Georgia financial advisor named as 1 of FBI’s most wanted fraudsters

Christopher Burns is now on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters List. \ CBS

A man last seen in Georgia is now featured on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s new Most Wanted Fraudsters List.

The federal law enforcement agency launched the list on Thursday, asking the public for help catching the 10 fugitives.

One of those on the list is Christopher W. Burns, whom investigators say is wanted for his alleged involvement in a scheme involving the mail that defrauded dozens of victims out of at least $10 million.

According to the FBI, Burns told his victims that he was investing their money in a “peer-to-peer” lending program in which the loans were backed by collateral. However, the collateral he promised either did not exist of was much less than he represented, authorities said.

Burns was supposed to turn over documents to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Sept. 25, 2020. Instead, the FBI says he left his home in Berkeley Lake, Georgia, and hasn’t been seen since. His vehicle was later found abandoned in Dunwoody.

In 2023, a federal grand jury charged Burns with 10 counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, and four counts of money laundering. He had already been facing one count of mail fraud.

The wanted fugitive is described as being 6-feet-2-inches tall with a weight of around 240 pounds. He has brown eyes and hair and a tattoo on his left forearm of three interlaced black triangles.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for any information that leads to Burns’ arrest and conviction.

If you know anything that could help with the case, call the FBI’s Toll-Free tipline at 1-800-225-5324 or contact your local FBI office.