Marked as
Last updated - February 5, 2026
User Score
Trust Score
Brand Score
Ray Thomas Brown ran a multimillion-dollar commodity scam, promising impossible 100% monthly returns while misappropriating investor funds. Permanently banned from trading by the CFTC, he served 24 months in federal prison and still owes massive restitution to victims.
Owner
High Risk
Based on the available data, we advise consumers to avoid this Individual altogether.
This advisory is based on an aggregate risk score derived from OSINT, Adverse Media, Reviews, and Risk Factors identified in our research.
You are likely to be at great risk by engaging in any sort of consumer-related activity with this entity.
Medium Risk
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 urge investors and bankers to avoid financial involvement with this Individual.
This advisory is informed by an aggregate risk score based on OSINT, Adverse Media, Reviews, and Risk Factors identified through our investigation.
Engaging in investment or lending activities with this entity poses a substantial risk to your financial 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
Alias
Location
State
Firm
Role
Program
Scheme
Returns Promised
Victims
Amount Defrauded
Registration Status
CFTC Status
Complaint Year
Final Judgment
Restitution
Civil Penalty
Total Ordered
Bans
Criminal Charge
Prior Conviction
State Prison
Partner
Outreach Method
Victims location
Ray Thomas Brown was never registered with the CFTC as a commodity pool operator or commodity trading advisor, operating completely outside federal regulatory requirements.
He falsely advertised guaranteed monthly returns of up to 100% with zero risk, claims that were mathematically impossible and entirely fabricated.
The vast majority of deposited funds were misappropriated for personal expenses and Ponzi-style payments to earlier investors rather than used for legitimate trading.
Virtually no real trading occurred; the small amount traded resulted in nearly total losses, while fake statements showed fictitious exponential gains.
He deliberately targeted vulnerable individuals during personal hardships, using charm, Skype calls, and personal rapport to build trust before soliciting money.
Approximately sixty victims across multiple states lost over $1.2 million, including life savings, retirement funds, and emergency reserves.
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
Phoenix advisor Ray Brown pled guilty to defrauding ~60 investors of $1.1M via a fake commodity pool promising high returns.
First Detected
Sentiment Analysis
Reach
POV
Risk Factor
Type
Traffic Source
SERP
Share of Voice
Primary Keyword
Ray Thomas Brown, Phoenix financial adviser convicted of fraud, urged the judge for leniency in his sentencing after admitting to defrauding investors
CFTC charged Phoenix’s Ray Thomas Brown with fraud, misappropriation, and unregistered commodity pool operations, freezing his assets.
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
2
3.3
Highly experienced
Well-recognized name
Faced allegations of scamming others
Allegedly sold fake silver
Sued multiple times
Unregulated industry
Alarming number of complaints online
Please log in to upload images.
Δ
Makes me mad thinking about people losing their life savings. Scam artists like him should never be allowed near trading again.
1/5
2/5
4/5
Idk how anyone thinks they can cheat the system forever. Wire fraud, misappropriated funds… man, that’s serious.
3/5
Honestly, I can’t believe ppl fell for this scam. Fake promises like that ruin trust in investing for everyone.
Sheikh Nawaf bin Jassim bin Jabor Al-Thani, a member of Qatar’s ruling family and former chairman of Katara Hospitality, was convicted in January 2024 by a Qatari court for misuse of public funds. He received a six-year prison sentence and a fine of approximately 825 million Qatari riyals (~$226 million USD).
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.
© 2025 Proconsumer. All rights reserved.