FOREX FRAUDSTER SWINDLES MILLIONS, PAYS INVESTORS WITH MORE INVESTOR CASH!

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Litigation Release No. 26539, dated April 24, 2026.

John Fernandez and his companies, Avail Progression and Elite Generators, defrauded investors by promising guaranteed returns through forex trading. Instead, Fernandez used the majority of the funds for Ponzi payments and personal expenses. The SEC obtained a final judgment against them, ordering disgorgement, interest, and civil penalties.

In Plain English

Imagine someone promises to grow your money by trading in a special market. They say they'll give you a guaranteed profit every month. But instead of trading your money, they use it to pay off earlier investors and for their own spending. That's what happened here, and now the government has stepped in to stop it and get some money back for the people who were 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. Promised Guaranteed Forex Profits Between February 2017 and October 2021, John Fernandez, through Avail Progression, LLC and Elite Generators, Inc., promised investors guaranteed returns by trading their money in the forex markets.
  2. Raised Over $4.3 Million Fernandez and his companies raised more than $4.3 million from about 175 investors. Avail Progression raised $1.5 million through 'promissory notes,' and Elite Generators raised an additional $2.8 million through 'investment contracts.'
  3. Touted Trading Expertise To attract investors, Fernandez touted his 'superior trading abilities and highly specialized skill set,' assuring them they would receive 'guaranteed interest every month.'
  4. Misrepresented Fund Usage Instead of trading investor funds in the forex markets as promised, Fernandez deposited only about $281,000 into a Coinbase account, which was used for crypto, not forex, and conducted minimal trading.
  5. Used Funds for Ponzi Payments The majority of the investor funds were used to make Ponzi payments to earlier investors, a hallmark of fraudulent schemes where new money pays off old debts.
  6. Used Funds for Personal Expenses Fernandez also used at least $290,000 of investor funds for his own personal expenses, diverting money meant for investment and promised returns.
  7. Sold Unregistered Securities In addition to the fraud, the defendants violated securities laws by selling unregistered securities, including the 'promissory notes' from Avail Progression and 'investment contracts' from Elite Generators.

The Enforcement Action

On April 14, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas entered a final judgment against John Fernandez, Avail Progression, LLC, and Elite Generators, LLC. The judgment permanently enjoins the defendants from violating federal securities laws, bars Fernandez from issuing or selling securities (except for his own accounts), and prohibits him from serving as an officer or director of a public company. The defendants are ordered to pay disgorgement of $5,002,383.00 and prejudgment interest of $1,626,707.93 on a joint and several basis. Fernandez is also ordered to pay a civil penalty of $472,902.00.