SEC Charges Son and Father-in-Law Who Targeted Church Members in $20 Million Fraud

Posted on May 8th, 2023 at 1:22 PM
SEC Charges Son and Father-in-Law Who Targeted Church Members in $20 Million Fraud

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law 

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Brett Bartlett and his father-in-law, Scott Miller, along with their companies over fraudulent securities offerings that generated nearly $20.5 million. 

Bartlett and Miller collected funds from at least 1,000 investors between June 2018 and May 2020. According to the SEC, Bartlett and Miller offered promissory notes, stocks, and fraudulent gold contracts through entities they owned, including Dynasty Toys Inc., The 7M eGroup Corp., Concept Management Company LLC, and Dynasty Inc. The SEC further alleges that Bartlett regularly touted his Christian faith and attributed his purported success to divine intervention when he solicited a large group of investors from a church in central Illinois.

In an effort to conceal the fraud, Bartlett and Miller made at least $11 million in Ponzi-style payments and sent nearly $21 million in bad checks to investors that were subsequently bounced, according to the SEC. Bartlett and Miller allegedly used at least $1.2 million to cover personal expenses, including vacations, entertainment, and payments for a luxury rental home. The SEC is seeking permanent injunctions, disgorgement, and civil penalties.

 

Eccleston Law LLC represents financial advisors and investors nationwide in securities, employment, transition, regulatory and disciplinary matters.

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

Hiring Eccleston Law has been one of the best career decisions I have made and this "investment" to maintain my sterling regulatory record has been returned many times over.  If you are in a situation where you've been unfairly accused, don't hesitate to talk with Eccleston Law. They are the best.

Thomas C.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

February 13, 2026
Cetera Fined $1.1 Million Over Supervisory and AML Deficiencies

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has censured and fined Cetera Financial Group $1.1 million after identifying supervisory system and anti-money laundering (AML) failures across several subsidiary broker-dealers.

February 12, 2026
CFTC Signals New Rulemaking for Prediction Markets and Crypto Oversight

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) plans to develop new regulations governing the growing prediction markets industry, Chairman Michael Selig announced, signaling a shift in regulatory strategy.

February 11, 2026
Ameriprise Advisor Phishing Incident Potentially Exposes Client Data

A phishing incident involving an Ameriprise Financial advisor potentially exposed the personal information of hundreds of clients, according to a disclosure posted by the Maine Attorney General’s office.