Robert William Shafer has settled Blueprint to Wealth fraud charges with the FTC.

As part of his filed August 2nd settlement, Shafer will be held jointly liable for $7.5 million.

Other conditions imposed on Shafer include:

  • a ban on participating in “money-making methods” (defined as “not generally available to the
    public, and will generate income for users or prospective purchasers”);
  • a ban on the sale of investment opportunities;
  • a ban on telemarketing; and
  • prohibition on making misrepresentations and unsubstantiated claims

To satisfy his $7.5 million jointly liable monetary judgment, Shafer will turn over

  • $10,000 held in escrow;
  • all funds held in Bank of America accounts in the names of Robert W. Shafer d/b/a Shafer MM&I, Robert W. Shafer and Janice M Shafer and Robert W. Shafer and Rene A. Shafer;
  • all funds held in an Ever $ Green Federal Credit Union account in the name of Robert W. Shafer; and
  • all funds held in an ESL Federal Credit Union account held in the name of Robert William Shafer

The remainder of Shafer’s $7.5 million judgment is suspended.

The FTC’s agreement to the suspension of part of the judgment against Mr. Shafer is expressly premised upon the truthfulness, accuracy, and completeness of Mr. Shafer’s sworn financial statement and related documents submitted to the FTC.

Pending court approval of Shafer’s FTC settlement, he will also be subject to fifteen years of compliance reporting.

The FTC filed suit against Shafer, Samuel James Smith and Charles Joseph Garis Jr. in December 2023. Shafer, Smith and Garis Jr. are alleged to have been behind

a sprawling business opportunity scheme that has taken in millions of dollars from consumers with bogus promises of huge returns.

The scam went by a few names, of which “Blueprint to Wealth” was cited by the FTC. BehindMLM came across the scam in 2022 via Shafer’s promotional efforts.

Samuel James Smith settled with the FTC in June 2024. This leaves Charges Garis Jr. as the sole remaining defendant.

Given Garis Jr.’s two accomplices have already settled, and said settlements contain full cooperation provisions, it seems unlikely Garis Jr. will take the FTC’s case to trial.

 

Update 7th September 2024 – The court approved Robert Shafer’s Blueprint to Wealth settlement via an August 7th court order.

 

Update 18th September 2024 – Charles Garis Jr. settled with the FTC for $567,313 on September 13th, 2024.