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Auburn Man Charged with CARES Act Fraud
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Cesar Campos-Reyes, a 52-year-old man from Auburn, Alabama, has been charged with federal crimes related to loans received through the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
On July 15, 2025, law enforcement conducted an operation to execute search warrants and locate Campos-Reyes, who was indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of bank fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering. The United States District Court in Montgomery unsealed Campos-Reyes’s criminal indictment today. Campos-Reyes surrendered to federal authorities Tuesday evening.
The indictment alleges that Campos-Reyes made false representations when applying for multiple loans for various restaurants owned and operated by him and for using the proceeds for unauthorized purposes. The charges are the result of a wide-ranging investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). This operation received significant support from the Gulf of America Homeland Security Task Force, which is a collaborative law enforcement unit including the FBI and HSI. Additional assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Alabama Department of Corrections, Auburn Police Department, Opelika Police Department, Prattville Police Department, Wetumpka Police Department, Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and United States Marshals Service.
Cesar Campos-Reyes, the defendant, faces four counts of bank fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering. If convicted on all charges, Campos-Reyes faces a sentence of up to 30 years in prison along with significant fines. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle R. Turner and John J. Geer, III.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the federal government to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the federal government’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A criminal indictment or complaint is merely an allegation that a crime has been committed. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mandatory Facts:
Defendant: Cesar Campos-Reyes
Criminal Charges: Four counts of bank fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering
City and State: Montgomery, Alabama
Date: July 15, 2025
Sentence: Up to 30 years in prison and significant fines
Key Facts
- State: Alabama
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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