Scottsdale man admits to fraud in scheme targeting Christian investors

PHOENIX — A Scottsdale man was ordered to pay $202,000 in restitution after admitting to securities fraud in a scheme that targeted Christian investors, authorities announced Wednesday.

In 2019, Robert Swagger solicited investments from three individuals in the Young Presidents Organization Christian Fellowship Network (YPOCFN), stating that the funds would then be invested in a streaming company featuring faith-related and family-friendly content, according to the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC).

However, the commission found that Swagger never invested the funds and instead spent them on personal expenses, legal fees, credit cards and membership dues.

Along with the restitution, Swagger was ordered to pay a $25,000 administrative penalty. He has also pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud charge related to this case. He is scheduled to be sentenced in February 2026.

Additionally, his wife, Teri, was ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to the defrauded investors.

Scottsdale man admits to fraud by jvinton

How did Scottsdale man defraud investors?

In 2019, the unidentified streaming company initiated a fundraising campaign that offered promissory notes in exchange for an investment of at least $500,000. The notes would then be repaid at an interest rate of 6.25%, according to ACC documents.

Swagger then approached the company with the idea of gathering a group of investors who would pool their money to buy one of the notes.

The company agreed to the idea, and Swagger founded TRS PureFlix, LLC, a company that would manage the investments.

Swagger solicited investors through YPOCFN, a group comprised of presidents of various companies who are all Christian and under the age of 45.

In a post on the YPOCFN message board, Swagger explained his idea and asked for a minimum investment of $50,000, according to the ACC.

Between May 30 and June 18, 2019, he struck deals with three investors for a total of $202,000, commission documents said.

Over $201,000 of that money was sent to a second company owned by Swagger, TRS Companies, LLC, for management fees, which was far above the $2,020 TRS Companies should have received, according to the ACC.

Some of that money was used to pay off credit card debt, and none of it was used to purchase a promissory note with the streaming company, according to the documents.

The ACC also found that Swagger failed to disclose to investors that his license to sell securities was suspended in 2011, following accusations by a former employer that he had not repaid a promissory note.

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