United States Attorney Karen P. Hewitt announced that Cameron Campbell, formerly an attorney based in La Jolla, California, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in San Diego by the Honorable Barry Ted Moskowitz to serve 63 months in federal custody, based on Campbell’s convictions for conspiracy and wire fraud. In addition to the custodial sentence, Judge Moskowitz ordered that Campbell serve a three-year term of supervised release following his release from prison and pay over $4.5 million in restitution to the victims in the case.

According to Assistant United States Attorneys William Cole and John Owens, who prosecuted the case, many victims believed they could trust Campbell because he was an attorney. More than 90 victims lost a total of over $4.5 million in the scheme. Many investors were retirees who invested, and lost, retirement savings. Following his guilty plea in this case, Campbell resigned from the State Bar of California and is no longer licensed to practice law.

According to court records, Campbell and his coconspirators, Joseph Wayne McCool and Donald John Manning, were charged with operating "The Brixon Group Ltd." (“Brixon”), a company which fraudulently solicited millions of dollars from members of the public, supposedly for participation in high-yield investment programs. Campbell and his coconspirators allegedly induced people to invest in Brixon by falsely representing that the investments would generate returns of 10 percent per month, that the State Bar of California insured the investors’ principal, and that McCool was a banking expert who, prior to working with Brixon, had successfully managed a large private trust in Europe.

Both the United States Attorney's Office and the FBI acknowledged the assistance of the Arizona Corporation Commission in the investigation.

Campbell’s co-defendant, Donald Manning, was apprehended in Nicaragua in late February 2008. 

Law enforcement continues to seek the public's assistance in locating Joseph Wayne McCool, whose whereabouts are currently unknown.

DEFENDANT Case No. 06-CR-1021-BTM
Cameron Campbell

SUMMARY OF CHARGES
One Count -- Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 - Conspiracy to Commit Offenses Against the U.S. One Count -- Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343 - Wire Fraud

PARTICIPATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Arizona Corporation Commission