The Securities and Exchange Commission went after the money. The Justice Department is going after her time and freedom after getting it from some partners in alleged crime.
Following the SEC’s failure to detect and stop Madoff’s fraud, Congress included in the Dodd Frank Act an SEC Whistleblower Program, which provides awards to whistleblowers that voluntarily provide original information leading to successful enforcement actions up to $1 million.
Federal prosecutors say Johanna Garcia's company wasn't a funding miracle for small businesses but a lucrative Ponzi scheme whose co-conspirators spent millions of dollars on luxury items.