LOS ANGELES (KNX) — Three men are facing federal charges for running what the U.S. Justice Department has described as two fraudulent political action committees in 2016 and 2017. Together they allegedly collected $3.5 million from donors — much of which was spent on personal enrichment, prosecutors said.
Matthew Nelson Tunstall, 34, of Los Angeles; Robert Reyes, Jr., 38, of San Benito County; and Kyle George Davies, 29, of Texas, stand accused of soliciting contributions to Liberty Action Group PAC and Progressive Priorities PAC "under the guise that the PACS were affiliated with or meaningfully supporting specified candidates for public office," a statement released by the Justice Department last week said.
Tunstall and Reyes have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission, multiple counts of wire fraud, and multiple counts of money laundering. Davies has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and making false statements to the FEC, along with counts of wire fraud.
Tunstall has long been the subject of public scrutiny in his field. An investigation undertaken by CNN last year revealed he marketed himself as a social media influencer under the name of "Matte Nox." To more than 24,000 Instagram followers, he showcased a lavish lifestyle, replete with luxury cars, high-end clothing and jewelry.
CNN also found that PACs founded and run by Tunstall in 2018 and 2019 raised millions of dollars through robocolls that reportedly impersonated former President Donald Trump, but also paid the influencer at least $738,000 out of those funds.
According to online records, Tunstall presented himself as somewhat of a renaissance man. Several LinkedIn profiles and an Instagram account belonging to the fundraising influencer suggested he has, at various points, claimed to be an "executive producer," "award-winning writer," angel investor, and director of a purported modeling agency.
"Award-winning producer and artist[,] Matte Nox is creating game-changing proucts and disrupting industries by focusing investment initiatives on diverse and women-led ventures," one profile stated.
KNX 1070 could not identify any records of executive producing or writing credits to Tunstall.
If convicted on all counts, Tunstall and Reyes will face maximum sentences of 125 years in prison each. Davies will face 65 years.
Tunstall made his initial appearance in L.A. federal court on Nov. 9.
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