SAN FRANCISCO — A San Francisco couple was arrested Thursday after being indicted on 25 federal counts of fraud and other crimes relating to their artificial intelligence company, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
The indictment against Alexander and Valerie Beckman was unsealed this week and alleges the pair committed wire and securities fraud, conspiracy, identity theft and other charges.
Alexander is the founder and former CEO of GameOn Inc., a private business that offers artificial intelligence software that mimics human interaction, commonly known as a chatbot, prosecutors said. Its customers included prominent American professional sports leagues and teams and leading luxury fashion and retail brands, according to the DOJ.
MORE: 6 ex-Apple employees arrested for defrauding company’s charity match donation program, DA says
The Beckmans are accused of raising $60 million from investors over six years, $4 million of which they allegedly used for personal expenses such as homes in San Francisco, payments …