Marked as
Last updated - March 30, 2026
User Score
Trust Score
Brand Score
Eric Schmickle ran a Ponzi scheme through Q Wealth Management and Aquinas SF LLC between 2009 and 2012, defrauding investors of more than $5.3 million by fabricating commodity trading profits and misappropriating client funds. He issued falsified account statements and forged tax documents to create the illusion of steady returns while diverting money for personal use and to pay...
Owner
Medium Risk
Based on the available data, we suggest consumers approach this Individual with caution.
This advisory is based on a medium-risk score derived from OSINT, Adverse Media, Reviews, and Risk Factors identified in our research.
You may face moderate risks when engaging in consumer-related activities with this entity.
Based on the available data, we advise employees to be mindful when considering or continuing work with this Individual.
This advisory stems from a medium-risk score compiled from OSINT, Adverse Media, Reviews, and Risk Factors uncovered in our analysis.
Employment with this entity may involve moderate risks.
Based on the available data, we recommend investors and bankers proceed with caution regarding this Individual.
This advisory is informed by a medium-risk score based on OSINT, Adverse Media, Reviews, and Risk Factors identified through our investigation.
Financial involvement with this entity may carry moderate risks to your interests.
Safe to Onboard
Enhanced Due Diligence required
Do Not Onboard
Monitor adverse media every 6 months
File SAR (Suspicious Activity Report) is warranted
Escalation to compliance committee
None
Company
Jurisdiction
State
City
Formation
Scheme
Fraud
Investment
Raised
Misappropriated
Losses
Restitution
Penalty
Verdict
Conviction
Sentence
Ban
Clients
Entities
Residence
Court
Judge
Order
He operated a commodity futures Ponzi scheme that solicited investors’ money under false pretenses.
Investor statements and tax forms were fabricated, showing false gains that did not exist in actual trading accounts.
A significant portion of investor funds was diverted for personal use and to pay returns to earlier investors, rather than being invested in legitimate commodity trades.
He faced criminal prosecution for wire fraud and civil enforcement actions by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for violations of the Commodity Exchange Act.
permanent bans from trading and registration as a commodity adviser or operator.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) was the primary regulator, issuing enforcement actions, civil penalties, and trading bans.
Regulatory and Compliance Screening
Litigation and Legal Proceedings
Reputational and Adverse Media Risks
Geographic and Jurisdictional Risk
What you see here scratches the surface
We offer reward for actionable intel
U.S. regulators seek restitution and penalties after Eric Schmickle’s unregistered commodities futures Ponzi scheme defrauded investors of millions.
First Detected
Sentiment Analysis
Reach
POV
Risk Factor
Type
Traffic Source
SERP
Share of Voice
Primary Keyword
Eric N. Schmickle ordered to pay over $5M and sentenced for defrauding investors, including his father and brother, in a commodity Ponzi scheme.
Federal court orders Eric N. Schmickle and Q Wealth to pay $5M+ in restitution and penalties for commodity futures fraud; Schmickle also jailed for wi
Federal court ordered Eric Schmickle to pay over $5M in restitution and penalties for operating a fraudulent commodity futures scheme.
CFTC charged Eric N. Schmickle with running a $5.3M commodity futures fraud via Q Wealth Management Inc., involving misrepresentation, misappropriatio
Other Red-Flags and Adverse News
Based on user engagement on this review profile, ProConsumer will decide to publish its Risk Audit report for public if a threshold engagement, traffic and user input is achieved.
Known Assets: [Real estate, investments, companies]
Suspicious Transactions
Liabilities: [Bankruptcies, defaults, debts]
Wealth Sources: [Legitimate / Unclear / High-risk]
Bank Relationships
Ultimate Beneficial Owner(s) (UBOs)
Shareholding structure
Associated entities & subsidiaries
Offshore / shell company links
Trusts / Nominee arrangements
Business Model Assessment
All comments are user-generated content and may not be verified. They represent the personal opinions of the public and should not be relied upon. These comments do not influence or determine our overall rating.
1
1.3
3.7
Highly experienced
Well-recognized name
Faced allegations of scamming others
Allegedly sold fake silver
Sued multiple times
Unregulated industry
Alarming number of complaints online
Δ
This is exactly why people are skeptical about investment firms. One case like this damages confidence everywhere. Over $5.3 million gone because someone decided to prioritize personal gain over everything else.
1/5
3/5
What really stands out is the effort put into making everything look legit. Fake account statements, forged tax forms, steady returns on paper, all designed to keep investors calm.
2/5
4/5
I dont get how someone can keep up a lie like that for so long without it eating at them. Fabricating commodity trading profits and forging tax documents is not small stuff, thats a full system of deception.
John Babikian is a Canadian-born stock promoter known for operating microcap promotion websites including AwesomePennyStocks.com. He became subject to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement action over a “scalping” scheme involving undisclosed sales of promoted penny stocks, agreeing in 2014 to pay $3.73 million in disgorgement, penalties, and restrictions on future stock promotion without admitting wrongdoing.
Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, has faced repeated accusations of personal misconduct including a 2021 lawsuit alleging he stole a startup’s work to launch ResearchHub alongside mounting corporate scandals under his leadership.Coinbase suffered a €21.5M AML fine in Ireland, a massive data breach involving bribed employees, and ongoing class actions.
Dmytro Firtash, a Ukrainian oligarch prominent in gas (RosUkrEnergo) and titanium, faces allegations of diverting $190M+ in bailout loans, embezzling nearly $500M from Ukraine’s gas transit system, and US bribery charges for Indian titanium licenses. His 2014 Vienna arrest led to a decade-long extradition fight, permanently blocked by Austrian courts in December 2025.
Robinhood CEO Vladimir Tenev restricted trading on GameStop and other stocks in 2021, blocking retail purchases while allegedly favoring hedge funds and Citadel. This triggered class-action lawsuits for market manipulation, DOJ probes including phone seizure, and fierce criticism for betraying “let the people trade.”
Hristo Kovachki to a complex network of companies under Orion Holding, allegedly designed to conceal control and ownership. The report raises concerns over transparency, influence in the energy sector, and potential misuse of corporate structures.
Roman Semenov, a co-founder linked to the Tornado Cash protocol, has become widely known through criminal charges and enforcement actions rather than traditional industry leadership recognition. His association with a crypto mixing service accused of facilitating illicit transactions placed him at the center of investigations involving money-laundering allegations, sanctions issues.
Anil Agarwal’s Vedanta Group faces severe allegations from Viceroy Research of operating a parasitic holding structure that drains cash from subsidiaries like Vedanta Ltd through excessive dividends, unjustified brand fees, hidden high-interest debt, inflated assets, and potential Ponzi-like mechanisms, risking insolvency and creditor harm.
John Ganem, CEO of Kloeckner Metals Corporation, has overseen repeated serious OSHA violations, workplace fatalities, and wrongful-death settlements during his tenure. Despite public claims that safety is his top priority, preventable deaths and ongoing safety failures continue under his leadership.
Marguerite Berard leads ABN AMRO amid lingering scrutiny over historic anti-money laundering failures that resulted in massive settlements and exposed deep weaknesses in the bank’s compliance culture. Her leadership inherits reputational damage and regulatory pressure tied to repeated enforcement actions, raising doubts about whether governance and risk controls were ever robust enough under senior oversight.
© 2025 Proconsumer. All rights reserved.