SEC Final Judgment Entered Against Graduate Leverage
On December 23, 2016, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts entered final judgments against Graduate Leverage, LLC, GL Capital Partners, LLC, GL Investment Services, LLC, Taft Financial Services, LLC, and GL Advisor Solutions, Inc. These… Read More
Final Judgment Entered in “Prime Bank” Fraud – By: Brenda Hamilton
On January 13, 2017, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota entered a final judgment against Minnesota resident James M. Louks and his company, FiberPoP Solutions, Inc. Louks and FiberPoP are defendants in an SEC civil… Read More
Blackbird Capital Partners LLC and Owners Charged in Ponzi Scheme
On November 28, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) obtained a temporary restraining order and an emergency asset freeze in a $3 million offering fraud and Ponzi scheme orchestrated by Andrew Kelley, Paul Shumway and their company… Read More
Matthew and William Griffin Charged with Fraud
On November 23, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filed a civil action charging brothers Matthew Griffin and William Griffin with fraudulently offering interests in two Texas partnerships. The SEC alleges that, between November 2013 and July… Read More
CEO of Warrior Girl Corp. Jason Kumpf Charged with Fraud
On November 21, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) charged Jason William Kumpf, the former CEO and president of microcap issuer Warrior Girl Corp. and a resident of San Francisco, California, with fraud based on his involvement in… Read More
William Allen and Susan Daub Plead Guilty to Wire Fraud
On November 14, 2016 and November 21, 2016, William Allen and Susan Daub pled guilty in federal court to criminal wire fraud and other charges in connection with an investment scheme involving fraudulent loans to professional athletes. The… Read More
Stanley Fortenberry Pleads Guilty to $900,000 Fraud
On November 18, 2016, Stanley Jonathan Fortenberry (a/k/a S.J., John, or Johnny Fortenberry) of San Angelo, Texas, pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with obstruction of justice and other charges in connection with two investment companies he ran that… Read More
Government Official Gordon Johnson Reaches Settlement for Insider Trading
On November 14, 2016 the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced that it entered into a settlement agreement with Gordon Johnston, a former official at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Generic Drugs (OGD) who allegedly participated… Read More
Marc Broidy Charged with Defrauding Investors in 3 Separate Schemes
On October 27, 2016 the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) charged a Los-Angeles based investment advisory firm and its owner, Marc Broidy with fraudulently overbilling clients and stealing assets from their trusts to pay such personal expenses as his… Read More
Southlake Resources Group and Owner Cody Winters Charged with Fraud
Texas company Southlake Resources Group, LLC and its president Cody Winters have agreed to pay over $5.4 million to settle charges by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) that they orchestrated an oil-and-gas fraud. The SEC also charged the… Read More
Executive of Pinnacle Financial Partners James Cope Charged with Insider Trading
On October 21, 2016 the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) charged a James Cope, a Tennessee lawyer who served on the executive committee of the board of directors of Nashville-based Pinnacle Financial Partners with insider trading based on nonpublic… 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
Court Enters Final Judgments Against Paul Downey and Two Others
On September 29, the Honorable Sam R. Cummings of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas entered final judgments against Defendants Paul Downey, Jeffry Downey, and John Leonard. The judgments followed summary-judgment rulings in… Read More
Louis Buonocore and 4 Others Charged for Operating a Fraudulent Penny Stock Scheme
On September 29, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) charged five individuals for engaging in a fraudulent scheme to illegally profit by manipulating the market and price for the stock of Ecoland International, Inc. (now known as… Read More
Marcus Luna and Norell Walker Charged in Penny Stock Scam
On September 30, 2016 the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) charged an attorney and three others in California with defrauding investors out of $13.6 million in a penny stock pump-and-dump scheme. The SEC alleges that Marcus Luna and… Read More
Cannabis Company Infinex Ventures and CEO Ronald Salem Charged with Fraud
On September 30, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filed fraud charges against cannabis company Infinex Ventures, Inc. and its CEO Ronald Salem. According to the SEC’s complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado,… 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
Aegis Oil and President Patrick Beason Charged with Oil and Gas Fraud
On September 29, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) charged Aegis Oil, LLC and its President and CEO Patrick Reagan Beason with defrauding investors in oil and gas projects managed by Aegis. According to the SEC’s complaint filed… Read More
Robert Gadimian Charged with Insider Trading
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) today charged the former senior director of regulatory affairs for Puma Biotechnology with insider trading ahead of the company’s news announcements about a drug to treat breast cancer. The SEC alleges that… Read More
SEC Charges Former Stockbroker Peter Kohli with Fraud and Orders an Asset Freeze
On September 28, 2016 the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced charges and an emergency asset freeze against former stockbroker Peter Kohli for defrauding investors in his failing mutual fund business. The SEC’s complaint, filed in federal court in Philadelphia,… Read More
SEC Charges CEO Craig Sizer of Microcap Company with Fraud
On September 26, 2016 the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) charged a former microcap company CEO and a boiler room operator with defrauding seniors and others who were pressured to invest in a pair of penny stock companies… 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 Daniel Thibeault for $15 Million Fraud
On September 26, 2016, the Honorable Nathaniel M. Gorton of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts entered a final judgment against Daniel Thibeault, of Framingham, Massachusetts. Thibeault is a defendant in an SEC enforcement… Read More
Owners of North Star Finance LLC Charged with Fraud
On September 21, 2016, North Star Finance LLC, G. Thomas Ellis, and Yasuo Oda entered consents to settle the SEC’s charges against them. Without admitting or denying the allegations in the SEC’s complaint, North Star, Ellis, and Oda… Read More
Sheren Tsai and Colin Whelehan Charged with Insider Trading in Home Security Company
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced charges on September 22, 2016 against Sheren Tsai and Colin Whelehan for insider trading in advance of the acquisition of a home security company based on confidential information tipped to the trader by her… Read More
Court Enters Final Judgment Against Lee Vacaro in Fraud Case
On September 16, 2016, the Honorable William J. Martini of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey entered a judgment against defendant Lee Vaccaro that imposed permanent injunctions and an officer and director bar…. Read More
Court Enters Final Judgment Against Saleem Khan and Roshanlal Chaganlal for Insider Trading Scheme
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced on September 21, 2016 that the Honorable Haywood S. Gilliam of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California entered a final judgment against defendants Saleem Khan and Roshanlal Chaganlal ordering the… Read More
Court Enters Injunction Against Safety Technologies LLC and Its Owner
On September 12, 2016, the Honorable Alvin W. Thompson, a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, entered a preliminary injunction and continued asset freeze by consent against Thomas Connerton and his company,… Read More
SEC Charges Tycoon Energy Inc and Its President with Running a $5.6 Million Fraud
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) charged Tycoon Energy, Inc. and its president, Matthew Dee Nerbonne, with orchestrating an oil and gas fraud. The SEC’s complaint, filed on September 9, 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the… Read More
Pro Basketball Player Defrauded by Investment Advisor Charles Banks
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced on September 12, 2016 that it has charged Atlanta-based investment adviser Charles Augustus Banks, IV with defrauding a former professional basketball player by inducing him to invest in a sports team apparel… Read More
