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Cincinnati man charged with defrauding investors out of over $6 million

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Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Cincinnati man charged with defrauding investors out of over $6 million

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U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker | U.S. Department of Justice

A Cincinnati man has been indicted on charges of defrauding victims of more than $6.5 million through an online laundry and dry-cleaning business. Benjamin Cantey, 41, was charged in a six-count indictment unsealed recently.

The indictment states that Cantey started Carbon IQ Inc., operating as Rumby, in 2019 as a Delaware corporation based in Cincinnati. Rumby was presented as a venture-backed startup offering an e-commerce platform for laundry services. Cantey, as the founder and CEO, sought investment funds.

Between 2020 and 2022, Cantey allegedly misled investors by exaggerating his business experience and success. He reportedly provided false information about Rumby's financial status, including revenue and bank balances. For instance, he claimed the company had a $1.5 million bank balance in May 2022 when it was actually negative $53,000.

Cantey is accused of using $850,000 of investor funds to help purchase a home valued at $1.7 million in Cincinnati.

The charges against Cantey include four counts of wire fraud and two counts related to monetary transactions from unlawful activities.

Kenneth L. Parker, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI's Cincinnati Division; announced the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew C. Singer is handling the case for the government.

It is important to note that an indictment contains allegations and defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty in court.

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