Operator of a Ponzi Scheme Uses Proceeds to Cryogenically Freeze Wife
Ponzi schemes are nothing new, but unwary investors continue to fall for them, lured by the prospect of improbably large returns. Typically, the scammer who runs the ponzi scheme makes few actual investments in the markets; they simply… Read More
Practice Areas – The Going Public Lawyers
Hamilton & Associates Law Group encompasses a wide variety of going public, corporate and securities law specialties, including, among others, continuing forensic analysis of domestic and international financial, stock trading, securities and money laundering transactions, general representation of… Read More
Avon Products Charged with Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Violations
On December 17, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) charged Avon Products Inc. with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by failing to put controls in place to detect and prevent payments and gifts to… Read More
Robert Bandfield, Andrew Godfrey and Jim Can Indicted
On September 9, 2014, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York announced a multi-count indictment against six individual defendants: Robert Bandfield, a U.S. citizen; Andrew Godfrey, a citizen of Belize; Kelvin Leach, a citizen of… Read More
Panama and U.S. To Share More Than $36 Million in Forfeitures
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog In October of 2013, Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole and Panamanian Attorney General Ana Belfon signed an agreement to share more than $36 million in government forfeitures of criminal assets with the Government of… Read More
Reefer Madness – More Indicted In Pot Stock Scams
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On August 5, 2014, the Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington announced criminal charges against Mikhail Galas, Alexander Hawatmeh, and Christopher Mrowca in connection with two heavily touted pot stocks, Growlife and… Read More
Five Charged with Attempted Manipulation of Amogear
Securities Lawyer 101 On July 14, 2014, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation today announced charges against five individuals whose attempt to manipulate shares of Boston-based Amogear Inc. was caught… Read More
Fusion Pharm Raided by Feds
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On May 16, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) suspended trading in Fusion Pharm, Inc. (FSPM) for ten days. The reason given for the action was “questions that have been raised about… (1)… Read More
U.S. Issues Indictment Against Caribbean Money Laundering Operators
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog Joshua Vandyk, a U.S. citizen, and Eric St-Cyr and Patrick Poulin, Canadian citizens, were indicted for conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, the Department of Justice and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced on March 24,… Read More
Albert Reda Sentenced to 26 Months
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog Albert Reda, the former treasurer and chairman of the board of directors of First Global Financial Corporation, was sentenced for his role in a fraudulent kickback scheme. After a six-day trial, Reda was convicted… Read More
John Babikian & Awesome Penny Stocks Charged in Scalping Scheme
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On March 13, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced fraud charges and an emergency asset freeze against a promoter behind a platform of affiliated microcap stock promotion websites. The SEC alleges that… Read More
George Louis Theodule Sentenced to 150 Months
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On February 26, 2014, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced the unsealing of an indictment charging George Louis Theodule, former resident of Wellington, Florida…. Read More
Forensic Attorneys
Forensic Law & Dodd Frank Since its inception, the Boca Raton, Florida law firm of Hamilton & Associates Law Group, P.A. and its founding Securities Lawyer, Brenda Hamilton has assisted whistleblowers and other clients with forensic analysis of securities… Read More
What Is Caveat Emptor? Going Public Lawyers
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog The Latin phrase Caveat Emptor means “let the buyer beware.” The application of the Caveat Emptor principle is most often applied in the sale of property where a purchaser has a specific period of… Read More
Art Scammers Busted by FBI
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On January 16, 2014, a federal grand jury in San Jose returned a 12-count indictment charging two antique dealers with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, mail fraud, and wire fraud relating… Read More
FINRA Suspends and Fines Thomas Mikolasko
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) recently suspended and fined Advisor Thomas Mikolasko, (“Mikolasko”) of HFP Capital Markets LLC (“HFP”). According to FINRA, Mikolasko made material misrepresentations and omissions of material fact in connection… Read More
Shell Traffickers Guilty in $137 Million Corporate Hijacking Scheme
Lawrence Hartman, a Florida securities lawyer, plead guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud for his role in a Corporate Hijacking and shell trafficking fraud scheme that swindled victims out of more than… Read More
Canadians Investigate Sandy Winick Associates
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog The Department of Justice (“DOJ”) prosecution of Sandy Winick and eight co-conspirators for financial crimes, announced in August 2013, has sparked considerable interest among penny stock observers. According to regulators, for more than a… Read More
DOJ and Swiss Federal Department of Finance Reach Agreement
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog In late August 2013, as part of its continuing crackdown on U.S. tax evaders, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced an agreement with the Swiss Federal Department of Finance. While the Swiss Department of… Read More
FINRA Addresses Financial Fraud
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog In September 2013, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), with the help of the National Center for Victims of Crime, compiled and circulated “An Advocate’s Guide to Assisting Victims of Financial Fraud.” The lengthy… Read More
DTCC Identifies Cyber-Attacks as Most Significant Risk to Financial Markets
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On August 7, Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) released a report identifying threats to the stability of the financial markets. DTCC considers cyber-attacks that can bypass U.S. and E.U. industry security systems and laws to be the most significant… Read More
Penny Stock Fugitive Gregory Curry Arrested in Prachin Buri
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On August 19, 2013, the Federal Bureau of Investigation circulated a new Wanted by the FBI poster to announce that Sandy Winick, indicted the week before on multiple counts of stock manipulation, wire fraud,… Read More
Penny Stock Fugitive Sandy Winick Arrested in Bangkok
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On August 19, 2013, the Federal Bureau of Investigation circulated a new Wanted by the FBI poster to announce that Sandy Winick, indicted the week before on multiple counts of stock manipulation, wire fraud, and… Read More
Additional Charges and Convictions in Kickback Schemes
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On August 13, 2013, John Jordan, former chief executive of Vida Life International Ltd., a public company that trades on the OTCMarkets OTCQB as VILF, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for… Read More
Robert Zickefoose Indicted in Colorado Oil and Gas Fraud
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On July 15, 2013, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced that a grand jury had indicted Robert Zickefoose on seven counts of securities fraud. Zickefoose is the owner and president of Zickefoose Reserves, LLC,… Read More
FINRA Fines Oppenheimer $1.4 Million for Sale of Unregistered Penny Stocks
Securities Lawyer 101 Blog On August 5, 2013, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) announced that it had fined Oppenheimer and Co., Inc. $1,425,000 for allowing the sale of unregistered stock of penny companies, and for its failure to… Read More
FINRA Investigates Trading Algorithms
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) is investigating Trading Algorithms and whether trading firms that engage in high frequency trading have proper controls in place to ensure their trading algorithms do not malfunction and cause harm to public markets. The regulator… Read More
