Tai Lopez Charged by SEC for $112 Million — DOJ Next?

In today’s video, I share some personal thoughts on the news that Tai Lopez has been charged by the SEC with running a $112 million Ponzi scheme through his company, Retail Ecommerce Ventures.

I’ve followed Tai’s work over the years—not as an investor in his 67 Steps or any of his programs, but as a marketer interested in how he built an empire around books, Lamborghinis, and lifestyle branding. Millions admired him, millions hated him, but nobody ignored him.

Now he’s facing something I know all too well: an SEC case that could be referred to the DOJ and turn criminal. My own case started civil before becoming criminal, and I talk about that connection here.

We’ll cover what the SEC is alleging, why civil charges can escalate, what happens next for Lopez and his partners, and what lessons every entrepreneur should take away about hype, investor money, and compliance.

More than that, I try to explain the reality of what it feels like to go from selling success to being accused of fraud.

Thank you,

Justin Paperny



Want to PREPARE for and THRIVE AFTER a government investigation? Go Here: https://www.whitecollaradvice.com/com...

If you're new to our channel, my name is Justin Paperny. I'm the co-founder of White Collar Advice, along with my business partner, Michael Santos. Our team helps individuals and families navigate government investigations, sentencing, and life after prison.

White Collar Advice has guided thousands through this process. Our nonprofit, Prison Professors Charitable Corporation, influences millions of people a year in prisons and jails through our courses, including Preparing for Success After Prison, a First Step Act-approved program in the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Our team is authentic. We will never ask you to do anything we haven't done ourselves and continue to do.

Since I lead WCA, our consumer division, let me share more about my journey:

22 years old (1997): Graduated from USC. Took a job as a stockbroker at Merrill Lynch.
25: Accepted an offer to join Bear Stearns in Century City.
26: Accepted a million-dollar bonus from UBS, a competing firm in Century City.
30: Became the target of a federal investigation.
32: Pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
33: Sentenced by Judge Stephen Wilson to 18 months in federal prison.
33: Surrendered to Taft Federal Prison Camp. Wrote Lessons From Prison and launched WCA with help from Michael Santos.
34: Released from federal prison to three years of supervision.
35: Began traveling the country, speaking about ethics and white-collar crime. Accepted an invitation to speak at The FBI Academy in Quantico. Wrote Ethics in Motion.
37: Complete three years of supervised release.
39: Married, with a young family. Decided to turn away from a lucrative speaking career and go all-in on White Collar Advice. Launched the WCA YouTube channel.

Today:

Thousands of successful outcomes. White Collar Advice sponsors Prison Professors Charitable Corporation (donating at least $100K a year). We still never ask anyone to do something we haven't done and still do.

Here’s the thing: I know you want the shortest sentence and earliest release from prison—that's a given. But to truly overcome the collateral consequences of a conviction, you have to think bigger: you must begin creating a new record. My only regret is not starting sooner.

Thank you for joining our community.
—Justin Paperny
Call or text anytime: 818-424-2220

FULL DISCLOSURE:

We create this content to help people. Watching these videos without implementing what you learn will only set you back. Many people who watch these videos take the next step by scheduling a call and working with us. If you do, you need to be ready to commit to the process and accept that we can’t change the past or guarantee the future.

Your success isn’t about dwelling on the past or expecting guarantees. It’s about taking the lead for your family, taking control of this difficult situation, and going ALL IN. If you refuse to quit when bad news comes—and it will—we’ll work with you to turn this experience into an asset, not a weakness. But you must be willing to do whatever it takes—just as I did, and as thousands of people in our community have done, like Nate Schott, Hugo Mejia, Stanley Benton, Tracii Hutsona, Joseph De Gregorio, and Scotty Carper.