Statesboro Resident Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud in Connection with Commodities Futures Scheme

STATESBORO, GA—JOSEPH L. AUTRY, 43, of Statesboro, Georgia, pled guilty yesterday before United States Senior District Judge B. Avant Edenfield in connection with a commodities futures scheme that he ran from at May 2008 to January 2010.

U.S. Attorney Edward J. Tarver stated, “Investment frauds will be vigorously pursued and prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office and our law enforcement partners with the FBI and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).”

According to the evidence presented during the guilty plea hearing, Autry was the owner of Autry Capital Management LLC f/k/a Joey Autry LLC (ACM), a company which he operated out of his home and which supposedly specialized in trading commodity futures contracts. Autry solicited and received approximately $265,000 from numerous investors in Georgia to trade commodity futures contracts. Instead of investing the money as promised, Autry used customer funds to pay his personal debt and expenses and also to pay supposed returns to investors using the investors own funds or the funds of other investors.

Autry pled guilty to a single count of wire fraud and now faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Autry remains on bond pending his sentencing hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

U.S. Attorney Tarver recognized the cooperative efforts of the CFTC and FBI in bringing this criminal activity to light. He praised particularly the efforts of CFTC staff member Linda Peng and FBI Special Agent Marcus Kirkland.

Assistant United States Attorney Natalie Lee is prosecuting the case. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.