A 49-year-old Calgary man faces fraud and money laundering charges in connection with an alleged $164-million Ponzi scheme that impacted more than 1,000 investors.
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The RCMP’s integrated market enforcement team (IMET) arrested Craig Michael Thompson on July 31 following a complex investigation into his company, Black Box Management Corp.
Police allege that between March 2020 and April 2024, Thompson represented himself as a one-man investment firm, taking funds from investors under the premise of day trading. Investors received weekly email updates detailing account growth; however, investigators allege those reports were plagiarized from online sources.
According to police, out of $164 million collected, more than $163 million was transferred to external accounts, including Thompson’s personal trading account and a U.S.-based company. Authorities noted Thompson was also linked to Intelsense Investment Corp., Invader Management Ltd., and Attebyte Investment Corp.
Thompson has been charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000 and one count of laundering proceeds of crime. He is scheduled to appear in the Alberta Court of Justice in Calgary on Sept. 3.
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