The Houston ACFE invites you to join us for our Monthly IN PERSON luncheon!
This will be the first of one hour of Ethics offered this month. More to follow in our virtual presentation, March 22.
Speaker: Chris Bentley
Title: A Fraudster Speaks: "Burning Bellatorum: A 40 million dollar fraud and its lessons"*
Description: Bellatorum Resources was a veteran-owned and operated investment firm specializing in mineral rights/oil and gas royalty acquisitions. Founded in 2016 by Chris Bentley with a little over $40K in savings, Bellatorum Resources grew to 21 employees (all US military veterans) and nearly $40MM in assets under management at its height. Bellatorum started as a legitimate business and experienced real success & rapid growth by building an impressive track record based on legitimate above market returns during its first few years. After experiencing industry related and internal operational challenges, Mr. Bentley started committing fraud in 2019 to cover up the true state of the company with and to attract more capital that he believed could help right the ship. Chris’s fraudulent activities spiraled out of control during the COVID 19 Pandemic, ultimately resulting in Chris laying off his entire team, notifying his investors, and turning himself in to the federal authorities. Chris believes that the details of the Bellatorum story can help investors and entrepreneurs avoid capital losses and prevent fraud.
By speaking at this Houston ACFE event, Chris hopes to give back to the community and begin to make amends for his actions.
Bio: Mr. Bentley is the Founder & CEO of Bellatorum Resources, an investment company that specialized in the acquisition and management of oil and gas royalties before shutting its doors in April of 2021 when Chris turned himself in for committing fraud. Before launching Bellatorum, Chris worked as a landman/right of way agent for a small oil and gas land services firm. Prior to entering the private sector, Chris served over 14 years in the United States Marine Corps, serving multiple combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan reaching the rank of Gunnery Sergeant (E-7) before being medically discharged for multiple injuries sustained during his years of service. Chris earned his undergraduate degree, as well as a Masters in Leadership from Norwich University - The Military College of Vermont. Additionally, he holds an MBA from Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business. Chris is actively involved in supporting many local charities, including initiatives that support veterans and Christian ministries. He now works as the General Manager of a nonprofit thrift store to support his family while awaiting official charges and sentencing from the FBI and Department of Justice.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify the motives for fraudulent behavior
- Understand how fraud and embezzlement occur
- Learn how persons can self report financial fraud and work with law enforcement
Agenda:
11:30 am: Lunch
11:50 am: Houston ACFE Board Remarks
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm - Presentation
Recommended CPE hours: 1.0 credits.
Event Policies
Program Cancellation Policy
If you have registered and/or paid for an event and you need to cancel, you MUST cancel online through your account no later than 5 days prior to the event, unless otherwise indicated in specific event policies, to request a refund and/or cancel your registration. The Chapter must confirm event registrations with the venue prior to the event and any changes after this time period can become a financial cost to the Chapter. The Chapter reserves the right to make the final determination on what percentage charge/refund will be returned for cancellations made after the cutoff. The default condition is that cancellations made after cutoff will be charged at 100% and/or no refunds will be allowed. In the event the Chapter determines that partial charges or refunds will be allowed, they will be made on a case by case basis.
In the event of having to cancel one of the events, the Chapter would immediately send an email blast to all registrants with the emails they used for registration. The Chapter media relations officer would post on all social media platforms notifying members of the cancellation, and the Chapter webmaster would also post cancellation on the Chapter website.
In the event an attendee does not show up to the event, the registration cost will be forfeited. If payment at the door was the selected method, then the attendee will be billed for the full cost of the event. The Chapter reserves the right to bar future registrations for any attendees who routinely register and fail to pay and/or attend the event. If you have any questions you may email events@houstonacfe.org."
For more information regarding refund, complaint and/or program cancellation policies, please visit the Terms & Conditions section of the website, or email us at events@houstonacfe.org.
Additional Information:
Delivery Method: Group Live
Prerequisites: Not Applicable
Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge, Ethics*
Who Should Attend: Anti-fraud professionals, Auditors, Accountants, Attorneys, Investigators, Law Enforcement, Educators, Students
Advanced Preparation: None
Program Level: Basic
NASBA Sponsor No. 125230
The Houston Area Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its web site: www.nasbaregistry.org
For concerns regarding course offerings, certifications or complaints, please contact: Gabriella Marshall, Training Director at the Houston ACFE.
