Troy Barnes, co-leader of the Achieve Community investment scheme, publicly confirmed its shutdown after weeks of rumors. His partner, Kristi Johnson, reportedly left the United States, her destination unknown. Barnes stated Johnson had been in contact with the Colorado Attorney General's office for weeks without his knowledge or that of investors. He claimed she assured him fraud charges were being dropped and Achieve was in the clear. "This is what SHE told me," Barnes wrote, suggesting a betrayal.

Johnson has since "pointed everything" at him, Barnes stated. The company's assets are now frozen, and criminal charges are imminent. Last week, Barnes had contacted at least one U.S. regulator in Michigan. Johnson's separate dialogue with Colorado authorities remained private until now. Her silence on these discussions raises questions about her intentions.

Barnes' public statements suggest a man who still does not grasp the nature of his operation. He insisted he was "doing everything I could do, to make us safe and be here for the long term." This claim is made despite the scheme's structure, which paid early investors with money from later participants, a hallmark of a Ponzi scheme. He attributes the legal trouble to "a few people hated our community," rather than acknowledging the inherent fraud.

Barnes claims Johnson "destroyed so many lives" and that he faces jail because "haters reported him." This narrative deflects responsibility from operating a fraudulent enterprise. He also stated, "I have no money for an attorney so I have to do my best to protect you all on my own." This is notable, as reports indicated he had previously spent $25,000 of Achieve investor funds on legal representation. It is possible those funds are now inaccessible or depleted, especially with Achieve's accounts frozen.

United States law generally prohibits the use of proceeds from criminal activity to fund a defense against criminal charges. If Barnes had no other legitimate income, this restriction would explain his current lack of legal funds.

Johnson deleted her social media accounts days before Barnes' announcement. She had already vanished from Achieve's public presence by the end of January, likely when she recognized the severity of the legal issues. Barnes suggested she fled to England, where she has family. It is also possible she simply cut contact and faces similar charges herself. A cease and desist order would explain the sudden social media purge.

One Achieve administrator, Kelly Thomson, disputes Barnes' account, insisting Johnson has not left the country and accusing him of lying. Thomson, appearing to be an insider, provided no evidence for her counter-claims.

Colorado authorities appear to be leading the criminal case, potentially with assistance from Michigan. The Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) involvement was initially unclear, but has since been confirmed. Barnes continued to mislead investors until recently, promising a new payment processor for the following week. He maintained a facade of normalcy even as regulators closed in.

A few days later, Barnes explicitly confirmed the SEC had shut down Achieve Community. "All monies will be returned when the investigation is over," he posted on February 17th. "All funds are currently frozen." He again blamed "haters reporting it to the authorities" for the investigation, still refusing to admit to running a Ponzi scheme. Barnes has since deleted his Facebook profile, mirroring Johnson's social media blackout. The investigation continues, with all funds frozen, as authorities work to determine the full extent of investor losses.