Category Archives: Stockbroker Fraud
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 »
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 »
Supreme Court Says Company May Be Sued For Omitting Facts Which Contradict “Opinions”
On March 24, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a major decision related to securities fraud. The justices addressed the legal standards necessary for shareholders to sue companies for allegedly misleading statements contained in official securities filings. The Court’s decision opens the door for a more permissive standard that could benefit shareholders in the long… Read More »
SEC Cannot Be Sued for Failing to Stop Ponzi Scheme Sooner
Federal securities regulators are responsible for identifying and stopping fraud that harms investors. But what happens when the regulators act too late? Can the government be held responsible for the negligence of its own officials when they fail to act on obvious warning signs of securities fraud? A federal appeals court recently addressed this… Read More »
SEC Announces Revised Rules for Smaller Securities Sales
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently adopted new regulations designed to increase smaller companies’ access to capital markets. The SEC revised one of its oldest set of rules, known as Regulation A, which exempts certain “small issues of securities” from the normal registration process. SEC Commissioner Luis A. Aguilar formally announced the new… Read More »
SEC Puts a Stop to Colorado-Based Pyramid Scheme
If you are considering investing with a company that feels the need to proclaim, “We are not a pyramid scheme,” you may, in fact, be dealing with a pyramid (or Ponzi) scheme. Investors in one Colorado-based company probably wish they had considered that possibility as federal securities regulators recently moved in on the firm… Read More »
SEC Cites “Lax” Oversight in Illegal “Trading Profits” Case
Investors should always be on the lookout for brokers who add charges to their stated commissions. Securities fraud does not always involve Ponzi schemes or people selling fictitious investments. Many times, there is fraud in routine, everyday transactions where a seemingly legitimate broker takes markups on trades without telling the investor. SEC v. Lax… Read More »
SEC Fines Texas Brokerage After Agent Stole $300,000 From Elderly Clients
Even if you deal with a reputable securities broker, there may still be unscrupulous agents of that broker who will take advantage of clients. Federal law requires all registered brokers to establish procedures for supervising their representatives. A broker who fails to do so can be held liable for a rogue agent’s illegal actions…. Read More »
SEC Fines Broker $10 Million for Laundering Penny Stocks
On January 27th, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said New York-based broker Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., admitted to multiple violations of federal securities laws and agreed to pay a $10 million civil penalty. The SEC’s order cited two series of illegal activities by Oppenheimer. Both involved Oppenheimer acting as an intermediary for unregistered… Read More »
Miami Prosecutors Secure Guilty Plea from Precious Metals Scam Operator
Federal prosecutors recently uncovered yet another precious metals scam. On January 9th, 2015, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Miami announced a plea agreement with Christopher Anzalone, a California resident who confessed to defrauding investors out of millions of dollars with false promises of profits trading in gold, platinum and other precious metals. Anzalone faces… Read More »