Cases by industry
Energy & alternative assets Ponzi schemes
60 cases announced 2000–2026, involving about $3.4B in reported investor money. Most cases came from Texas, California and Florida.
The largest by reported amount: DC Solar ($912M, 2026). Charges are allegations unless a court has entered a conviction or judgment.
Pitch phrases seen in these cases
- “high rates of return”
- “a film or a video game platform”
- “did not exist or had already been sold”
- “higher guaranteed returns and exclusive financing options”
- “purchasing oil wells”
- “oil and gas leases”
- “paid out of profits from the ensuing oil and gas sales”
- “ranging between 10% to 45%”
Cases
| Date | Case | Location | Industry | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 28, 2026 | Creative Wealth Media Finance Corp. Jason Cloth |
Los Angeles, CA | Energy & alternative assets | $100M |
| Mar 9, 2026 | DC Solar Ari J. Lauer, Jeff Carpoff, Paulette Carpoff |
Martinez, CA | Energy & alternative assets | $912M |
| Aug 14, 2025 | Water Station Management LLC, Creative Technologies Inc. Ryan Wear, Jordan Chirico |
Marysville, WA | Energy & alternative assets | $275M |
| Mar 17, 2025 | Elite Wealth Partners LLC, EWP Permian Basin Fund II LLC Cory J. Dawkins |
IL | Energy & alternative assets | $2.4M |
| Sep 28, 2023 | Regal Assets LLC Tyler G. Gallagher, Leah Donoso |
Beverly Hills, CA | Energy & alternative assets | $21M |
| Sep 25, 2023 | Sapphire Exploration LLC, Harris Exploration Inc Stephen L. Bailey |
TX | Energy & alternative assets | $7.8M |
| Sep 14, 2023 | National Royalty Group William Logsdon, Jamie Thompson |
Midland, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $2.1M |
| Jun 22, 2023 | Billy Marcum Jr. | Fort Worth, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $30M |
| Apr 20, 2023 | Charles Winn LLC Aaron David Scott-Britten, Ohran Emmanuel Stewart, Casey Alexander, Charlie Jake Smith |
England | Energy & alternative assets | $8.5M |
| Dec 8, 2021 | James Ikey, John Muratore, Thomas Brad Pearsey, Rustin Brunson, Manjit Singh (aka Roger) Sahota | TX | Energy & alternative assets | $122M |
| Jul 1, 2021 | Ross Baldwin, Robert Jeffrey Johnson, Kathleen Hook | FL | Energy & alternative assets | $6.9M |
| Apr 6, 2021 | 1inMM Capital LLC Zachary Horwitz |
Los Angeles, CA | Energy & alternative assets | $690M |
| Nov 12, 2020 | CH4 Power Raymond Brewer |
Porterville, CA | Energy & alternative assets | $8.8M |
| Jul 16, 2020 | The Alista Group LLC Marvin W. Courson III, Luis M. Pineda Palacios (aka Luis Pineda), Christopher A. Kertatos |
FL | Energy & alternative assets | $890,500 |
| Dec 12, 2019 | Jamie Smith | Baldwin, WI | Energy & alternative assets | $1.2M |
| Nov 21, 2019 | Capital Energy Investments LLC Donnie Laing Jr. |
Youngsville, LA | Energy & alternative assets | $1.2M |
| Sep 24, 2019 | U.S. Coin Bullion LLC Salvatore Esposito, Joseph Esposito |
Orlando, FL | Energy & alternative assets | $7.9M |
| Jul 18, 2019 | Capital Energy Group LLC William J. Milles Jr., Donald J. Lutzko |
PA | Energy & alternative assets | $3.9M |
| Jan 29, 2019 | Ford F. Graham, Katherine B. Graham | Princeton, NJ | Energy & alternative assets | $5M |
| Apr 16, 2018 | Northwest Territorial Mint Bernard Ross Hansen, Diane Renee Erdmann |
Auburn, WA | Energy & alternative assets | $25M |
| Aug 11, 2017 | Richard Paul Underwood, Colin P. Purcell, David R. Greenlee, David A. Stewart | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Energy & alternative assets | $15M |
| Jul 26, 2017 | Citadel Energy Joey Stanton Dodson |
Indio, CA | Energy & alternative assets | $15M |
| Jul 19, 2017 | Justin Troy Spearman | Orlando, FL | Energy & alternative assets | $3.6M |
| Jul 7, 2017 | Carol J. Wayland, John C. Mueller, Mitchell B. Dow, Barry Liss, Steve G. Blasko | Irvine, CA | Energy & alternative assets | $2.4M |
| May 16, 2017 | Four Winds Carlos I. Uresti, Stanley P. Bates, Gary L. Cain, Vernon C. Farthing III |
San Antonio, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $6.3M |
| Sep 23, 2016 | Big Sky Mineral Resources John Kevin Moore |
Bigfork, MT | Energy & alternative assets | $2.7M |
| Aug 19, 2016 | James VanBlaricum | Colleyville, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $2.6M |
| Apr 12, 2016 | Charles Caleb Fackrell | Booneville, NC | Energy & alternative assets | $1.4M |
| Apr 8, 2016 | West 125th Street Liquors Hamlet Peralta |
Bronx, NY | Energy & alternative assets | $12M |
| Mar 31, 2016 | John Scott Clark | UT | Energy & alternative assets | $1.7M |
| Feb 6, 2016 | Allen R. Hess | Syracuse, NY | Energy & alternative assets | $600,000 |
| Jul 7, 2015 | Liquid Ninja Eric Morgan |
Evansville, IN | Energy & alternative assets | $600,000 |
| Jul 6, 2015 | Bingqing Yang, Lei Lei (aka Lily Lei), Anthony V. Pollace | CA | Energy & alternative assets | $68M |
| Jun 3, 2015 | RHM Exploration LLC William Allen Risinger |
Round Rock, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $4.5M |
| May 5, 2015 | North Dakota Developments LLC Robert L. Gavin, Daniel J. Hogan |
ND | Energy & alternative assets | $62M |
| Feb 20, 2015 | Bordeaux Fine Wines Ltd Kenneth Jean Pierre Gundlach |
Croydon, United Kingdom | Energy & alternative assets | $16M |
| 2015 | Clarence Counterman, Robert Loya, Leopoldo Parra | El Paso, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $2.1M |
| Aug 26, 2014 | Oscar F. Villarreal | Gates Mills, OH | Energy & alternative assets | $18.4M |
| Feb 28, 2014 | Jane E. O'Brien | Needham, MA | Energy & alternative assets | $1.4M |
| Dec 6, 2013 | Vendetta Royalty Partners Robert A. Helms, Janniece S. Kaelin, Deven Sellers, Roland Barrera |
Austin, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $18M |
| Nov 6, 2013 | Rashida Samji Notary Corporation, Samji & Assoc. Holdings Inc Rashida Samji, Arvin Patel |
Vancouver, Canada | Energy & alternative assets | $40M |
| Mar 28, 2013 | J2 Marketing Solutions Jason Pascua |
Kaneohe, HI | Energy & alternative assets | $1.4M |
| Mar 12, 2013 | Heckman Multimedia Productions Peter Heckmann (aka Peter Heckman) |
Kapaa, HI | Energy & alternative assets | $1.2M |
| Sep 13, 2012 | Winans Foundation Trust Michael Winans Jr. |
Jessup, MD | Energy & alternative assets | $8M |
| Aug 1, 2012 | Louis J. Soteriou, Malcolm "Mac" Parker | Middlebury, CT | Energy & alternative assets | $28M |
| May 1, 2012 | Falcon Energy Kelly Gordon Rogers |
Frisco, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $2.8M |
| Mar 30, 2012 | Anthony J. Lupas Jr. | Wilkes-Barre, PA | Energy & alternative assets | $5M |
| Feb 4, 2012 | Red Earth Resources Inc., Alpine Petroleum LLC Jimmy E. Morrisett |
Burnet, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $7M |
| Jun 28, 2011 | Jamie Campany | FL | Energy & alternative assets | $25M |
| Dec 15, 2010 | American Bullion Exchange ABEX Corp, American Bullion Exchange LLC Ryan A. Nassbridges |
Laguna Niguel, CA | Energy & alternative assets | $5.5M |
| Nov 10, 2010 | Zada Enterprises LLC Joseph Paul Zada |
Wellington, FL | Energy & alternative assets | $20M |
| Oct 1, 2010 | Delta Interest Inc Richard W. McFarland Jr. |
Marshall, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $30M |
| May 3, 2010 | Daniel O. Cohen, Richard Alan Cohen, Joshua Hoffman | Calabasas, CA | Energy & alternative assets | $39M |
| Mar 4, 2010 | Prosper Oil and Gas Inc (aka Prosper Energy Inc) Alan Todd May |
Dallas, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $6M |
| Dec 23, 2009 | Platinum Business Industries Eric Riley Merkle, Jay Vernon Merkle |
Williamston, MI | Energy & alternative assets | $50M |
| Dec 17, 2009 | Zaveri Oil & Gas Ltd Ashvin J. Zaveri |
Honeoye Falls, NY | Energy & alternative assets | $35M |
| Jul 7, 2009 | Provident Royalties LLC, Provident Asset Management LLC Brendan Coughlin, Henry Harrison, Paul R. Melbye, W. Mark Miller |
Dallas, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $485M |
| May 8, 2009 | Aspen Exploration Inc William Anthony Rand (aka Tony Rand), Gregory Keith Rand, Mark Albert Rand, Joel William Peterson (aka Joel William Petersen) |
Plano, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $56M |
| Feb 5, 2009 | Robert Miracle, Mukhtar Kechik, Fahimi Fisal | Bellevue, WA | Energy & alternative assets | $65M |
| Oct 13, 2000 | Lazar Frederick & Company, Weststar Exploration Inc., KS Resources Betty Ann Rubin, Mark D. Seigel, John J. Judd Jr. |
Woodland Hills, CA | Energy & alternative assets | $42M |