A Texas resident, Ryan Stoudt, has pleaded guilty to participating in an international scheme that involved selling fabricated market survey data. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan.
Stoudt, 39, admitted guilt to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Landya B. McCafferty. His sentencing is set for June 25, 2026.
Court records show that Op4G and Slice, market research companies based in New Hampshire and Illinois respectively, were hired by clients to conduct surveys. Both companies maintained panels of individuals eligible to take these surveys. Stoudt was initially employed at Op4G before moving to Slice.
In 2014, Frank Hayden and Daniel Harriman decided with others to increase revenues by generating fake survey data. Stoudt later joined this effort. The group recruited individuals referred to as “ants,” who posed as legitimate survey participants but were paid small amounts for submitting false responses. Some conspirators also acted as “ants” themselves and received substantial payments for completing large numbers of fraudulent surveys.
To avoid detection, the conspirators shared instructions among themselves and with the “ants.” These included guidance on answering screener questions, recommendations on how long to spend on each survey, and encouragement to use virtual private networks (VPNs) to hide their true IP addresses.
From 2014 through early 2025, Op4G and Slice billed clients more than $10 million for work affected by fraudulent data. In recent years, about 90% of both companies’ revenues came from these false market research submissions.
The statute under which Stoudt was charged allows for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss—whichever is greater. Sentencing decisions are made by federal judges following the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
The FBI led the investigation into the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is handling prosecution.
Frank Hayden pleaded guilty on February 2, 2026; his sentencing is scheduled for May 12, 2026. Daniel Harriman pleaded guilty on February 24, 2026; his sentencing is set for June 15, 2026.
