SEC obtains emergency order against Utah-based company’s crypto asset fraud scheme
Washington D.C. — The Securities and Exchange Commission has announced that it obtained a temporary asset freeze, restraining order, and other emergency relief against Digital Licensing Inc., a Draper, Utah based entity doing business as “DEBT Box,” as well as the company’s four principals, Jason Anderson, his brother Jacob Anderson, Schad Brannon, and Roydon Nelson, and 13 other defendants...
SEC Charges Investment Fund Founder William K. Ichioka with $25 Million Offering Fraud
Washington D.C., June 22, 2023 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged William K. Ichioka, of New York, New York, with fraudulently raising $25 million from individual investors primarily in California and Oregon by making false claims about his investing success and promising large anticipated returns but instead using investor funds for gambling and to enrich himself. Ichioka...
Man Convicted of $54M Bribery and Kickback Scheme Involving Fraudulent Prescriptions
A federal jury convicted a Florida man for his role in a $54 million bribery and kickback scheme involving TRICARE, a federal program that provides health insurance benefits to active duty and retired service members and their families.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, David Byron Copeland, 55, of Tallahassee, was a part-owner and senior sales manager...
SEC Shuts Down WeedGenics $60 Million Cannabis Offering Fraud
Washington D.C. — The Securities and Exchange Commission obtained an emergency order to halt an alleged ongoing offering fraud and Ponzi-like scheme by Integrated National Resources Inc. (INR), which does business as WeedGenics, and its owners, Rolf Max Hirschmann and Patrick Earl Williams, who have raised more than $60 million from investors to expand their cannabis operations, but have...
Man Sentenced for $1.1M COVID-19 Fraud Scheme
A Louisiana man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for money laundering in connection with a fraudulent scheme to obtain more than $1.1 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program loans.
“The significant sentence handed down today demonstrates that those who steal from COVID-19 relief programs for personal gain will be prosecuted...
Beware of the Financial Hardship Scams
Los Angeles (CA) – As we come out of the pandemic, scams and identity theft continue to be rampant, and consumers need to be on their toes and know how to protect their personal information.
If you have received an email –like the one below– offering you $37,000 in financial hardship, unfortunately, it is a scam.
I, myself, just received one...
V-Day lovers: Watch out for romance scams!
On a day like today, Investor News would like to raise awareness of romance fraudsters.
According to the FBI, romance scams occur when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim's affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim.
The criminals who carry out...
Simi Valley Man Sentenced to Over 4 Years in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $1 Million in COVID Business Loans
LOS ANGELES – A Ventura County man who schemed with an Orange County man to illegally acquire disaster relief funds was sentenced today to 51 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $1 million in loans intended to help businesses weather the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic fallout.
Manuel Asadurian, 66, of Simi Valley, was sentenced by United States District...