My Story

In the world of business growth and high-stakes entrepreneurship, there is a fine line between relentless optimism and a "head in the sand" mentality. In 2018, while navigating the complex process of taking my company public, I crossed that line.

Much of this chapter of my life has been publicly understood through brief official summaries that, by nature, lack full context. For those I work with and mentor today, the reality is more nuanced.

It is a story of an impossible choice, a failure of oversight, and the hard-earned wisdom that followed.

The White-Collar Trap

There are generally two types of white-collar offenders. The first is the person with a clear, predatory intent to defraud. The second, where I found myself, is the entrepreneur who gets stuck in a bad situation where there are no longer any good options.

I had previously hired a fundraiser to secure the capital necessary for our company to implement its mission. I followed his advice to pursue a public offering as the primary way to raise that capital. However, I failed to perform the necessary due diligence on his background and his methods. As we moved toward the public launch, I found myself tethered to a bad actor who was willing to do anything to secure investment.

Recognizing the red flags but feeling the immense pressure to see the venture succeed for the sake of those who believed in me, I made a critical error: I intentionally removed myself from the fundraising process. I stayed away because I did not want to know the details of what was happening there. I did not personally solicit funds or make false representations, but by hiding my head in the sand, I allowed a bad actor to operate under my watch. I hoped that if we just reached the finish line of going public, the results would justify the means and everyone would be made whole. It was a failure of leadership and oversight, and for that, I take full responsibility.

The Mathematics of Federal Justice

When the government intervened, they did not just target a bad actor. They effectively decapitated a company that was in the final stages of a public transition. By freezing the momentum and halting the liquidity event, they guaranteed the very failure and loss of value they eventually used as the basis for their case.

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Once indicted, my first instinct was to fight. I knew my intent was never to defraud. However, I was quickly confronted with the Mathematics of Justice:

• The Odds: Federal prosecutors win over 97 percent of their cases.

• The Cost: I had already spent 300,000 dollars on legal fees. To go to trial, my lawyers required another 350,000 dollars upfront.

I was faced with an unsolvable problem. I could spend my family’s entire future on a 3 percent chance of winning, or take a plea, accept the CEO burden of responsibility, and begin the process of rebuilding. I chose my family.

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The Google Problem

In the white-collar world, we call this the "Google Problem." Immediately upon an arrest, the government seeks to ruin any chance of a fair defense in the court of public opinion with a press release written to do one thing: paint the worst possible picture of what they claim happened.

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They do this with the full knowledge that once that information is public, it will be there forever. At that stage, a person’s actual level of involvement or guilt becomes meaningless to the layperson; the false information and innuendos become the permanent record. 

The Second Chapter

A professional is not defined by their most difficult day, but by what they do in the years that follow. Since 2018, I have dedicated myself to professional restoration, not just for myself, but for others.

Through my work, I have counseled and mentored dozens of professionals navigating their own impossible legal and personal crises. I have learned that my story is not the exception. It is the rule for many who find themselves caught in the gears of the federal system.

Today, I operate with a lead-ahead philosophy of transparency. I share this context because the strongest partnerships are built on truth, not headlines. I am the same strategist and builder I have always been, but with a level of risk-awareness and character that only comes from surviving a storm.