Tag Archives: Boca Raton Stock Broker Fraud Attorney
Court Says Bankrupt Ex-Broker Must Still Pay Back Cheated Clients
When stockbrokers commit fraud, their affected clients and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission can recover damages through the courts. But what happens when the broker files for bankruptcy in an effort to get around such civil judgments? A recent decision by a Philadelphia appeals court offers one answer. SEC v. Bocchino Steven Bocchino… Read More »
SEC Bars Three Brokers for “Churning” Client Accounts
Many securities brokers work on commission. This generally means the broker receives a payment for each trade he or she executes on a customer’s behalf. While this is perfectly ethical, some brokers cross the line and engage in an illegal practice known as “churning.” As explained in a 1986 federal appeals court decision, there… 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 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 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 »
Prosecutors Extradite Accused Ponzi Scheme Operator from Brazil to Florida
On Dec. 8, former Miami Beach concert promoter Jack Utsick made his first appearance in federal court on eight counts of mail fraud related to a Ponzi scheme he ran for nearly 10 years. Utsick previously settled civil charges with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission related to the scheme. But four years ago,… Read More »
WSJ Warns Florida Seniors About Broker Free Lunch Seminars
The Wall Street Journal recently analyzed where most of nation’s estimated 630,000 stockbrokers work and found at least five “hot spots” in Florida alone. The Journal identified Palm Beach County as having “one of the highest rates of troubled brokers” in the country, largely due to the presence of a high number of persons… Read More »
SEC Charges Ex-CEO With Leaking Confidential Information to Restaurant Manager
On Nov. 21, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced two men had agreed to settle insider trading charges related to the buying and selling of shares of GenTek, Inc., a company that produces chemical products and engine components. Prior to its 2009 acquisition by a private equity form, GenTek was publicly traded on… Read More »