Robert Swagger. Photo Credit: KTAR
If you’re a regular reader of the Arizona Progress & Gazette, you’ve seen this story before. Scottsdale, with its affluent and aging population, has become notorious as both a haven for fraudsters and a prime hunting ground for scams. This week’s case is just the latest chapter in an unfortunately familiar narrative.
Robert Swagger, a Scottsdale man, has been ordered to pay $202,000 in restitution after admitting to securities fraud in a scheme that specifically targeted Christian investors. The setup was calculated and cynical. In 2019, Swagger approached members of the Young Presidents Organization Christian Fellowship Network, a group of Christian company presidents under age 45, with what appeared to be a faith-aligned investment opportunity in a streaming company featuring family-friendly content.
Swagger founded TRS PureFlix, LLC to manage these pooled investments, soliciting a minimum of $50,000 per investor through the YPOCFN message board. Between May and June 2019, he secured $202,000 from three investors. But here’s where the scheme unraveled: over $201,000 of that money was funneled to Swagger’s second company, TRS Companies, LLC, for “management fees” that should have totaled only $2,020. The funds were used to pay personal expenses, legal fees, credit cards, and membership dues; none of it went toward purchasing the promised promissory note.
Perhaps most damning? Swagger failed to disclose to investors that his securities license had been suspended in 2011 following accusations by a former employer that he hadn’t repaid a promissory note. A securities fraudster with a history of not repaying notes was selling promissory notes. The irony is almost poetic.
This case fits seamlessly into Scottsdale’s broader fraud problem. From cryptocurrency scams that have stolen $5 million from residents to massive Medicare fraud schemes, the city has become a magnet for financial crimes. The common thread? Wealthy, trusting residents make attractive targets.
So how do you protect yourself? Start with healthy skepticism. If someone approaches you with investment opportunities through affinity groups, whether religious, social, or professional, verify their credentials independently. Check securities licenses through FINRA’s BrokerCheck. Never invest based solely on shared values or group membership; fraudsters weaponize trust.
Ask hard questions about fees, and demand transparency about where your money actually goes. If management fees seem disproportionate to the investment amount, walk away. And perhaps most importantly, remember that faith-based or values-aligned investments aren’t immune to fraud; in fact, they’re often specifically targeted because of the built-in trust factor.
Swagger has pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges and faces sentencing in February 2026. But for Scottsdale investors, the lesson is clear: in a city where fraud has become disturbingly routine, due diligence isn’t optional…it’s essential.