Beverly Hills man sentenced for stealing over $18 million through cannabis-related scams
A Beverly Hills man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for scamming over $18 million from victims through cannabis-related cons.
Mark Roy Anderson, 69, was sentenced Wednesday for stealing around $18.4 million from investors through fake claims that his companies were involved in hemp farms, cannabis-infused retail products and a sham bottling business, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Instead of investing the funds as promised, Anderson used the money on personal expenses such as real estate in Ojai and purchasing 15 vehicles, including a Ferrari, officials said.
At the time of the schemes, Anderson had multiple prior fraud convictions. One scheme was committed while he was in home confinement after being released from federal prison. The second scheme was committed while he was on supervised release for a fraud conviction.
In the first scheme from June 2020 to April 2021, officials said Anderson 'tricked investors into providing funding for his company, called Harvest Farm Group.'
The company allegedly processed hemp that was grown on a farm into 'medical-grade cannabidiol (CBD) isolate – a chemical found in marijuana – to be sold for a substantial profit.'
Anderson falsely told victims he owned and operated the Kern County farm and that he had already completed profitable harvests. He claimed he was using his own machinery to 'convert the hemp into CBD isolate and Delta 8, a psychoactive substance that, like CBD isolate, could be used in consumer products ranging from olive oil to body cream,' the DA's office said.
To prevent investors from asking for collections or reporting him to law enforcement, Anderson falsely told them that product sales from the farm-grown hemp were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He then falsely promised to pay the victims back and that some of the money stemmed from sales recently made to Canadian companies.
In the second scheme from April 2021 to May 2023, Anderson lied to investors that his company Bio Pharma manufactured and sold products infused with CBD including CBD-infused avocado oil, olive oil, pain cream, gummies, tequila, and chili oil. His other company, Verta Bottling, allegedly manufactured and sold beverages and a variety of food products.
Anderson told victims his companies owned millions of dollars worth of assets including hemp biomass, CBD isolate, CBD oil, manufacturing equipment and an assignable lease for a warehouse to manufacture and sell products.
He told investors that his bottling companies had a $10 million purchase order from suppliers and drafted fake legal and business documents to support those claims, the DA's office said. Fake samples of the alleged products he was selling were also given to investors.
Instead of investing the funds as promised, Anderson spent the money on personal expenses such as real estate in Ojai and purchasing 15 vehicles, including a Ferrari.
In total, both schemes netted Anderson around $18,376,150 from 45 victims, according to court documents. He pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in April 2024.
'The magnitude of the fraud is breathtaking,' said Judge Aenlle-Rocha at Wednesday's hearing. 'The [victims' statements reflect] the depth of the harm. Many have lost their life savings reflecting decades of hard work.'
Aenlle-Rocha described Anderson as 'an accomplished and incorrigible con man' and stated that 'the public must be protected from him for as long as possible.'
'The defendant stole more than $18 million from dozens of investors by promising quick returns on their investments into hemp farms and other exotic investments,' said Joseph McNally, acting U.S. Attorney. 'Today's sentence takes him off the street so that he cannot harm other victims.'
Anderson has agreed to 'forfeit his ill-gotten gains from these schemes' which include the Ojai real estate, Ferrari and other items, prosecutors said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Epoch Times
an hour ago
- Epoch Times
LA Protests Turn to Riots Over Illegal Immigration Arrests
Riots erupted amid protests in Los Angeles at the weekend over immigration authorities' arrests of illegal immigrants. Cars were burned out and shops were looted, as protests reached their third day on June 8. Police tried to prevent protesters from pouring out onto the 101 Freeway, a major motorway system that runs through the city. The National Guard was sent to the streets to protect federal buildings, which escalated conflicts as protesters taunted them and tensions were raised amid occasional breakouts of police firing tear gas in response to objects being thrown at them. U.S. Northern Command issued a notice on June 8 stating that about 500 Marines were on standby. The protests that began on June 6 were sparked by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids resulting in the arrest of over 118 individuals last week. Related Stories 6/8/2025 6/6/2025 President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to the scene, which sparked a row between him and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The National Guard is an army reserve belonging to each state, operating under the jurisdiction of that state's governor, and would normally require the governor's consent for its use. Trump invoked an 18th century law called the Insurrection Act, which allows the president to take control of state-based National Guard units in times of crisis. In response, Newsom issued a request to rescind the order, accusing Trump of inflaming tensions. Trump has criticised Californian governance during previous situations of unrest, namely the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots over the death of George Floyd and the Los Angeles fires at the start of this year. In 2020, the streets were filled with violence over the death of Floyd, which sparked racial tensions nationwide and has fuelled comparisons to this weekend in terms of civil unrest driven by public outrage over perceived systemic injustice. Part of the Trump administration's agenda has been to curb the illegal immigration crisis that has spiralled out of control in recent years. Los Angelese County is a particularly sensitive area, because being so close to the Southern border, it is often a hub for immigration. Immigrants make up 34 percent of the city's population, which has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, and 800,000 of them are undocumented, according to a LA Mayor Karen Bass called for a stop to the violence on June 8, alluding to the Trump administration causing chaos. 'As a result of immigration raids, parents are afraid to take their kids to school, workers are unsure if they should go to work tomorrow, and young people are worried about their future.' she posted on Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin responded in a statement, 'Why do Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass care more about violent murderers and sex offenders than they do about protecting their own citizens?' 'These rioters in Los Angeles are fighting to keep rapists, murderers, and other violent criminals loose on Los Angeles streets. Instead of rioting, they should be thanking ICE officers every single day who wake up and make our communities safer.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
New Details Reveal the Man Behind Sade Robinson's Death is Far Sicker Than We Thought
Sade Robinson's dismembered body parts washed up on the shores of Lake Michigan in April of 2024. Her alleged killer, Maxwell Anderson, was sent to trial over the last two weeks. The verdict might have settled some nerves but the never-before-heard details of the case left many shook. Anderson was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilation of a corpse, hiding a corpse and arson in Robinson's case. The only details we knew before from police was that 19-year-old Robinson and 34-year-old Anderson had met online and agreed to go on a date on April 1, 2024. However, hours later, her leg was found on the Lake Michigan shore and her car was found burnt to a crisp. Authorities detailed the harrowing investigation as more of Robinson's body parts were found over the course of the next few days. New evidence from Anderson's trial suggests that he planned the murder months in advance. Anderson was found to have invited Robinson back to his home and drugged her drink. While she was there, prosecutors said Anderson turned on Netflix's 'Love, Death & Robots,' which features an episode with a dismembered corpse on a beach. Prosecutors showed photos Anderson took of him groping Robinson and pulling her clothes off as she laid face down on the couch unconscious. Police also testified to finding a makeshift 'sex dungeon' in his basement where some of her clothes were hidden along with two saws, per The New York Post. Amidst mutilating her body, prosecutors introduced an image of Anderson holding her severed right breast, which one juror called 'his trophy,' per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The following day, he drove her car to the woody area where it was later found burned and took a bus back to his apartment, per surveillance footage. Despite Anderson's attorney arguing that the prosecution failed to show his intention to kill Robinson, it only took a jury 45 minutes after being shown those horrifying photos to decide he was guilty— on all counts. Robinson's mother said though the jury made the decision, her daughter played a major role in her own case. 'She will forever be remembered as an angel. My baby solved her own case. That's how I raised my kids. We don't give up. We are fighters. I demanded justice. I stand tall, I stand affirmative. Sade will continue to walk with me daily and right beside me,' Sheena Scarbrough, Robinson's mother said outside the courthouse, per The Post. During the reading of the verdict, Anderson almost donned a stunned look as if he was shocked. He faces a mandatory life sentence and is due in court for the ruling on August 15.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Florida No. 2 in gun sales but numbers are dropping here and in the US. Possible reasons
Floridians, and Americans in general, are buying fewer guns. People in the Sunshine State bought just over an estimated 1.2 million guns in 2024, according to the annual report from safety product review site based on data from the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). That's a 7% drop from 2023. Florida still ranks No. 2 in the country in total gun sales, though, behind Texas (1.36 million). Sales were down nationally as well, where the estimated 16.1 million firearms sold in 2024 were a 3.4% decline from the previous year. The National Shooting Sports Foundation's annual report calculated a lower number, 15.2 million sold in 2024, but also said sales were declining. Sales have declined every year since 2020 after peaking during the COVID pandemic, SafeHome said. Gun sales in Washington plunged nearly 46%. "Some expected the 2024 presidential election to drive a spike in gun sales, but early data from 2025 tells a different story," said SafeHome managing editor Rob Gabriele. "In the first four months of the year, just over 5.29 million guns were sold, averaging around 1.32 million per month. "If that pace holds, 2025 will end with roughly 15.5 million gun sales, a 3.8 percent drop from 2024 totals," he said. "This mirrors the previous year's rate of decreasing sales." However, 15 states saw increases in gun sales, with Massachusetts residents buying 22.5% more of the weapons. SafeHome releases its report every year in time for National Gun Violence Awareness Day, which was June 6. Many Americans wear orange between June 6-8 in honor of Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot and killed on a playground in Chicago. SafeHome estimates that 389,994 guns have been sold in Florida from January through April 2025, behind Texas with 443,224. But by this time last year, Florida gun sales hit nearly half a million. Florida saw gun sales go up 1% in 2023, the same year the state passed a law to allow permitless concealed carry. The Sunshine State was one of only four states to see an increase, with 1,316,471 estimated sales in 2023, according to the report. FBI report: Active shooter incidents decrease in 2024, list includes Florida I-10 shooter Whlie the answer remains unclear, the record sales during the pandemic may have lowered the demand for now. 'What we saw in 2020 and 2021 were not sustainable from a market standpoint,' Jonathan Metzl, director of Vanderbilt University's Center for Medicine, Health, and Society, told The Trace, a website tracking gun violence. 'But also, many more people have guns now, and so the market of potential consumers is a lot smaller than it was during the pandemic.' Another factor is a Republican president in the White House. Gun sales tend to rise when presidents from the Democratic Party are elected, due to expectations of more restrictive gun laws, weapons confiscation, or fears of violent right-wing suppression. In January 2021, the month rioters swarmed the Capitol to prevent the certification of former President Joe Biden's votes, the firearms industry set a new record of more than 2 million firearms in one month, CNN reported. That was a 75% increase over the number sold in January 2020. Firearm and ammunition sales also spiked during former President Barack Obama's terms. However, gun sales dropped 17% during the first three years of President Donald Trump's first term, The Trace said. Some gun owners may be shifting their focus on accessorizing the firearms they own instead of buying more, Guy J. Sagi wrote for the American Rifleman in February. An October 2024 NSSF press release (now deleted, archived here) reported that American ownership of suppressors is skyrocketing, with as many silencers sold between May 2021 and July 2024 as were registered in the previous 87 years. Other possible reasons for a drop in sales include more restrictive gun laws in some states and inflation pushing firearms farther down the list of immediate needs for many Americans. According to SafeHomes' analysis of NICS data, these are the states with the most firearms sales in 2024: Texas: 1,363,596 (1.2% increase) Florida: 1,224,566 (7% decrease) California: 1,019,136 (2.3% decrease) Pennsylvania: 822,286 (2.3% decrease) Tennessee: 583,750 (7.8% decrease) Ohio: 583,959 (0.1% increase) Virginia: 566,053 (2.7% decrease) North Carolina: 530,083 (6.1% increase) Missouri: 500,885 (3.8% decrease) Michigan: 481,870 (13.3% decrease) Adjusted for population, Wyoming, Montana and Alaska have the highest gun sales rates in SafeHomes' report. "These states have strong hunting traditions fostered by rural lifestyles and less rigid gun control laws," Gabriele said. "The pro-gun cultures and the need for self-defense in such remote areas, which abound in predators that could harm livestock, may also contribute to higher gun ownership and sales." Wyoming: 68,964 (16.1 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) Montana: 135,882 (15.9 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) Alaska: 79,217 (15.4 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) New Hampshire: 145,700 (13.3 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) Oregon: 429,892 (13.2 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) Alabama: 460,694 (12.3 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) North Dakota: 65,170 (11.7 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) Idaho: 162,079 (11.5 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) West Virginia: 155,421 (11.5 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) Oklahoma: 322,315 (11.1 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) Tennessee: 583,750 11.1 sold per 100 residents aged 21+) In comparison, Florida saw 7 firearms sold per 100 residents 21 and older. National Gun Violence Awareness Day, which falls on the first Friday in June every year, was established to honor the estimated 88 Americans (as of 2015) whose lives were cut short by gun violence every day, and the survivors whose lives are forever changed. The day, and the Wear Orange movement, began when some Chicago teens asked their classmates to wear orange on June 2 to commemorate the birthday of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton. Pendleton was shot and killed a week after marching in President Obama's 2nd inaugural parade. Orange was chosen because it's what responsible gun owners wear in the woods while hunting to protect themselves and others. Former First Lady Michelle Obama attended Pendleton's funeral and delivered the commencement address at what would have been her graduation ceremony. Former President Barack Obama talked about her death in his 2013 State of The Union Address. The Obamas announced they were honoring the slain student through the Hadiya Pendleton Atrium at the Obama Presidential Center. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Gun sales down in Florida, America. Why the decline?
