FROZEN OUT! Slaga Swindles Millions, Faces Millions in Penalties!

SEC v. Christopher Slaga a/k/a Keith Renko, Q4 Capital Group, LLC, and J4 Capital Advisors LLC — U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Litigation Release No. 26251, dated February 20, 2025.

The SEC charged Christopher Slaga and his companies, Q4 Capital Group and J4 Capital Advisors, with defrauding investors in an unregistered offering. They raised $3.5 million by falsely promising returns through private investment funds. Final judgments ordered them to pay over $3 million in disgorgement and interest, and Slaga faces a $2.8 million penalty and a ban from serving as a public company officer or director.

In Plain English

Imagine someone told you they had a secret way to make money grow really fast, like a magic money tree. They asked people to give them money to plant seeds in this magic tree. But, there was no magic tree, and they used the money to pay off earlier investors or for themselves. The government stepped in and made them pay back the money they took and banned them from doing it again.

Disclaimer: all facts are drawn from the SEC's own filings; the claims described are allegations unless and until a court rules or the parties settle, and some cases end in dismissal.

How the Alleged Scheme Worked

1. Setting up the Scheme Christopher Slaga, along with his companies Q4 Capital Group, LLC and J4 Capital Advisors LLC, created the setup for a fraudulent investment scheme. They planned to solicit money from investors for what they claimed were private investment funds.
2. Raising Funds Between 2018 and 2022, the defendants actively raised approximately $3.5 million from investors. This money was solicited through an unregistered offering, meaning they did not properly register the investment opportunities with the SEC as required by law.
3. Misrepresenting the Investment The defendants allegedly defrauded investors by making untrue statements of material fact and omitting necessary information. This likely involved misrepresenting the nature of the investments, the risks involved, and the expected returns to entice investors.
4. Operating Without Registration A key part of the alleged fraud was the unregistered offering of securities. The defendants used means of interstate commerce and the mails to sell interests in their purported private investment funds without filing a registration statement with the SEC.
5. Engaging in Fraudulent Practices The defendants are accused of employing devices, schemes, and artifices to defraud investors. This included engaging in acts and practices that operated as a fraud or deceit upon purchasers of securities, likely involving the misuse of investor funds.

The Enforcement Action

On December 23, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered final consent judgments against Christopher Slaga a/k/a Keith Renko, Q4 Capital Group, LLC, and J4 Capital Advisors LLC. The judgments resolve all claims from the SEC's August 7, 2023 complaint, which alleged an unregistered offering fraud scheme where defendants raised $3.5 million between 2018 and 2022. Slaga, Q4 Capital Group, and J4 Capital Advisors were ordered to pay, jointly and severally, disgorgement of $2,808,934.32, plus prejudgment interest of $262,495.31. Slaga was also ordered to pay a civil penalty of $2,808,934.32. They are permanently enjoined from violating antifraud and securities-registration provisions. Slaga is also permanently enjoined from serving as an officer or director of any public company, with limited exceptions for personal securities purchases and sales.

Named in this action: Christopher Slaga a/k/a Keith Renko, Q4 Capital Group, LLC, and J4 Capital Advisors LLC.

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