Detroit, MI – Andrew Middlebrooks was permanently banned from the commodities market and faces further penalties following a consent order entered by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on May 1, 2026. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) brought the action against Middlebrooks and his firm, EIA All Weather Alpha Fund I Partners LLC, for operating a fraudulent commodity pool.
The CFTC alleged that from mid-2017 through April 2022, Middlebrooks and his firm misled investors in the EIA All Weather Alpha Fund I LP through false and misleading statements. These statements included claims of extraordinary profitability despite substantial trading losses, inflated asset values, and the false assertion that the pool’s financial statements were independently audited.
Investigators found that Middlebrooks issued falsified monthly account statements and financial reports to both prospective and existing investors, attracting millions of dollars from dozens of participants in the United States and internationally. The scheme violated the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations.
As a result of the consent order, Middlebrooks is permanently prohibited from violating CFTC provisions, trading for others, soliciting funds for trading, and registering with the CFTC. This ruling resolves all claims brought by the CFTC in August 2022.
This case is compounded by a related criminal prosecution. In October 2022, the Department of Justice charged Middlebrooks with wire fraud. He subsequently pleaded guilty and, in 2025, was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $34,346,948 in restitution, a figure acknowledged by the court in the CFTC’s consent order.
“As this case demonstrates, the CFTC will not tolerate fraudulent conduct in the markets it oversees and will vigorously pursue fraudsters to protect the American public,” stated David Miller, Director of Enforcement for the CFTC.
Source: CFTC.gov
Related Federal Cases
- Letitia James, Securities Fraud, New York 2023 · Washington
- Keith Nelson Cook, Mortgage Fraud Scheme, Salt Lake City UT, 2023 · Michigan
- Marko Nikoli Sentenced to 27 Months for Bank Fraud, Eastlake OH, 2023 · Michigan
- Mark O. Wittenmyer, 52-Count Investment Fraud, OH, 2024 · Washington
- Larry Darnell Frazier, Store Credit Card Fraud, Detroit MI, 2023 · Texas
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News