FRESNO – A Fresno man has been set to pay the price of a multi-million dollar real estate scheme.
On Aug. 24, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of California announced that Matthew Campbell, 43, of Fresno, was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison for defrauding investors in a $9 million Ponzi scheme. Campbell pleaded guilty on Feb. 9 before U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston., and a restitution hearing is scheduled for Oct. 22.
“Mr. Campbell took advantage of the hard-earned savings of innocent people who were trying to secure their financial futures,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant in a press release. “By masking a fraudulent Ponzi scheme as a legitimate real estate opportunity, he violated federal law and exploited the trust of dozens of investors. This sentence reflects our office’s unwavering commitment to seeking justice for the American People and holding accountable those who seek to do them harm.”
According to court documents, Campbell operated two real estate companies since 2012, Preferred Property LLC and Ampez Rehab Investments LLC, which he used to buy, sell, build and renovate properties in addition to soliciting investor money to fund his operations.
Beginning in 2018, Campbell began using his companies to conduct a Ponzi scheme, where he knowingly made false representations about his company’s finances, return on investment and distributions to attract new investors. Campbell used funds from new investors to pay returns to earlier investors.
According to the press release, Campbell obtained new investors by promising “unrealistically high” returns, and between January 2018 and October 2025, he obtained more than $9.1 million from more than 40 investors which he used in unauthorized ways. At least $2,293,000 of new investor funds were used to pay older investors and continue the scheme.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody Chapple and Arelis Clemente.
“Today’s sentence ensures Matthew Campbell will pay a price for his crimes, but it cannot erase the breach of trust and financial devastation families and retirees who placed their confidence in Campbell suffered,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Brian Tosh in a press release. “Each investor believed Campbell’s claim that his legitimate real estate business could offer guaranteed returns, not knowing those promises were impossible to fulfill.”
