The Securities and Exchange Commission announced settled charges against GWFS Equities Inc. (GWFS), a Colorado-based registered broker-dealer and affiliate of Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company, for violating the federal securities laws governing the filing of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs).
Category: Blog Posts Tags: bad actors, broker-dealer, Dodd Frank Bounty, dodd-frank, FinCEN, fraud, Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company, GWFS Equities Inc, SARS, SEC, SEC Action, SEC Administrative Proceeding, SEC Attorney, SEC Award, SEC Bounty, SEC Claim, SEC Defendant, SEC Defense, SEC Division of Enforcement, SEC enforcement, SEC Fraud, SEC Injunction, SEC Law Firm, SEC Lawsuit, SEC Lawyer, SEC Litigation, SEC Order, SEC Penny Stock Bar, SEC Trading Suspension, SEC Whistleblower, SEC whistleblower Award, SEC whistleblower bounty, Securities and Exchange Commission, Securities Attorney, Securities Fraud, Securities Law Defense, Securities Lawyer, Suspicious Activity Report, trading suspension, US Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
The Securities and Exchange Commission charged sports apparel manufacturer Under Armour Inc. with misleading investors as to the basis of its revenue growth and failing to disclose known uncertainties concerning its future revenue prospects. Under Armour has agreed to pay $9 million to settle the action.
Category: Blog Posts Tags: Dodd Frank Bounty, dodd-frank, SEC, SEC Action, SEC Administrative Proceeding, SEC Attorney, SEC Award, SEC Bounty, SEC Claim, SEC Defendant, SEC Defense, SEC Division of Enforcement, SEC enforcement, SEC Fraud, SEC Injunction, SEC Law Firm, SEC Lawsuit, SEC Lawyer, SEC Litigation, SEC Order, SEC Penny Stock Bar, SEC Trading Suspension, SEC Whistleblower, SEC whistleblower Award, SEC whistleblower bounty, Securities and Exchange Commission, Securities Attorney, Securities Fraud, Securities Law Defense, Securities Lawyer, stocks, trading suspension, Under Armour Inc
On February 4, 2021, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced charges against two associates of Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor and lawyer for Donald Trump, alleging they raised $2 million from investors by making false and misleading representations.
Category: Blog Posts Tags: Adam Putnam, Alain Chalem, America First Action, Andrey Kukushin, Boris Vax, broker-dealer, Chuck Arnold, David Correia, doj, Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Euro-Atlantic Securities, Face Up Entertainment Group Inc, FINRA, fraud, Fraud Guarantee, FUEG, Global Energy Producers, Ian Kass, Igor Fruman, Indictment, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Joe Biden, Lev Parnas, Maier Lehmann, Major, Michael Vax, Mike Pence, Mitchell Reisman, New York, OTC Markets, Penny stocks, Program Trading Corp, Rick Scott, Robert Grinberg, Ron DeSantis, Rudi Giuliani, Russia, scam, SEC, SEC Complaint, stock broker, Tel-Com Wireless Cable TV, Ukraine, US Securities and Exchange Commission
On November 19, 2020, the United States Attorney William M. McSwain filed a superseded Indictment against Jeffrey D Martin, 61, of Orlando, FL. Martin was charged with conspiracy and multiple counts of securities fraud and wire fraud, related to his manipulation of several publicly-traded securities in a “pump and dump” scheme in which Martin and his co-schemers allegedly defrauded investors out of over $19 million.
Category: Blog Posts Tags: ACAP Financial Inc, aiding and abetting securities fraud, AIOM. QEBR, Am-Pac International Inc, Axiom Holdings Inc, Beaufort Capital Partners LLC, British Virgin Islands, Christian T Tedrow, co-conspirators, conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, Criminal Indictment, Department of Justice, disgorgement. fines, doj, fbi, FINRA, First Power and Light, fraud, fraudulent press releases, fraudulent securities disclosures, Gary Hume, Harold J Swart Jr, Hong Kong, Inc, Indictment, Jeffrey D Martin, Karen F Aalders, Kirk Lynn Ferguson, Mainstream Entertainment Inc, MSEI, OTC Markets William M McSwain, Penny Stock, pump and dump, Resort Savers Inc, Robert P Marino, RSSV, SEC, Sterling Craig Barton, stock manipulation, Superseded Indictment, Swart Baumruk & Co. LLP, Thomas L Tedrow, Tyler T Tedrow, UGHL, Union Bridge Holdings LTD, United States Attorney, United States Attorney's Office Eastern District of Pennsylvania, United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Virtual medical International Inc, VOLT, Volt Solar Systems Inc, wire fraud
On October 6, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) charged businessman and computer programmer, John McAfee, for promoting investments in initial coin offerings (ICOs) to his Twitter followers without disclosing that he was paid to do so. McAfee’s bodyguard, Jimmy Watson, Jr., was also charged for his role in the alleged scheme.
Category: Blog Posts Tags: Jimmy Watson, John McAfee, Jr., microcap securities, Microcap Stock, OTC Markets, Penny Stock, Penny Stock Bars, Penny Stock Investor, Penny Stock Issuer, ponzi scheme, regulation, SEC, SEC Action, SEC Administrative Proceeding, SEC Attorney, SEC Claim, SEC Defendant, SEC Defense, SEC Defense Attorney, SEC enforcement, SEC Fraud, SEC Injunction, SEC Law Firm, SEC Lawsuit, SEC Lawyer, SEC Litigation, SEC Penny Stock Bar, SEC Subpoena, Securities Fraud, Securities Law Defense, stock scheme
The SEC has obtained final judgments against movie director and convicted felon Daniel Adams, music producer Michael Flanders, and companies under their control for defrauding two investors in connection with financing the movie entitled An L.A. Minute.
Category: Blog Posts Tags: Daniel Adams, L.A. Minute LLC, Michael Flanders, microcap securities, Microcap Stock, OTC Markets, Penny Stock, Penny Stock Bars, Penny Stock Investor, Penny Stock Issuer, ponzi scheme, regulation, SEC, SEC Action, SEC Administrative Proceeding, SEC Attorney, SEC Claim, SEC Defendant, SEC Defense, SEC Defense Attorney, SEC enforcement, SEC Fraud, SEC Injunction, SEC Law Firm, SEC Lawsuit, SEC Lawyer, SEC Litigation, SEC Penny Stock Bar, SEC Subpoena, Securities Fraud, Securities Law Defense, Spiderworx Media LLC, stock scheme
The SEC announced that it has obtained final judgments by consent against Ronald Hardy, Anthony Vassallo, and Sergio Ramirez charged for their roles in a $10 million boiler room scheme.
Category: Blog Posts Tags: Anthony Vassallo, microcap securities, Microcap Stock, OTC Markets, Penny Stock, Penny Stock Bars, Penny Stock Investor, Penny Stock Issuer, ponzi scheme, regulation, Ronald Hardy, SEC, SEC Action, SEC Administrative Proceeding, SEC Attorney, SEC Claim, SEC Defendant, SEC Defense, SEC Defense Attorney, SEC enforcement, SEC Fraud, SEC Injunction, SEC Law Firm, SEC Lawsuit, SEC Lawyer, SEC Litigation, SEC Penny Stock Bar, SEC Subpoena, Securities Fraud, Securities Law Defense, Sergio Ramirez, stock scheme
The SEC announced that it has obtained court approval of settlements with eight defendants: Arkadiy Dubovoy, Igor Dubovoy, Southeastern Holding and Investment Company LLC, APD Developers, Inc., Leonid Momotok, Aleksandr Garkusha, Vladislav Khalupsky, and Memelland Investments Ltd, charged in connection with an international scheme to trade on hacked news releases.
Category: Blog Posts Tags: Aleksandr Garkusha, APD Developers, Arkadiy Dubovoy, Igor Dubovoy, Inc, Leonid Momotok, Memelland Investments Ltd, microcap securities, Microcap Stock, OTC Markets, Penny Stock, Penny Stock Bars, Penny Stock Investor, Penny Stock Issuer, ponzi scheme, regulation, SEC, SEC Action, SEC Administrative Proceeding, SEC Attorney, SEC Claim, SEC Defendant, SEC Defense, SEC Defense Attorney, SEC enforcement, SEC Fraud, SEC Injunction, SEC Law Firm, SEC Lawsuit, SEC Lawyer, SEC Litigation, SEC Penny Stock Bar, SEC Subpoena, Securities Fraud, Securities Law Defense, Southeastern Holding and Investment Company LLC, stock scheme, Ukraine, Vladislav Khalupsky
The SEC charged Jason C. Nielsen, a penny stock trader in Santa Cruz, California, with conducting a fraudulent pump-and-dump scheme in the stock of a biotechnology company by making hundreds of misleading statements in an online investment forum, including a false assertion that the company had developed an “approved” COVID-19 blood test.
Category: Blog Posts Tags: Arravit Corporation, california, COVID-19, Jason C. Nielsen, Jason Nielsen, microcap securities, Microcap Stock, OTC Markets, Penny Stock, Penny Stock Bars, Penny Stock Investor, Penny Stock Issuer, ponzi scheme, regulation, Santa Cruz , SEC, SEC Action, SEC Administrative Proceeding, SEC Attorney, SEC Claim, SEC Defendant, SEC Defense, SEC Defense Attorney, SEC enforcement, SEC Fraud, SEC Injunction, SEC Law Firm, SEC Lawsuit, SEC Lawyer, SEC Litigation, SEC Penny Stock Bar, Securities Fraud, Securities Law Defense, stock scheme
The United States District Court for the Central District of California entered a preliminary injunction and orders freezing assets and imposing other relief against California-registered investment adviser Paul Horton Smith, Sr. and his entities in connection with a Ponzi scheme targeting senior citizens.
Category: Blog Posts Tags: california, Egate, microcap securities, Microcap Stock, Northstar Communications LLC, OTC Markets, Paul Horton Smith Sr, Paul Smith, Penny Stock, Penny Stock Bars, Penny Stock Investor, Penny Stock Issuer, Planning Services Inc, ponzi scheme, regulation, SEC, SEC Action, SEC Administrative Proceeding, SEC Attorney, SEC Claim, SEC Defendant, SEC Defense, SEC Defense Attorney, SEC enforcement, SEC Fraud, SEC Injunction, SEC Law Firm, SEC Lawsuit, SEC Lawyer, SEC Litigation, SEC Penny Stock Bar, SEC Subpoena, Securities Fraud, Securities Law Defense, stock scheme
On June 5, 2020, the SEC announced an asset freeze against Daniel F. Putnam, of Utah, Jean Paul Ramirez Rico, of Colombia, and Angel A. Rodriguez, of Utah, who allegedly defrauded investors in two cryptocurrency-related schemes.
Category: Blog Posts Tags: Angel A. Rodriguez, Angel Rodriguez, cryptocurrency, Daniel F. Putnam of Utah, Daniel Putnam, Jean Paul Ramirez Rico of Colombia, microcap securities, Microcap Stock, Modern Money Team, OTC Markets, Penny Stock, Penny Stock Bars, Penny Stock Investor, Penny Stock Issuer, ponzi scheme, regulation, SEC, SEC Action, SEC Administrative Proceeding, SEC Asset Freeze, SEC Attorney, SEC Claim, SEC Defendant, SEC Defense, SEC Defense Attorney, SEC enforcement, SEC Fraud, SEC Injunction, SEC Law Firm, SEC Lawsuit, SEC Lawyer, SEC Litigation, SEC Penny Stock Bar, SEC Subpoena, Securities Fraud, Securities Law Defense, stock scheme
On March 13, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged attorney Diane Dalmy with fraud for “for concealing from transfer agents and brokerage firms her involvement in preparing legal opinion letters concerning the sale of certain microcap… Read More
Category: Blog Posts Tags: Diane Dalmy, Diane Dalmy attorney, Diane Dalmy lawyer, fraud, Hartford Courant, lawyer, legal opinions, Michael Woodford, Microcap Action, Microcap Investor, microcap securities, Microcap Stock, OTC Markets, Penny Stock, Penny Stock Bars, Penny Stock Investor, Penny Stock Issuer, ponzi scheme, regulation, russell, scheme, SEC, SEC Action, SEC Administrative Proceeding, SEC Attorney, SEC Claim, SEC Defendant, SEC Defense, SEC enforcement, SEC Fraud, SEC Injunction, SEC Law Firm, SEC Lawsuit, SEC Lawyer, SEC Litigation, SEC Penny Stock Bar, Securities Fraud, Securities Law Defense, woodford
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have announced charges against five individuals, who the authorities allege attempted to manipulate shares of Boston-based Amogear Inc. A… Read More
On May 3, 2019, a federal district court entered a final consent judgment against Rocco Roveccio, a broker who was charged with defrauding customers by making unsuitable and unauthorized trades and churning customers’ accounts, which enriched the broker… Read More
On April 29,2019, the SEC charged James Siniscalchi, a New York City man with continuing a previously charged scheme, stealing millions of dollars from investors who were allegedly falsely promised their funds would be used for the purchase and… Read More
On April 26, 2019, the SEC charged Christopher Dougherty and several entities he controlled, with operating a Ponzi scheme that defrauded his investment advisory clients out of $7 million. The San Diego District Attorney’s Office separately announced criminal… Read More
Category: Blog Posts Tags: Christopher Dougherty, Microcap Action, Microcap Investor, Microcap Stock, OTC Markets, Penny Stock, Penny Stock Action, Penny Stock Bar, Penny Stock Bars, Penny Stock Fraud, Penny Stock Issuer, ponzi scheme, Rule 10b-5, SEC, SEC Action, SEC Administrative Proceeding, SEC Allegation, SEC Attorney, SEC Case, SEC Charge, SEC Charges, SEC Claim, SEC Complaint, SEC Defendant, SEC Defense, SEC Defense Lawyer, SEC enforcement, SEC Fraud, SEC Injunction, SEC Investigation, SEC Judgment, SEC Law Firm, SEC Lawsuit, SEC Lawyer, SEC Litigation, SEC Order, SEC Penny Stock Bar, SEC regulation, SEC Subpoena, SEC Suit, SEC Trading Suspension, Section 10(b), Section 5, Securities Act, Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Securities Fraud, Securities Law Defense
On April 18, 2019, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, ordered a former broker, Zachary Berkey, to pay $106,000 in disgorgement, plus prejudgment interest, and $71,000 in civil penalties. The SEC charged… Read More
Category: Blog Posts Tags: Microcap Action, Microcap Investor, Microcap Stock, OTC Markets, Penny Stock, Penny Stock Action, Penny Stock Bar, Penny Stock Bars, Penny Stock Fraud, Penny Stock Issuer, ponzi scheme, Rule 10b-5, SEC, SEC Action, SEC Administrative Proceeding, SEC Allegation, SEC Attorney, SEC Case, SEC Charge, SEC Charges, SEC Claim, SEC Complaint, SEC Defendant, SEC Defense, SEC Defense Lawyer, SEC enforcement, SEC Fraud, SEC Injunction, SEC Investigation, SEC Judgment, SEC Law Firm, SEC Lawsuit, SEC Lawyer, SEC Litigation, SEC Order, SEC Penny Stock Bar, SEC regulation, SEC Subpoena, SEC Suit, SEC Trading Suspension, Section 10(b), Section 5, Securities Act, Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Securities Fraud, Securities Law Defense, Zachary Berkey
On April 23, 2019, the SEC obtained an emergency asset freeze and temporary restraining order to halt an ongoing fraudulent securities offering by Eric Lyons, a Massachusetts resident, in an attempt to conceal his misappropriation from certain hedge… Read More
Category: Blog Posts Tags: Eric Lyons, Microcap Action, Microcap Investor, Microcap Stock, OTC Markets, Penny Stock, Penny Stock Action, Penny Stock Bar, Penny Stock Bars, Penny Stock Fraud, Penny Stock Issuer, ponzi scheme, Rule 10b-5, SEC, SEC Action, SEC Administrative Proceeding, SEC Allegation, SEC Attorney, SEC Case, SEC Charge, SEC Charges, SEC Claim, SEC Complaint, SEC Defendant, SEC Defense, SEC Defense Lawyer, SEC enforcement, SEC Fraud, SEC Injunction, SEC Investigation, SEC Judgment, SEC Law Firm, SEC Lawsuit, SEC Lawyer, SEC Litigation, SEC Order, SEC Penny Stock Bar, SEC regulation, SEC Subpoena, SEC Suit, SEC Trading Suspension, Section 10(b), Section 5, Securities Act, Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Securities Fraud, Securities Law Defense
The SEC charged David Loflin on April 22,2019, for his role in a pump-and-dump scheme in the stock of Greenway Design Group, Inc., a Phoenix, Arizona company that was secretly controlled by David Loflin’s now-deceased business partner. According to… Read More
Category: Blog Posts Tags: David Loflin, Exchange Act, fraud, Greenway Design Group, investor, Microcap Action, Microcap Investor, Microcap Stock, OTC Markets, Penny Stock, Penny Stock Action, Penny Stock Bar, Penny Stock Bars, Penny Stock Fraud, Penny Stock Issuer, ponzi scheme, Rule 10b-5, SEC, SEC Action, SEC Administrative Proceeding, SEC Allegation, SEC Attorney, SEC Case, SEC Charge, SEC Charges, SEC Claim, SEC Complaint, SEC Defendant, SEC Defense, SEC Defense Lawyer, SEC enforcement, SEC Fraud, SEC Injunction, SEC Investigation, SEC Judgment, SEC Law Firm, SEC Lawsuit, SEC Lawyer, SEC Litigation, SEC Order, SEC Penny Stock Bar, SEC regulation, SEC Suit, SEC Trading Suspension, Section 10(b), Section 5, Securities Act, Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Securities Fraud, Securities Law Defense
On April 11, 2019, two federal court judges entered final judgments against Joseph Meli, a New York City man, and six of his companies, in connection with two SEC cases that charged Joseph Meli with operating multi-million dollar… Read More
Category: Blog Posts Tags: 27 Holdings, Advance Entertainment, Advance Entertainment II, Exchange Act, ICO Fraud, ICO Scam, investor, Joseph Meli, LLC, Matthew Harriton, Microcap Action, Microcap Investor, Microcap Stock, OTC Markets, Penny Stock, Penny Stock Action, Penny Stock Bar, Penny Stock Bars, Penny Stock Fraud, Penny Stock Issuer, ponzi scheme, Rule 10b-5, SEC, SEC Action, SEC Administrative Proceeding, SEC Allegation, SEC Attorney, SEC Case, SEC Charge, SEC Charges, SEC Claim, SEC Complaint, SEC Defendant, SEC Defense, SEC Defense Lawyer, SEC enforcement, SEC Fraud, SEC Injunction, SEC Investigation, SEC Judgment, SEC Law Firm, SEC Lawsuit, SEC Lawyer, SEC Litigation, SEC Order, SEC Penny Stock Bar, SEC regulation, SEC Suit, SEC Trading Suspension, Section 10(b), Section 5, Securities Act, Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Securities Fraud, Securities Law Defense, Ticket Resale
On April 11, 2019, the SEC charged two former directors of investments at Woodbridge Group of Companies LLC for their roles in its massive Ponzi scheme. The defendants, California-based Ivan Acevedo and Dane Roseman, were separately arrested and… Read More
Category: Blog Posts Tags: Dane Roseman, Ivan Acevedo, Microcap Action, Microcap Investor, Microcap Stock, OTC Markets, Penny Stock, Penny Stock Action, Penny Stock Bar, Penny Stock Bars, Penny Stock Fraud, Penny Stock Issuer, ponzi scheme, Rule 10b-5, SEC, SEC Action, SEC Administrative Proceeding, SEC Allegation, SEC Attorney, SEC Case, SEC Charge, SEC Charges, SEC Claim, SEC Complaint, SEC Defendant, SEC Defense, SEC Defense Lawyer, SEC enforcement, SEC Fraud, SEC Injunction, SEC Investigation, SEC Judgment, SEC Law Firm, SEC Lawsuit, SEC Lawyer, SEC Litigation, SEC Order, SEC Penny Stock Bar, SEC regulation, SEC Subpoena, SEC Suit, SEC Trading Suspension, Section 10(b), Section 5, Securities Act, Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Securities Fraud, Securities Law Defense
The SEC filed a civil injunctive action on April 10,2019, charging a New Jersey resident, Gonzalo Ortiz with defrauding an investor by lying about his trading success, concealing trading losses, and misappropriating funds. The SEC’s complaint, filed in… Read More
Category: Blog Posts Tags: fraud, Gonzalo Ortiz, Penny Stock Issuer, ponzi scheme, Rule 10b-5, SEC, SEC Action, SEC Administrative Proceeding, SEC Allegation, SEC Attorney, SEC Case, SEC Charge, SEC Charges, SEC Claim, SEC Complaint, SEC Defendant, SEC Defense, SEC Defense Lawyer, SEC enforcement, SEC Fraud, SEC Injunction, SEC Investigation, SEC Judgment, SEC Law Firm, SEC Lawsuit, SEC Lawyer, SEC Litigation, SEC Order, SEC Penny Stock Bar, SEC regulation, SEC Subpoena, SEC Suit, SEC Trading Suspension, Section 10(b), Section 5, Securities Act, Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Securities Fraud, Securities Law Defense
On February 5, 2019, the SEC obtained a final judgment against a New York-based broker, Robert DePalo who was charged with orchestrating a $6.5 million offering fraud. In May 2015, the SEC charged Robert DePalo with defrauding over twenty investors… Read More
On March 22, 2019, the SEC charged registered investment adviser Direct Lending Investments, LLC with a multi-year fraud that resulted in approximately $11 million in over-charges of management and performance fees to its private funds, as well as… Read More
The SEC announced fraud charges and an asset freeze on March 18, 2019, against the operators of a $25 million Ponzi scheme falsely promising high annual returns with minimal to no risk to investors in the Vietnamese community of Orange… Read More
The SEC announced on March 12, 2019 that it has charged Texas resident William Neil “Doc” Gallagher-the self-styled “Money Doctor” featured on three Dallas-area radio stations-in an emergency action to shut down a $19.6 million Ponzi scheme targeting… Read More
The SEC charged on February 21, 2019, Joseph Frank Vacante, a former employee of a biotech company with insider trading on confidential information regarding the company’s withdrawal of certain products from consideration by the U.S. FDA. Joseph Frank… Read More
On March 1, 2019, a federal district court entered a final consent judgment against broker, William Gennity who was charged with defrauding customers by making unsuitable and unauthorized trades and churning customers’ accounts that enriched the broker at… Read More
On February 20, 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida entered final judgments on consent against Mathias Francisco Sandoval Herrera and Maria D. Cidre, the former Chief Executive Officer and former Chief Financial Officer,… Read More
On February 15, 2019 the SEC announced charges against four individuals and related businesses for their roles in two microcap frauds and unlawful securities offerings. In sum, the alleged illegal transactions resulted in proceeds of more than $25… Read More
