The public company / private company shell game is pretty common.
Private company or provider of the shell takes the company "public", pumps and dumps, shakes and bakes, and dilutes the heck out of the public entity until the originating prvate companies "foreclose".
If public investors' money has added any value to the enterprise they can legally claim it. If not, they have the shell to resell.
In order to bust these guys you have to have FINRA and the SEC do a proper investigation and prosecute.
If the playas is well connected it will never happen IMO.
Landscape in the Carina Nebula as captured by the Hubble Telescope.