Miami, FL | September 26, 2025 – The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed civil charges against social media influencer Tai Lopez, 48, his business partner Alex Mehr, 51, and Retail Ecommerce Ventures (REV) COO Maya Burkenroad, 47, accusing them of defrauding more than 660 investors in a $112 million scheme.
According to the complaint, submitted on September 23 in federal court in Florida, the three are alleged to have misled investors about the profitability of well-known retail brands such as RadioShack, Pier 1 Imports, and Dressbarn, which they acquired during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Between 2020 and 2022, the SEC claims, Lopez, Mehr, and Burkenroad raised money through unregistered securities while falsely presenting the businesses as profitable online ventures, despite mounting financial losses.
Investigators say the group used $5.9 million of new investor funds to pay earlier investors in a Ponzi-like structure and diverted an additional $16.1 million to finance personal luxuries, including private jets, yachts, and real estate.
