Florida Man to Face Criminal Trial in Alleged $36M Accanito Fraud
Brent Adam Seaman, a 51-year-old Florida resident, is set to face a criminal jury trial on March 2, following allegations that he orchestrated an investment fraud scheme that defrauded victims of more than $36 million.
The trial will take place in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Seaman was indicted in November 2025 on 11 federal counts, including five counts of wire fraud, four counts of money laundering, and two counts of making a false tax return.
Previously reported by AltsWire, federal prosecutors allege that from June 2019 to November 2022, Seaman acted as an unregistered broker and raised millions from at least 60 investors – many of whom were elderly, retired, and connected to Seaman’s church – through the various unregistered securities offerings of Accanito Capital Group and Accanito Holdings. With the Ponzi scheme, Seaman made promises of guaranteed annual returns ranging from 18% to 48%.
Rather than investing in technology companies or currency trading as promised, investigators claim Seaman repaid earlier investors to keep the scheme afloat; purchased luxury items including a 2019 Ferrari 488 Spider convertible for approximately $165,000; and funded personal expenses, such as jewelry, private jet charters, and rent for a property in Naples.
Prosecutors also allege that Seaman willfully underreported his income on his 2019 and 2020 federal tax returns to further conceal the fraud.
Seaman, who has pleaded not guilty, previously faced civil charges from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2023 for the same conduct.
If convicted, Seaman faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and 10 years for each count of money laundering.
One year ago, AltsWire reported that a court-appointed receiver, Melanie E. Damian, had recovered approximately $3.8 million of the investors’ funds.
According to Damian’s status report, from Oct. 1, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2024, she recovered a total of $3,868,431.71, including funds in accounts, disgorgement payments, and the proceeds of the liquidation of physical assets. In particular, Damian recovered more than $1.9 million from Seaman and his affiliates’ banking and trading accounts. Damian also reported that she had previously recovered jewelry and a Rolex watch (purchased with investor funds for $328,409.43), and she was able to sell the watch for $15,650. Additionally, Damian stated that she had recovered a Chopard watch purchased for Seaman’s wife, Jana, with investor funds for $76,905.15.
Damian also secured the turnover of a pickup truck, two trailers, and tools from Blue Diamond Home Solutions LLC, a company 99% owned by the defendants. Damian was able to sell the truck for $18,000 and collected the balance of the sale proceeds of $2,783.94 after payment of an outstanding loan. She also entered into settlement agreements with several third parties who received investor funds.
The SEC barred Seaman in January 2024 for his role in the scheme. Additionally, the SEC brought charges against Blake Cathey, a childhood friend of Seaman’s son, in August 2023 for his role in the matter.
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