A Belgium national and Utah business owner is facing federal charges for allegedly running a $5 million Ponzi scheme. Kenny Dirk Van Der Spek, also known as Kenny Vanderspek, aged 35 from South Jordan, Utah, was charged on March 12, 2025, with further charges filed on March 19, 2025.
Van Der Spek owned K & K Strategies, LLC, a company based in Salt Lake County that purportedly aimed to assist non-wealthy individuals in investing and learning about stock trading. However, he was not licensed to sell securities. Court documents reveal that between December 2017 and December 2023, Van Der Spek defrauded approximately 75 investors across the United States through his company.
As part of the alleged scheme, Van Der Spek misled clients by claiming that K & K Strategies was legally operating as a hedge fund and that he held the necessary licenses. He reportedly presented fabricated financial records to investors to suggest their investments were profitable when they were actually incurring losses. Additionally, he showcased an alleged “live stream” of trades on knkstrategies.com for investors to monitor their investments.
Van Der Spek faces charges of securities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. His initial court appearance is set for March 20, 2025, at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah. The investigation is being conducted by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, IRS-CI Phoenix Field Office, and the Utah Division of Securities.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Sachiko J. Jepson and Assistant United States Attorney Mark Y. Hirata are prosecuting the case.
It is important to note that a felony information is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.