Miami, FL – Adam Jonathan Lowe, 43, from West Pittston, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to over six years in federal prison for his role in a fraudulent diamond investment scheme. The sentencing, handed down by Judge David Leibowitz on May 15, 2025, follows Lowe’s conviction on multiple counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, and engaging in monetary transactions with criminally derived proceeds. After his release, Lowe will serve three years of supervised release and is required to pay restitution to his victims.
The fraudulent operation, orchestrated through The Diamond Desk and PetersenLowe, LLC, involved the sale of fancy-colored diamonds at inflated values, deceiving investors with false claims about investment safety, security, and returns. Lowe, as the president of The Diamond Desk and manager of PetersenLowe, LLC, supplied these diamonds, while co-defendant Murray Todd Petersen, 73, of Fair Oaks, California, acted as a salesman, persuading investors with misleading information.
Petersen, who was sentenced on May 13, 2025, to nine years in federal prison by Judge James I. Cohn, will also serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution. His role involved not only selling overpriced diamonds but also promoting a fictitious China investment program, which was a Ponzi scheme intended to cover up the initial fraud. This scheme defrauded over 100 victims, amassing approximately $13 million.
Another co-defendant, Scott Schafer, 62, from Pembroke Pines, Florida, was sentenced to five years of probation on October 18, 2024, for his part in the conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The fraudulent scheme eventually led to a theft model where investors prepaid for diamonds that were never delivered. Petersen accrued about $850,000 in sales commissions, which he used to address personal financial obligations, including IRS tax liens.
The case was investigated by the FBI Miami, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marc Anton and Latoya Brown. Asset forfeiture proceedings are being managed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon.
For more information, visit the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida or the District Court for the Southern District of Florida websites.
