David Joseph Bunevacz

What the public record shows

David Joseph Bunevacz, 53, of Calabasas, California — a former UCLA decathlete who also competed for the Philippines’ national team — was sentenced to 210 months (17.5 years) in federal prison, with $35,267,851 in restitution, for raising more than $45 million from investors on false promises to finance cannabis vape-pen manufacturing businesses. This is a criminal conviction — not an allegation.

The scheme

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California:

• Bunevacz told investors he had a longstanding relationship with a Chinese manufacturer of disposable vape pens, and that their money would fund that manufacturing pipeline.
• He backed those claims with forged bank statements, invoices, and purchase orders fabricated to make the businesses look successful and the manufacturing relationship real.
• Instead of financing any real operation, Bunevacz misappropriated the vast majority of investor funds for his own lifestyle — a luxury home in Calabasas, Las Vegas trips, jewelry, designer handbags, a lavish birthday party for his daughter, and horses.

Why we rate this 1 / 10 — Avoid

A 17.5-year sentence and a multimillion-dollar restitution order for a scheme built entirely on fabricated paperwork supporting a claimed supplier relationship — the manufacturing deal that anchored the whole pitch never actually existed.

Red flags this case teaches

• A claimed “exclusive manufacturer relationship” is a specific, checkable fact — verify it directly with the named supplier, in writing, not through documents the promoter hands you.
• Bank statements, invoices, and purchase orders provided by the promoter are not independent proof of anything — they’re exactly what a fraudster forges first, because they’re what investors ask to see.
• Personal lifestyle spending funded by “business” capital — homes, jewelry, luxury travel — is a pattern that shows up in nearly every case on this site.

Bottom line

Convicted and sentenced to 17.5 years. Any document a promoter hands you as proof is only as good as an independent party confirming it — verify supplier and manufacturing relationships directly, never through paperwork the fundraiser controls.

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