"California Man's $8.7M Cow Manure Ponzi Scheme Lands Him 6+ Years in Prison"

Ray Brewer, a man from California, has been sentenced to over six years in prison for running a Ponzi scheme where he claimed to convert cow manure into green energy. Brewer stole over $8.7 million from investors by convincing them to invest in anaerobic digesters that would create methane from biodegradable material on dairies in California and Idaho. He provided forged lease agreements, bank documents, and contracts with multinational companies to deceive investors. Brewer used the stolen money to make personal purchases and attempted to evade arrest by assuming a new identity.