▁hospital , ▁and ▁was ▁charged ▁with ▁the ft ▁by ▁de ception . ▁He ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁lieu ▁of ▁$ 1 0 ▁million ▁b ail . ▁He ▁faced ▁ 9 8 ▁charges ▁and ▁a ▁maximum ▁of ▁ 4 0 0 ▁years ▁in ▁prison . ▁Sun lin ▁W ong ▁ple aded ▁guilty ▁and ▁was ▁sent enced ▁to ▁two ▁years ▁imprison ment . ▁ ▁In ▁reality , ▁the ▁invest ment ▁firm ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁Pon zi ▁scheme . ▁R ew ald ▁used ▁money ▁from ▁new ▁invest ors ▁to ▁pay ▁interest ▁to ▁earlier ▁invest ors , ▁all ▁the ▁while ▁si phon ing ▁off ▁funds ▁to ▁pay ▁for ▁his ▁lav ish ▁l ifest yle . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁its ▁Hawai i ▁operation , ▁the ▁firm ▁had ▁also ▁opened ▁a ▁branch ▁in ▁A uck land , ▁New ▁Zealand ▁som etime ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁New ▁Zealand ▁television ▁reports ▁have ▁suggested ▁that ▁R ew ald ▁or ▁his ▁firm ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁M ā ori ▁loan ▁affair ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 6 – 8 7 . ▁ ▁Tri al ▁R ew ald ▁presented ▁a ▁surprising ▁defense , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁his ▁business ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁front ▁for ▁the ▁Central ▁Int elligence ▁Agency . ▁R ew ald ' s ▁trial ▁last ed ▁for ▁eleven ▁weeks ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 . ▁ 1 4 0 ▁witness es ▁were ▁called . ▁R ew ald ▁was ▁conv icted ▁on ▁ 9 4 ▁counts ▁of ▁fra ud , ▁per j ury , ▁and ▁tax ▁ev asion