ara, declined to comment on the case. W=ile Ponzi schemes can last years or even decades, they can*=804ot go on forever. According to prosecutors, Varacchi recorded calls in December in which Meli said he was running a "shell<=span> game," taking money from new investors to pay off ol= ones. Meli said

nses to pay off an earlier investor. He offered to help i= the investigation and became an informant, according to th= complaint. The informant was Varacchi, according to people=with knowledge of the case. The sc=m went on at least two years, according to a parallel c=vil case the SEC filed against Mel