Wausau, WI man initially charged in Allamakee County pleads guilty to federal charges for fraud and money laundering; Sentencing hearing will be in early September
Stanley Pophal ...
Just some of the assets auctioned off for restitution in Pophal case ... Pictured above is one of two warehouses full of snowmobiles and other vehicles and items seized from Stanley Pophal of Wausau, WI following his federal conviction on wire fraud and money laundering charges in U.S. District Court in Western Wisconsin in June of this year. The federal charges that Pophal recently pleaded guilty to were the escalated result of more than a year’s worth of investigative effort that included a staged investment meeting arranged by the State of Iowa Insurance Division Fraud Bureau in Allamakee County in February 2025 that resulted in Pophal’s initial arrest, with the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office also being tipped off to one of Pophal’s warehouses full of these items purchased with funds fraudulently gained from deceived investors, after the initial media coverage of Pophal’s arrest in Allamakee County was read. Following his guilty plea June 12 of this year, Pophal forfeited all of the assets in both warehouses, which are being sold through online public auction in an effort to make restitution to victims of Pophal’s fraudulent practices. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Justice.
A Wausau, WI man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Madison, WI in early June to wire fraud and money laundering, according to Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. Stanley Pophal, age 64, of Wausau, WI, pleaded guilty to defrauding investors out of $14.25 million and using investor funds to fund his lifestyle, and it was an initial investment meeting staged in February 2025 in Allamakee County by State of Iowa officials that started the wheels in motion toward Pophal’s eventual arrest and his entering of a guilty plea on those federal charges.
“Today’s plea hearing makes one thing unmistakably clear: those who prey on hardworking people through deceit and greed will face decisive consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Elgersma of the June 12 outcome. “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to pursuing financial criminals wherever they hide, and we will never hesitate to bring the full weight of the justice system against anyone who abuses the public’s trust. I applaud the investigators for their hard work and commitment to holding Pophal accountable for his crimes.”
According to court documents, between May 2019 and June 2025, Pophal, using the business name Bright with Silver, Inc. (formerly DBA Fromm Bros., Inc.), offered investment opportunities; including cryptocurrency, real estate flipping, artificial intelligence technology, gold, silver, and emeralds. Pophal convinced most investors to sign investment contracts, which he styled as promissory notes. The promissory notes guaranteed investors a rate of return of at least 20% on their invested funds. Pophal told investors that he was able to secure high rates of return because he had connections in the finance, commodities, and real estate sectors.
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