It’s Tough Being Green… And Charged With Fraud

mantria

Mantria Corporation is a “diversified and progressive business enterprise that seeks out emerging sectors with a passionate focus on sustainability and the commercialization of socially responsible products and services.” At least that’s what their website says.

The SEC says: “In reality, the only green these promoters seemed interested in was investors’ money.”

According to the latest SEC press release, green is the new fraud. The feds charged Wayde and Donna McKelvy and Mantria Corporation with defrauding investors to invest in green initiatives like a supposed “carbon negative” housing community in rural Tennessee and a “biochar” charcoal substitute made from organic waste.

The SEC alleges that the “green” representations were laced with bogus claims, and investors were falsely promised enormous returns on their investments ranging from 17 percent to “hundreds of percent” annually. In fact, Mantria’s environmental initiatives have not generated any significant cash, and any returns paid to investors have been funded almost exclusively from other investors’ contributions.

The SEC also charged Troy Wragg and Amanda Knorr along with a related company called Speed of Wealth. According to the website: “Speed of Wealth and Mantria have joined forces once again to save the environment while helping middle America secure its financial future!”

For me, I scratch my head wondering why they have all the symbols for a half dozen Chamber of Commerce sites on their webpage. I found it really odd that these included the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

I suppose slapping some labels on the webpage is supposed to add some credibility. Of those sites, only the Sequatchie County-Dunlap Chamber of Commerce lists them as members.

Mantria also state that they are an “Accredited Business” with the Better Business Bureau. It says so on their home page. When I searched the Better Business Bureau site (DC Eastern PA) for Mantria it still had them listed as an accredited business and gives them a rating of “A-. ” BB Accreditation only means that Mantria hass made a commitment to make a good faith effort to resolve any consumer complaints and paid a fee for accreditation, review and monitoring.

I also checked out the Speed of Wealth on the Denver Better Business Bureau. They have them listed as an “Accredited Business” with a rating of “A.”

Of course, none of the SEC claims have yet been proven. I wonder the Better Business Bureau monitors SEC claims?

SEC Press Release: SEC Charges Promoters of “Green” Investments With Operating $30 Million Ponzi Scheme Based in Denver Area

Author: Doug Cornelius

You can find out more about Doug on the About Doug page

5 thoughts on “It’s Tough Being Green… And Charged With Fraud”

    1. Yes you are correct, they went to Hawaii and took the technology from the real creator and inventor and drove him out of business. This was not the firs time they have done such a thing either. Let the real truth come out that they should be in jail.

  1. These are the worst of criminals the ones that try to act like your friends while they are robbing you blind. Wayde and Donna are still trying to act innocent. Ask all four of them how much luxury they have enjoyed and what was the amount of BioChar that was sold? I hope they all go to jail and that the world remember their names.

  2. Here in Greeley, when people ask, “What’s that Smell?”
    We all say , “Its the Smell of Money..”

    Apparently, the wise and compassionate honourable Judge Arguello agrees with the SEC…..

    Mantria’s GREED and the smell of money was the pile of BS they were interested in……….

    Manure_King
    Where Manure Methane is the Wave of the Future (NO NO we dont want your money!)

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.