Fraudster Posed as Boss of Dead Swedish Firm, Stole Millions!

SEC v. Charles T. Lawrence, Jr., Landes Prive, LLC — U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Litigation Release No. 26492, dated February 25, 2026.

Charles T. Lawrence, Jr. was charged by the SEC for orchestrating a multi-million dollar offering fraud. He falsely claimed to be managing director of a defunct Swedish entity and promised investors extremely high weekly returns with no risk. Lawrence misappropriated at least $4.89 million of investor funds for personal use, leading to a final consent judgment against him.

In Plain English

Imagine someone told you they had a secret way to make your money grow super fast, like 25% to 100% every week, and that your money would be totally safe. This person, Charles Lawrence, told people he was in charge of a company that didn't even exist anymore. He took millions of dollars from people who believed him, but instead of investing it, he spent it on himself. The SEC stepped in to stop him and get some money back for the people he tricked.

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. False Identity and Defunct Company Charles T. Lawrence, Jr. falsely represented himself as the managing director of a Swedish entity named Landes and Compagnie Trust Privé KB. This entity was actually defunct by at least February 2022, the time he began his fraudulent activities.
2. Unrealistic Return Promises Lawrence lured investors by falsely promising that the investment contracts he offered were expected to provide weekly returns of an astonishing 25% to 100%. He also assured them that their invested funds would not be at risk.
3. Directing Funds to Controlled Account To facilitate the fraud, Lawrence instructed investors to send their money directly to a bank account. This account was in the name of Landes Prive, LLC, an entity that he himself controlled.
4. Misappropriation of Investor Funds Once the investor funds arrived in the Landes Prive, LLC account, Lawrence proceeded to misappropriate at least $4.89 million. He used these funds for his own personal purchases, diverting them from any legitimate investment purpose.
5. Further Diversion to Relief Defendants In addition to his personal spending, Lawrence also allegedly sent more than $689,000 of the investor funds to five relief defendants. The SEC had previously obtained final judgments against each of these relief defendants.

The Enforcement Action

On February 23, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin entered a final judgment by consent against Charles T. Lawrence, Jr. The judgment permanently enjoins him from violating securities laws and orders him liable, jointly and severally with relief defendant Landes Prive, for disgorgement of $3,588,713 plus prejudgment interest of $402,534, totaling $3,991,247. This amount is deemed satisfied by the restitution ordered in the parallel criminal case. The final judgment completes the SEC's litigation in this matter.

Named in this action: Charles T. Lawrence, Jr., Landes Prive, LLC.

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