Empires Consulting Corp. hit with fraud charges over fake trading scheme
As scheme collapsed, defendants stopped investor withdrawals and relocated to Brazil
Washington D.C. — The Securities and Exchange Commission has announced fraud charges against Empires Consulting Corp. (EmpiresX), its founders Emerson Sousa Pires and Flavio Mendes Goncalves, and its head trader Joshua David Nicholas, for a scheme that allegedly raised at least $40 million by luring investors with false claims...
DOJ charges six individuals with cryptocurrency fraud over $100M in intended losses
The Department of Justice, together with federal law enforcement partners, has announced criminal charges against six defendants in four separate cases for their alleged involvement in cryptocurrency-related fraud, including the largest known Non-Fungible Token (NFT) scheme charged to date, a fraudulent investment fund that purportedly traded on cryptocurrency exchanges, a global Ponzi scheme involving the sale of unregistered crypto...
UBS to Pay $25 Million to Settle Fraud Charges
Washington D.C. — The Securities and Exchange Commission has announced that UBS Financial Services Inc. has agreed to pay approximately $25 million to settle fraud charges relating to a complex investment strategy referred to as YES, or Yield Enhancement Strategy.
According to the SEC’s order, UBS marketed and sold YES to approximately 600 investors through its platform of domestic financial...
Serial Fraudster Previously Extradited from Mexico Pleads Guilty to Multiple Investment Fraud Schemes
A California man was extradited from Mexico on March 8 and pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering charges for two high-yield investment fraud schemes.
According to court documents, Daniel Thomas Broyles Sr., aka Dan Thomas, aka Daniel Cruz Torrez, 64, of Malibu, participated in a high-yield investment fraud scheme...
The exposé Hadari Oshri and her attorney tried to stop wins LA Press Club award
AN IMPORTANT NOTE: On June 22, 2021, Hadari Oshri –Marc Lubaszka’s business partner– filed a civil harassment restraining order (CHRO) against Investor News reporter Aitana Vargas to stop the publication of her investigative series “A Special Report: The Harrowing Impunity of White-Collar crime,” and any subsequent installments or future media coverage. On August 3, 2021, Vargas filed an anti-SLAPP...
SEC Adopts Rules to Require Electronic Filing for Investment Advisers and Institutional Investment Managers
Washington D.C. — The Securities and Exchange Commission has adopted amendments to require certain documents filed by investment advisers, institutional investment managers, and certain other entities to be filed or submitted electronically. The amendments also make technical amendments to modernize Form 13F and enhance the information provided. The amendments are intended to promote efficiency, transparency, and operational resiliency by...
SEC Charges Egan-Jones Ratings Co. and CEO with Conflict of Interest Violations
Washington D.C. — The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Haverford, PA-based Egan-Jones Ratings Company, a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) registered with the Commission in certain ratings classes, with violating conflict of interest provisions. The SEC also charged the company’s founder and chief executive officer, Sean Egan, with causing certain of those violations.
The SEC’s order finds that,...
SEC Charges Firm and Five Brokers with Violations of Reg BI
Brokerage firm sold $13.3 million worth of high-risk bonds to retirees and other retail investors
Washington D.C. — The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged registered broker-dealer Western International Securities, Inc. and five of its registered representatives, or brokers – Nancy Cole, Patrick Egan, Andy Gitipityapon, Steven Graham, and Thomas Swan – with violating Best Interest Obligation regulations (commonly referred...
Former employee at Penn Interactive Ventures charged with insider trading
Software Engineer Traded, Tipped Friend of Company’s Acquisition Plans
Washington D.C. — The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced insider trading charges against David Roda, a former software engineer at Penn National Gaming’s subsidiary Penn Interactive Ventures, in connection with the parent company’s $2 billion acquisition of Toronto-based Score Media and Gaming, Inc.
The SEC’s complaint, filed in federal district court...
Entrepreneur Convicted for $4.1 Million COVID-19 Relief Fraud
A federal jury in Detroit convicted a Michigan man today for a wire fraud and money laundering scheme to obtain more than $4.1 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
According to court documents and evidence presented...