Man charged in US with stealing $450 million from Mexican billionaire in loan scheme

Vladimir Sklarov, also known as Gregory Mitchell and Mark Simon Bentley, has been charged with stealing $450 million from Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego in a bogus stock-backed loan scheme. Sklarov used the name of the famed Astor family to dupe Salinas. The scheme involved a sham company, Astor Asset Group, that purported to be a legitimate and experienced loan provider.