Orlando, Florida – Emir Jesus Matos Camargo, 41, has been accused of orchestrating a $1.5 million commodity pool fraud scheme, according to a complaint filed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on September 12, 2024.
Matos Camargo, the owner and CEO of Aureus Revenue Group LLC, allegedly solicited funds from at least 32 investors between September 2019 and November 2022, promising guaranteed monthly returns of 1.5% to 3.75% through commodity pool investments. The CFTC alleges that Matos Camargo and Aureus misrepresented their services by presenting a forged license, complete with a counterfeit CFTC seal and a fabricated license number, to give the impression of regulatory approval.
Investors received “warranty checks” – checks drawn on Aureus’ bank accounts for the full amount of their contributions – which created a false sense of security. However, these checks were often written on accounts with insufficient funds. The CFTC contends that the majority of the $1.5 million raised was not used for legitimate trading, but instead misappropriated by Matos Camargo and Aureus.
The complaint details a Ponzi scheme where funds from new investors were used to pay guaranteed returns to existing investors, rather than from actual trading profits. Matos Camargo also allegedly used the misappropriated funds to cover personal expenses, including rent, living costs, travel, and taxes. Furthermore, neither Aureus nor Matos Camargo were registered with the CFTC as a commodity pool operator or associated person, respectively.
The CFTC is seeking disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, civil monetary penalties, restitution for investors, a ban on trading and registration, and a permanent injunction to prevent further violations of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and CFTC regulations. The case is being pursued by Elsie Robinson, Alan Simpson, Alison Auxter, Rachel Hayes, Christopher Reed, and Charles Marvine of the CFTC’s Division of Enforcement.
The CFTC urges the public to verify the registration status of any investment firm with the CFTC before investing any funds.
Source: CFTC.gov
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