Former Fil-Am actor sentenced to 17½ years in prison in US


Former Fil-Am actor and Philippine team decathlete David Bunevacz was sentenced to jail for 210 months or more than 17 years in federal prison by a California court on Monday, Nov. 21.

Bunevacz, 53, of Calabasas, California, pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud on July 18, according to a release by the US Attorney’s Office Central District of California.

He had been in federal custody since his arrest on April 5.

Bunevacz was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who also ordered him to pay $35,267,851 in restitution for scamming investors in business entities he put up such as CB Holding Group Corp. and Caesarbrutus LLC.

Bunevacz claimed that these business entities were involved in the cannabis industry and the sale of vape pens containing cannabis products such as CBD oil and THC.

Fischer added that Bunevacz had “preyed on individuals who believed he was their friend” and that the “seriousness of conduct cannot be captured in mere dollars and cents.”

He added Bunevacz even continued with his scheme while serving probation for a state court conviction.

“Not even a criminal conviction and the threat of jail convinced to become a law-abiding citizen,” Fischer said.

According to the court document, Bunevacz raised approximately $45,227,266 from more than 100 victim-investors.

It also stated that Bunevacz told at least one investor that he had a Chinese manufacturer of disposable vape pens and had obtained “raw pesticide-free oil” that was sent to a “lab that infuses the flavors into the oil with our proprietary custom process that renders the vape flavoring smooth and discreet.”

Bunevacz also provided investors with forged documents such as bank statements, invoices, and purchase orders to support his claims of the businesses’ success and the need for investor funds.

“To create the false appearance that his companies were engaged in legitimate business activities, Bunevacz registered various shell companies, including several with names similar or identical to those of legitimate cannabis businesses,” court documents showed.

Prosecutors added Bunevacz used these funds to provide for his lavish lifestyle including a Calabasas property, Las Vegas trips, jewelry, designer handbags, a lavish birthday party for his daughter, and horses.

“The sense of violation, the assault on personal dignity, and the lasting trauma has caused are very much reminiscent of the harm typically associated with violent crimes,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum.

“And, with well over a hundred victims, caused these harms at a scale rarely seen,” they added.