawyer Sentenced For His Role In Fraud Scheme,” Nov. 19, 2020. https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/lawyer-sentenced-his-role-fraud-scheme