“It was always lie after lie. And then it became so obvious that this was a Ponzi scheme,” said Brooke, who only wanted to use his first name due to privacy concerns with Sanchez’s ongoing criminal trial.
Brooke said he trusted Sanchez because of “honesty and good faith and thinking that someone who comes from good people, good parents, who has references.”
WATCH — Anchor Melissa Mecija spoke to investors about the financial toll they are now facing:
San Diego man accused of running multimillion-dollar investment fraud scheme
Brooke, who was retired, said he was introduced to Sanchez through an online investment group. Sanchez told him he needed a loan to help with refinancing a portfolio of properties, and in return, Brooke would make money on the interest…