LOS ANGELES – A former San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy has confessed to a brazen, years-long swindle that bilked investors out of at least $5.6 million. The money wasn’t used to build wealth, but to fuel a life of reckless extravagance, including high-stakes gambling, private jet travel, and luxury gifts for girlfriends.
Christopher Lloyd Burnell, 51, of Highland, pleaded guilty Monday to 11 counts of wire fraud and two counts of filing a false tax return. Court documents detail a scheme that stretched from November 2010 to September 2017, built on a foundation of lies about purported windfalls from lawsuits and patent sales.
Burnell pitched himself as a successful businessman, promising investors returns as high as 100% within weeks. He’d even fulfill initial, small “trial” investments to build trust before requesting larger sums. But the promised investment opportunities were entirely fictitious. The money flowed directly into Burnell’s lavish lifestyle. The Justice Department reports he squandered over $2 million at the San Manuel Casino, $500,000 on private jet trips, $70,000 on Louis Vuitton merchandise, and another $175,000 on luxury cars and apartments for his romantic interests.
As victims grew suspicious and demanded repayment, Burnell spun increasingly elaborate tales of woe – a trust fund frozen, assets seized by federal authorities, a wife’s cancer treatment, and a bitter child custody battle. He even presented fabricated Wells Fargo bank statements claiming a $150 million balance, while his actual account held less than $6,500. The scheme continued until Burnell could no longer find new marks and the stolen funds dried up. He managed to collect at least $5,672,380 from victim-investors.
Burnell also deliberately concealed the fraudulent income from the IRS. In 2011 and 2012, he filed joint tax returns with his then-wife, reporting only gambling winnings – exceeding $1 million – which he then offset with purported gambling losses. He failed to report any of the money he received from his victims during those years.
United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald has scheduled a sentencing hearing for August 15. Burnell faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count, and a maximum of three years for each tax count. The investigation was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and the United States Secret Service.
Related Federal Cases
- Christopher Guilford, Tax Refund Scheme, Sacramento CA, 2025 · Virginia
- Frank Hamilton Sentenced to 5.5 Years for SBA Scam, California, 2023 · Texas
- Kenneth Thom, Investment Adviser Fraud, New York NY, 2026 · Oregon
- Christopher Furman, Wire Fraud and Money Laundering, Pittsburgh PA,… · Ohio
- McKenzie Marie Earley, $10M Wire Fraud, C.D. California, 2023 · Pennsylvania
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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