A Washington City man is heading to prison after orchestrating a massive investment scam that stripped hundreds of people of their savings. Matthew Shane Perkins, 47, was sentenced to 15 years behind bars following his guilty plea to wire fraud charges. The court has ordered him to pay back more than 77 million dollars in restitution to the roughly 200 investors who fell victim to his elaborate scheme.
Perkins built his facade by branding himself as a brilliant trader capable of consistently beating the market with almost no losses. Operating under Forged Oak LLC, he partnered with another firm called RentDue Capital LLC, which used social media and public meetings to recruit unsuspecting clients into three different funds. Once the money reached RentDue Capital, it was handed over to Perkins, who claimed he would grow the wealth through aggressive day trading.
In reality, much of the capital vanished through poor trades or was simply stolen by Perkins to fund a lavish lifestyle. While he told investors their portfolios were soaring, he was actually falsifying daily performance reports and altering brokerage statements to hide the truth. In one instance toward the end of his scheme in late 2025, Perkins presented documents claiming the funds held over 133 million dollars when there was actually less than 13 million remaining.
Prosecutors revealed that while his clients believed their futures were secure, Perkins was spending their money on high end luxuries. His shopping list included a new home down payment, a private cabin, several luxury vehicles, and even an airplane. He further indulged in extravagant experiences, including an eighty thousand dollar hunting trip in British Columbia, all financed by the misappropriated funds of those who trusted him with their life savings.
