Monroe Man Is Sentenced To Prison For Operating An Investment Scheme

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Christon Jermaine Brewer, 39, of Monroe, N.C., was sentenced today to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of approximately $210,000 for operating an investment scheme, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today's announcement.

According to court records and court proceedings, from 2018 to 2022, Brewer executed a scheme to defraud at least ten victim-investors of more than $200,000. Brewer's victims, including friends and acquaintances, were induced to invest in the scheme after Brewer promised he would invest their funds in the stock market. Brewer represented himself to victims as a wealthy investor, who had access to investment opportunities that would return profits and yield guaranteed returns. Relying upon Brewer's false and fraudulent representations, victims sent thousands of dollars to the defendant in cash, or via mobile peer-to-peer payment methods, such as Apple Pay or Cash App.

Contrary to promises he made to his victims, Brewer did not invest their money as agreed. Instead, he used it to pay for various personal expenses to support his lifestyle. While he was spending the victims' money, Brewer convinced victims into believing their investments were safe, by sending them text messages that provided purported updates on their investments and screenshots falsely showing the high returns on their investments.

On June 26, 2023, Brewer pleaded guilty to wire fraud. He is currently released on bond and will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

The FBI led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Bozin of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.