SEC Charges Kevin Amell with Fraud
On April 24, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced fraud charges against Kevin Amell, a Massachusetts-based portfolio manager accused of diverting at least $1.95 million to his personal brokerage account from a fund over which he… Read More
SEC Charges Brothers for Hydrocarb Fraud Scheme
On April 21, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has charged two brothers – Kent and Mike Watts – with orchestrating a fraudulent scheme to qualify the stock of Hydrocarb Energy Corporation for listing on a major… Read More
Former KIT Digital Inc. President Gavin Campion Charged with Securities Fraud
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) charged Gavin Campion, the former president of KIT Digital Inc., with securities fraud. The SEC’s complaint, filed in federal court in New York on November 15, alleges that over a one-year period… Read More
Francisco Martin Charged with Defrauding Investors in Native American Tribal Bonds
On November 14, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) added Francisco Martin of Woodland Hills, California to a civil injunctive action currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, charging him with defrauding… Read More
Christopher Salis and Douglas and Edward Miller Charged with Insider Trading
A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Indiana has indicted Christopher Salis, Douglas Miller, and Edward Miller on charges relating to insider trading, money laundering, and structuring currency transactions. The 17-count indictment also charges Douglas Miller… Read More
Lime Energy Co. and Four Execs Charged with Accounting Fraud
On October 17, 2016 the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) charged Lime Energy Co., an energy services provider and four of its executives for their roles in an accounting fraud in which the company recognized revenue earlier than allowed… Read More
Former CEO of Gerova Financial Gary Hirst Charged with Securities Fraud
On September 28, 2016, a federal court jury in New York, New York convicted Gary Hirst, the former CEO and President of Gerova Financial Group Ltd., of securities fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy charges. The criminal… Read More
Jason Wallace Charged for Pump and Dump Scheme
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filed a civil injunctive action in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Jason Wallace alleging that he violated the antifraud and registration requirements of the federal securities laws… Read More
Court Enters Final Judgment Against Jilbert Tahmazian in an Antifraud Action
On August 26, 2016, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered a final judgment against Jilbert Tahmazian, an attorney licensed in California, ordering him to pay $196,524 to settle an antifraud action filed by… Read More
Court Enters Final Judgment Against Michael Cain
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced that on July 20, 2016, the Honorable Charles Pannell of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia entered a final judgment against Michael Sean Cain. In its complaint,… Read More
Permanent SEC Bar Against Joseph Apuzzo of Terex Corporation Entered
On May 5, 2016, Judge Alvin W. Thompson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut granted the SEC’s motion for an officer and director bar against Joseph F. Apuzzo, former Chief Financial Officer of Terex… Read More
Navistar International Reaches Settlement Agreement with SEC
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Navistar International Corp. with misleading investors about its development of an advanced technology truck engine that could be certified to meet U.S. emission standards. Navistar, without admitting or denying the charges,… Read More
Daniel and Matthew Rivera Charged for Running a Ponzi Scheme Directed at Seniors
On March 24, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged two brothers, and a company that they founded purportedly to develop and sell real estate, with engaging in a $2.7 million Ponzi scheme that targeted approximately 30,… Read More
CEO of TierOne Bank Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that on March 23, 2016, Gilbert Lundstrom, the former chairman of the board and CEO of TierOne Bank, based in Nebraska, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison and ordered… Read More
Court Enters Final Judgment Against Fraudster Bruce Strebinger
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced on March 21, 2016 that on March 15, 2016, the Honorable Leigh Martin May of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia entered a final judgment against defendant Bruce… Read More
Court Enters Final Judgment Against Insider Trading Defendant Yue Han
On March 16, 2016, the Court for the Southern District of New York entered a final judgment against defendant Yue Han, based on insider trading charges filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against Han on November… Read More
Uni-Pixel Inc. Charged with Misleading Investors About New Touchscreen Sensor Product
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that Uni-Pixel Inc., developer of technologies for touchscreen devices, has agreed to pay $750,000 to settle charges that it misled investors about the production status and sales agreements for a key product…. Read More
SEC Charges Jay Fung with Insider Trading in the Stock of Pharmasset Inc.
On March 9, 2016 the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that a Florida man trading on inside information ahead of a pharmaceutical company merger and a friend who tipped him have agreed to settle enforcement actions against… Read More
Attorney Jilbert Tahmazian Charged with Fraud in a Prime Bank Scheme
On February 11, 2016 the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Jilbert Tahmazian, a lawyer licensed in the state of California, with fraud for engaging in a prime bank scheme. Prime bank schemes involve the offer and sale of fictitious… Read More
Court Enters Final Judgment Against Martin Weisberg
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that on January 20, 2016, the Court for the Eastern District of New York entered a final judgment against defendant Martin Weisberg. The final judgment imposes on Weisberg a permanent injunction… Read More
Court Enters Final Judgment Against CEO of Polycom
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that on January 26, 2016, the Honorable Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California entered a final judgment against Andrew Miller, the former CEO… Read More
Martin Shkreli Charged with Securities Fraud
On December 17, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Martin Shkreli, former CEO of pharmaceutical company Retrophin, with committing fraud during a 5-year period when he also was working as a hedge fund manager. He is… Read More
SEC Charges CAUSwave and Its Principals with Fraud
On December 14, 2015 the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged a Pittsboro, North Carolina-based startup energy company and two executives with defrauding investors in an unregistered stock offering as they purported that a big influx of capital… Read More
Court Enters Summary Judgment Against Enron’s Former CEO
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) obtained a summary judgment against former Enron president, COO, and CEO Jeffrey Skilling to conclude its civil case that was stayed by the court starting in 2004 until the outcome of criminal… Read More
SEC Charges Two Bitcoin Companies for Operating a Ponzi Scheme
On December 1, 2015 the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged two Bitcoin mining companies and their founder with conducting a Ponzi scheme that used the lure of quick riches from virtual currency to defraud their investors…. Read More
SEC Identifies Three More to Charge in Penny Stock Case
On November 4, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced it has identified three more individuals to charge in a penny stock manipulation case that the agency filed last year against alleged corrupt brokers and others. The SEC… Read More
Vlad Spivnak Charged with Insider Trading
The SEC has announced charges against Vlad Spivnak for insider trading in the stock of American Dental Partners, Inc. (ADPI), a dental practice management company. The complaint alleges that Spivnak received the private information from his girlfriend at the time, Shirmila Doddi, who… Read More
Former Executives of OCZ Technology Group Charged with Fraud
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on October 6, 2015, charged two former top executives at OCZ Technology Group, Inc. for accounting failures at the now-bankrupt seller of computer memory storage and power supply devices. In a complaint filed in… Read More
SEC Charges Executives of ContinuityX Solutions with Fraud
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it charged two former executives of ContinuityX Solutions, Inc. with fabricating nearly all of the company’s revenue and enriching themselves in the process. Metamora, Illinois-based ContinuityX was a publicly traded… Read More
Five Florida Residents Charged by the SEC With Insider Trading
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on September 28, 2015 charged five Florida residents, including a lawyer and an accountant with insider trading before the acquisition of Pharmasset Inc. by Gilead Sciences Inc. The SEC filed a complaint claiming that attorneys Robert Spallina and… Read More
