Scottsdale resident Christopher E. Galvin, aged 58, was convicted on a charge of wire fraud by a federal jury, according to an announcement from the United States Attorney’s Office. The three-day jury trial, presided over by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich, found Galvin guilty, setting his sentencing date for May 30, 2025.
Galvin, having founded Hypur Ventures II and appointed himself CEO in April 2019, convinced an investor to inject $100,000 into the fund under the guise of investing in the cannabis industry. Despite his promises, Galvin rerouted this capital not into businesses but into his own pockets and legal fees. This victim tending to believe in the burgeoning industry's promise, instead found himself baited into funding the lifestyle and obligations of the man he had trusted.
The prosecution's case, handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsay Short and Bruce Van Baren, underscored Galvin's failure to return any of the funds despite repeated assurances. Evidence brought forward by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Phoenix Division sketched a clear trajectory of deceit from Galvin's initial assurances to the eventual misuse of the investment.
Galvin’s downfall was precipitated as much by his greed as by his audacity to believe he could navigate the scrutiny reserved for those who offer entry into what is still an industry ensconced in legal shadows. Having wired the money, doing so in hope for a profitable return, the investor was instead strung along with promises never intended to be kept. This sham investment fund illustrates a financial frontier that still remains rife with pitfalls for the unwary.
