DALLAS (AP) — A Canadian man who dubbed himself the "Chinese Warren Buffett" faces federal charges of running a Ponzi, or pyramid, scheme targeting Chinese-Americans that has left millions of dollars unaccounted for.

The Securities and Exchange Commission said yesterday that a federal judge in Dallas has frozen the assets of Weizhen Tang, 50, of Toronto, and several of his businesses, including a Texas-based capital management firm.

The SEC said Tang raised between $50 million and $75 million from about 200 investors for his hedge fund and operated a Ponzi scheme with the hedge fund since at least 2006.

The government said Tang recently told investors he paid out about $8 million in fake profits. But the SEC said another $9.6 million is missing.

Tang didn't immediately return a message seeking comment.