Lee's Summit man pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to defrauding victims

Elise Amendola/AP

FILE - In this June 15, 2018 file photo, twenty dollar bills are counted in North Andover, Mass. Amid the pandemic-fueled recession, your job description and responsibilities may have changed. Whether you’ve taken on more tasks after employees were laid off or your household income has taken a hit, there are plenty of reasons to negotiate your salary even in tough times. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

By: Steve Kaut

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 29-year-old Lee's Summit man pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri, for running an illegal Ponzi scheme that took millions of dollars from duped investors.

Trevor Uhls pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

WATCH | KSHB 41's Braden Bates went in-depth earlier this year on the charges against Uhls. You can watch his report in the video player below.

IN-DEPTH: Lee's Summit 29-year-old investigated in $2.1M Ponzi scheme

Investigators discovered Uhls "used most of the victim investment deposits to engage in sports betting, cryptocurrency exchange transactions, jewelry purchases and credit card payments,” according to a court document.

He made credit card payments of more than $800,000 between September 2024 and December 2025. He also spent more than $600,000 on sports bets during that time.

Even after the investigators began working their case and searched his house, he talked to a victim and tried to get a $40,000 investment, a court documents states.

Uhls could face up to 20 years in federal prison without parole for the wire fraud charge, up to three years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, according to a news release from the United States Attorney's Office in Kansas City,

The money laundering scheme could result in a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole, three years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

—

If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.

Actions

Lee's Summit man pleads guilty to federal charges in financial fraud scheme

Click Here for Latest Forecast, Radar & More