Gym owner accused of defrauding investors on military contracts to fund his lavish lifestyle of race cars and travel

An Arizona gym owner with a taste for exotic supercars posed as a high-flying arms dealer holding juicy foreign military contracts, allegedly fleecing investors who loaned him more than $10 million to manufacture a proprietary weapons system that never actually existed.

Instead, Brandon Aaron Kreutz, who placed fifth or better in a half-dozen McLaren Trophy America Pro-Am championship events last year, as well as a first-place finish in the Papaya Cup, spent the money on a race car, membership in a racing club, a million-dollar home, luxury travel, an extensive gun collection and “dozens” of luxury vehicles, according to an FBI affidavit unsealed Tuesday.

The affidavit, which is attached to a criminal complaint filed in Tucson federal court and reviewed by The Independent, says Kreutz, 40, also “concealed some of the victims’ funds in health-and-wellness business ventures and bank accounts owned by close associates,” resulting in dual wire fraud and money laundering charges.

Kreutz was arrested Wednesday and released the next day on a personal recognizance bond. He was called out several years ago by a veteran’s group for purportedly impersonating a Navy SEAL, and went by at least two aliases, including Brandon Aaron Moushey and Brandon Moushey-Kreutz.

Calls on Thursday to Kreutz’s cell phone went straight to voicemail.

Attorney Ryan Moore, a public defender assigned to represent Kreutz at his initial court appearance on Wednesday, did not respond to a request for comment.

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In 2025, Kreutz – who maintains a relatively thin online presence – was featured on the Instagram page of a McLaren dealership in Scottsdale, introducing him as one of two drivers competing on behalf of the supercar manufacturer.

“With a background deeply rooted in motorsports and a relentless drive for improvement, Brandon brings skill, dedication, and a passion for competition to the team,” the post read. “... For Brandon, McLaren represents the ultimate driver’s car – raw, violent, and built for pure performance. That visceral connection to the machine fuels his excitement for competing in the McLaren Trophy Series and pushing the limits of both car and driver.”

Kreutz competed as a so-called “privateer,” meaning he self-financed his track outings, rather than being officially sponsored. He was additionally affiliated with Flying Lizard Motorsports, a California-based team that offers a “customer racing program” for deep-pocketed enthusiasts. A McLaren 620R, a “street-legal track car” which Kreutz used to compete, can cost upward of $300,000.

Neither organization is accused of any wrongdoing, and neither responded to requests for comment on Kreutz’s arrest.

Beginning in 2023, Kreutz, who held himself out as the owner of various companies in the firearms and fitness industries, embarked on a “scheme to obtain loans from Victims J, C.G., and P through the presentation of fraudulent pretenses and statements,” according to the FBI affidavit in his case.

“Kreutz falsely presented himself as a former subcontractor of the United States Government, the holder of a patent-pending firearms device… with contracts to produce the device, and a party to lucrative multi-million-dollar contracts with foreign governments for the purchase of the device.”

The loans would be used to fund the production and sales of the supposed product, with the investors receiving high returns in addition to repayment of their principal, Kreutz claimed, the affidavit continues.

“In reality, Kreutz did not apply for or obtain a patent on the device, controls no equipment capable of manufacturing the device, is not a party to any manufacturing contracts for the device, or a party to any international firearms contracts, and does not conduct any of the business activities he represented to the victims,” the affidavit states.

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Kreutz took in $10,917,822.13 from at least three victims, and spent the money on himself, the affidavit goes on. It cites one example, in which “Victim P,” a Virginia resident, sent Kreutz $2.5 million to help fulfill the alleged military contracts he claimed to have.

On July 15, 2024, about one month after Kreutz received the money from Victim P, he wired $1,150,517.96 to an Arizona title company for the purchase of a home in Oro Valley, a Tucson suburb, according to the affidavit.

Kreutz has faced previous accusations of fraud, but none that resulted in criminal charges until now. In 2018, he was the subject of a video exposé by Don Shipley, a former Navy SEAL who now spends his retirement years tracking down instances of stolen valor.

According to Kreutz’s official service record, which The Independent reviewed, he did serve five years as an E-3 in the U.S. Navy, from September 2004 to September 2009. However, Kreutz, who claimed to be part of the non-existent “SEAL Team 9,” never was a SEAL, his separation papers show.

“I’m still getting s**t on him,” Shipley told The Independent. “When you’re telling someone you’re a SEAL and you weren’t, it’s fraud. You’re defrauding people.”

Under the terms of Kreutz’s pre-trial release, he is forbidden from owning any firearms, must participate in mental health counseling and cannot travel out of state without permission.

If convicted of wire fraud Kreutz faces up to 20 years in prison; the money laundering count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.