An indictment unsealed today in the District of Maryland charges an Arizona man with embezzling more than $2.4 million from an Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) benefit plan and related money laundering offenses.
Court documents say that James Vincent Campbell, 47, of Scottsdale, Arizona, is CEO and founder of Axim Fringe Solutions Group, LLC (Axim), a company that processes employee benefits for employees of federal contractors.
He was supposed to forward funds from employees and employees of federal contractors to insurance companies and retirement accounts. He did, but he also made 135 unauthorized withdrawals totaling over $2.4 million beyond the legitimate fees owed to Axim. He pooled these funds in a master trust account between 2015 and 2024,
Campbell spent much of the stolen funds on big game hunting trips in Alaska, Africa, and other locations; taxidermy fees; jewelry; casino gambling; and direct payments to his girlfriend.
At the time of the alleged thefts, the company was headquartered in Maryland.
Arizona CEO Indicted for Embezzling Over $2.4M from Employee Benefit Planshttps://t.co/Kbmeo9B1pN
— Criminal Division (@DOJCrimDiv) August 15, 2025
The indictment alleges Axim’s clients sent funds to the company to pay for health insurance premiums and 401(k) retirement contributions. Axim was responsible for forwarding those funds to insurance carriers and retirement accounts, charging clients a contractual fee of $40 per employee per month for its services.
The indictment charges Campbell with a single count of theft from an ERISA plan and eleven counts of money laundering.
If convicted, Campbell faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison for each count of money laundering and up to five years for theft from an ERISA plan.
Arizona CEO Indicted for Embezzling Over $2.4M from Employee Benefit Plans
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting Assistant Secretary Janet Dhillon of the Labor Department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration made the announcement.
The Employments Benefits Security Administration of the Labor Department is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Vincent Falvo and Jared Hernandez of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
The DOJ's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section leads the Department’s asset forfeiture and anti-money laundering enforcement efforts. It is comprised of seven units and associated teams. The section prosecutes complex money-laundering cases and manages the Department’s Asset Forfeiture Program, including distributing forfeited funds to victims and domestic and foreign law enforcement agencies.
More than 1,000 cases of money laundering were reported to the U.S. Sentencing Commission in fiscal year 2024. Of those, nearly 80% of those charged were men.
The top five district for money laundering cases in 2024 were
- Southern District of California (62);
- Southern District of New York (56);
- Southern District of Texas (47);
- Eastern District of Texas (45);
- District of Massachusetts (41).
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