Wisconsin Man Charged in $15.8 Million Ponzi Scheme Disguised as Investment Advisory Business

Posted on July 14th, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Wisconsin Man Charged in $15.8 Million Ponzi Scheme Disguised as Investment Advisory Business

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law

Federal authorities have charged a Wisconsin man with orchestrating a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme that defrauded more than 120 investors over six years. According to a Department of Justice announcement, Stanley Pophal solicited over $15.8 million by falsely posing as a successful businessman and offering guaranteed-return promissory notes.

While self-described as an "investment advisor" by prosecutors, Pophal was not registered with either the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). Financial Advisor News reports that he operated outside regulatory oversight, running what authorities now allege was a classic Ponzi operation.

Prosecutors claim Pophal assured investors their money would be safely invested with fixed returns. In reality, most of the funds went toward financing his extravagant lifestyle, including the purchase of more than 300 collectible snowmobiles and race cars. To perpetuate the scheme, Pophal allegedly used new investor funds to make payments to earlier investors, creating the illusion of legitimate returns.

Court filings revealed Pophal falsely claimed ties to a wealthy Wisconsin family and presented himself as a multimillionaire to boost his credibility with victims. None of those claims proved legitimate.

 

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

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

The work that you and your team have performed on my behalf is exemplary.

JT

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

December 11, 2025
DOJ Secures Five-Year Prison Sentence in Wolf Capital Crypto Fraud Case

Federal prosecutors have obtained a five-year prison sentence for Travis Ford, an Oklahoma resident who admitted to orchestrating a fraudulent crypto investment scheme through Wolf Capital.

December 10, 2025
SEC Highlights Rising Risks in RIA Consolidation and Focuses on Retailer Investor Protection

The Securities and Exchange Commission signaled heightened scrutiny of investment advisers involved in mergers and acquisitions, according to its newly released 2026 Examination Priorities.

December 9, 2025
The Vanishing Boundary Between Investing and Gambling

According to Bloomberg Law, there now are the tools, tactics, and a psychology of gambling that increasingly resembles those of retail trading.