BOTS PROMISED, BUT PERSONAL SPENDING PAID! MILLIONS FLEECED!

SEC v. Calvin Guess, Marcus Ligon, 5 Fruits Enterprises LLC — U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Litigation Release No. 26390, dated September 5, 2025.

The SEC charged Las Vegas residents Calvin Guess and Marcus Ligon, along with their company 5 Fruits Enterprises LLC, for defrauding investors. They allegedly raised over $4.7 million by falsely claiming to use automated trading "bots" for high returns. In reality, they misappropriated funds for personal expenses and made Ponzi-like payments.

In Plain English

Imagine someone told you they had a super-fast robot that could make your money grow really quickly by trading stocks. They promised amazing profits. But instead of using the robot, they took most of the money you gave them to buy things for themselves and used some of it to pay off other people who had given them money earlier. The government stepped in because this wasn't a real investment plan.

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. The Pitch: Automated Trading Bots From 2021 through 2023, Calvin Guess and Marcus Ligon, through their company 5 Fruits Enterprises LLC, solicited investments by claiming they would use automated "bots" to trade securities and execute options trading algorithms.
2. Promises of High Returns Investors were promised 'incredible returns' on their investments, with assurances that their money would be profitably invested using this supposed advanced technology.
3. Fabricated Performance To bolster their claims and deceive investors, Guess and Ligon directed the creation and distribution of fake account statements, making it appear as though the invested funds were growing significantly.
4. Actual Use of Funds Contrary to their promises, the SEC's complaint alleges that Guess and Ligon did not use automated trading bots. Instead, they misappropriated most of the investor money for their personal expenses.
5. Ponzi-Like Payments Approximately $1 million of the investor funds were used to make Ponzi-like payments to other investors, a common tactic to sustain the illusion of a legitimate and profitable operation.
6. Total Funds Raised Through this fraudulent scheme, Guess, Ligon, and 5 Fruits Enterprises LLC raised over $4.7 million from more than 140 investors across the country.

The Enforcement Action

The SEC charged Las Vegas residents Calvin Guess and Marcus Ligon, along with their company 5 Fruits Enterprises LLC, with a scheme to defraud investors through false claims about their use of automated "bots" in trading securities. The SEC's complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, alleged that from 2021 through 2023, Guess, Ligon, and 5 Fruits raised over $4.7 million from more than 140 investors by claiming they would profitably invest their money using automated trading bots. The SEC alleged that Guess and Ligon misappropriated most of the money for personal expenses and used about $1 million of investor funds for Ponzi-like payments. The SEC charged Guess, Ligon, and 5 Fruits with violating Sections 5(a), 5(c), and 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5. Without admitting or denying the allegations, Guess, Ligon, and 5 Fruits consented to a final judgment, subject to court approval, permanently enjoining them from violating the charged provisions. The judgment would hold them jointly and severally liable for $1,156,166.13 in disgorgement plus $253,048.11 in prejudgment interest. Guess and Ligon would each pay a $236,451 civil penalty, and 5 Fruits would pay a $1,182,251 civil penalty. Guess would also pay an additional $839,272.95 in disgorgement plus $161,148.29 in prejudgment interest, and Ligon would pay an additional $1,035,527.11 in disgorgement plus $198,081.95 in prejudgment interest. A conduct-based injunction would prohibit Guess and Ligon from participating in securities offerings and accepting investor funds.

Named in this action: Calvin Guess, Marcus Ligon, 5 Fruits Enterprises LLC.

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