$18 Million Real Estate Investment Fraud Scheme Exposed

Oregon real estate investment company owner Robert D. Christensen has pleaded guilty to his role in an $18 million wire fraud and money laundering scheme, joining his business partner and co-owner Anthony M. Matic, who pleaded guilty in March 2025. The duo, owners of a real estate investment company, convinced individual investors to fund the purchase and renovation of undervalued residential properties, promising high returns within short periods. The pair's scheme failed to generate expected returns, leading to the use of new investments to repay earlier investors and later, the submission of false loan applications to commercial lenders.

Key Takeaways:

• Robert D. Christensen, 55, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, joining business partner Anthony M. Matic, 55, who pleaded guilty in March 2025.
• The scheme involved convincing individual investors to fund property purchases and renovations, promising 8-15% interest and a large lump sum payout within 30-90 days.
• Christensen and Matic used new investments to repay earlier investors, and later, submitted false loan applications to commercial lenders to receive millions of dollars.
• The total loss from the scheme was over $18 million, with more than $11 million lost by individual investors and over $7 million lost by commercial lenders.
• Christensen and Matic face up to 20 years in federal prison and three years' supervised release for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and up to 10 years in federal prison and three years' supervised release for money laundering.
• The pair will be sentenced on October 14, 2025.

Statistics:

• $18 million: Total loss from the wire fraud and money laundering scheme.
• $11 million: Loss suffered by individual investors.
• $7 million: Loss suffered by commercial lenders.
• 8-15%: Interest promised by Christensen and Matic to individual investors.
• 30-90 days: Timeframe promised by Christensen and Matic for returns to investors.
• 55: Age of Robert D. Christensen at the time of pleading guilty.
• 55: Age of Anthony M. Matic at the time of pleading guilty.

Sources:

• U.S. FBI
• MIL-OSI PORTLAND, Ore.--