Oakland County businessman charged with multi-million dollar stock fraud

FOX 2 – Robert Shumake is a man who continually reinvents himself: a businessman, an author, a spiritual leader of a church. One thing remains the same: he always seems to get himself into trouble.

Rob Wolchek has been creating Hall of Shame stories on Shumake for years

In 2017, they spoke while Shumake was in Oakland County Court.

Wochek: “Well, we’re trying to talk to Robert. Would he like to say something?”

Shumake: “For a real journalist, certainly.”

Wolchek: “Well, I’m here.”

In 2010, Wolchek did a story where Shumake literally ran away from him. We’ll look at more of the old mess Robert got himself into in a moment. First, here’s the new mess.

Robert Shumake has been charged by the FBI with allegedly masterminding a multi-million dollar fraud. The Indictment: The United States of America vs. Bobby Shumake Japhia, aka Robert Samuel Shumake.

Shumake is charged with one count of securities fraud and one count of obstruction, each charge carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

According to the press release, Shumake is accused of “defrauding investors in Minerco Inc., resulting in millions of dollars in investor losses” and “obstruction of a Securities and Exchange Commission proceeding by destroying evidence.”

The indictment alleges a pump and dump stock scheme in which Shumake allegedly sold a billion shares of Minerco stock to manipulate the price. It claims Shumake made more than $2 million from the scheme.

According to the indictment, Minerco was promoted as a company engaged in research into the drug psilocybin.

It is alleged: “Shumake hid his role at Minerco, even though he controlled all aspects of Minerco and managed its day-to-day operations.”

The complaint also cites some of Wolchek’s old Hall of Shame stories about Shumake, which show a bit of a pattern.

In 2010, Wolchek investigated a company called Mortgage Auditors of America. He interviewed more than 100 of their customers who said the company had taken their money and failed to provide them with services. Many of these victims were crying and on the verge of losing their homes.

Wolchek managed to connect Shumake to the company. His first meeting with him he ran away from Wolchek.

Subsequently, in a sit-down interview, Shumake denied wrongdoing but admitted this:

“I invested in the company, hired presidents, CEOs, chief operations officers, national sales directors, everyone to run and manage the company,” he said.

Wolchek: “So you were the boss?”

Shumake: “Uh, yeah, you could say that.”

In 2015, Michigan’s attorney general accused Shumake of that scheme. But Robert Shumake was a fugitive living in Africa who portrayed himself as a successful American businessman.

In 2017 he came home and was arrested. When he sat in the courtroom, he surrounded himself with a wall of big boys.

Wolchek: “Robert, would you like to say something? In an effort to be honest…”

The company was found guilty of several crimes and Robert pleaded guilty to two crimes. But Judge James Alexander had strong words for the defendant.

“You’re a criminal,” Alexander said. “You pleaded guilty to crimes and now you’re a criminal.”

The judge also mentioned his activities abroad.

“While you are on probation, you are not allowed to leave the United States,” the judge said. ‘I don’t want you to represent my country. You’re a criminal.’

Robert Shumake paid restitution of more than $30,000 and was sentenced to prison. Shumake is no longer on probation for this case.

He then appeared on FOX 2 calling himself “Shaman Shu,” who ran a church in Detroit that promoted the use of magic mushrooms and was raided by Detroit police in 2023. No criminal charges were filed, but the church was closed for being an unlicensed church. pharmacy.

More coverage:

Our Brandon Hudson interviewed ‘Shu’ several times.

“I’m completely baffled,” Shumake said at the time. “It’s a real ‘Matrix’ moment right now. To actually do everything I needed to do, to legalize, to decriminalize, to put systems together so that people can get healing.”

Which brings us to the present: the shaman is now “tripping the law” with a federal fraud case that could send him to prison for a long time.

Wolchek contacted Robert Shumake via text message Thursday afternoon and he responded, “Wolchek, great to hear from you. I will send you a statement in the morning.”