Recent Blog Posts
Court Upholds $120 Million Judgment Against Man Who Sold Fake Promissory Notes
On May 21, a federal appeals court in Ohio upheld a $120 million civil judgment against a man charged by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission with defrauding investors in Florida and Michigan out of millions of dollars. The defendant, Joseph Paul Zada, posed as a wealthy oil investor soliciting new investors. In fact,… Read More »
Identifying and Protecting Against Elder Financial Abuse
Financial abuse of the elderly is a serious problem in Florida and throughout the country. Many elderly persons exhibit signs of diminished capacity to manage their own finances. Unscrupulous relatives and would-be financial advisers often take advantage of such persons. Planning to Avoid Elder Abuse through Estate Planning In a recent Investor Bulletin, the… Read More »
SEC Charges Rhode Island Broker With Running $11 Million Ponzi Scheme
On May 7, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged a Rhode Island investment adviser with running what amounted to a Ponzi scheme. The SEC alleges Patrick Churchville used his one-man company, ClearPath Wealth Management, LLC, to defraud investors out of millions of dollars. The SEC has asked a federal judge in Providence to… Read More »
SEC Charges Texas Army Veteran With Defrauding Fellow Servicemen
On April 13, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged Leroy Brown, Jr., of Killeen, Texas, with securities fraud. The SEC said Brown, a 12-year veteran of the U.S. Army, conducted a “fraudulent scheme to lure current and former U.S. military personnel and others to invest with him and his firm.” A federal judge… Read More »
Texas Securities Regulators Order Unregistered Broker to Pay Back His Victims
Securities fraud and stockbroker fraud are not just federal matters. Florida and other states utilize their own securities regulators who are charged with protecting the public from unregistered and unlicensed brokers who defraud investors. For example, on April 7, the Texas State Securities Board (TSSB) announced a plea agreement with Robert P. McGann, an… Read More »
SEC Charges Four With Penny Stock Fraud Aimed at the Elderly
On April 7, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued Boca Raton-based eCareer Holdings, Inc., and its chief executive officer, Joseph J. Azzata, with securities fraud in connection with the sale of the company’s penny stock. According to a complaint filed in Miami federal court, Azzata engaged several individuals previously barred from acting as… Read More »
SEC, Prosecutors Charge JPMorgan Adviser With Embezzling $20 Million In Client Funds
On April 16, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and federal prosecutors in New York City charged a former JPMorgan Chase investment advisor with defrauding clients out of more than $20 million. The New York Times reported JPMorgan officials “alerted federal authorities to the apparent theft and misuse of client money.” The accused, Michael… Read More »
Michigan Real Estate Promoter Sentenced for Running Ponzi-Type Scheme
On April 24, a Michigan judge sentenced a former real estate promoter to prison after a jury convicted him in March of orchestrating what the state attorney general and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission described as a Ponzi scheme. Even at his sentencing hearing, Joel I. Wilson maintained he never intended to defraud… Read More »
SEC Charges LA Company With $100 Million “Life Settlements” Fraud
Many of us take out life insurance policies to provide for family members in the event of our death. But life insurance can also be bought and sold like a security. “Life settlements” are a common device used to sell life insurance policies to third parties. For example, let’s say you have a life… Read More »
Feds Charge Son-in-Law of Prominent New York Politician With Securities Fraud
On April 13, federal prosecutors in New York City charged a Brooklyn man with scheming to defraud investors out of more than $7 million. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan claims Marcello Trebitsch, also known as Yair Trebitsch, promised to invest customer funds while actually appropriating money for himself. Trebitsch is married to the… Read More »