Articles Posted in Investment Fraud

Broker fined $15,000 and suspended for four months as a result of FINRA investigation After having damages granted against her in the amount of $135,000 by a customer questioning the suitability of her investments in December 2012, Texas financial advisor Betsy B. Marcom (previously known as Betsy Bratton Perryman) is…

FINRA has barred Liam Gerald O’Keefee alleging unauthorized trading, misappropriation of funds, and unsuitable recommendations. As of October 20, 2015, Liam Gerald O’Keefee has been permanently barred by FINRA. O’Keefee consented to the sanctions and to the findings that he did not provide the information and documents requested by FINRA. During…

Ensure your parents are properly educated when it comes to fraudulent investments. As your parents age, there are many things to think about and consider. Their health, their living situation, and their financial situation are generally at the top of the list. You realize too that your relationship with your…

A California judge ordered the now-defunct Corinthian Colleges Inc. (“Corinthian”), business partner of Aequitas Capital Management (“Aequitas”), to pay $1 billion over claims the company misled students and investors on March 25, 2016. This comes two weeks after the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) charged Oregon-based Aequitas with operating a…

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced fraud charges and asset freezes obtained in a case filed on March 21, 2016 against a New Jersey-based fund manager and two firms he controls for orchestrating a Ponzi-like scheme that marketed shares in promising pre-IPO technology companies in the Bay Area. The SEC…

Silver Law Group is investigating numerous registered investment advisors (“RIAs”) connected to Oregon-based Aequitas Management, LLC’s (“Aequitas”) “Ponzi-like” scheme and $350 million of investor losses. On March 10, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filed a complaint against Aequitas and its various subsidiaries. The complaint’s most damning allegations include…

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Oregon-based Aequitas Management, LLC (“Aequitas”), and several of its executives with operating a $350 million investment scheme that defrauded investors in a last-ditch effort to raise funds to save Aequitas from a complete financial collapse. Aequitas, along with CEO Robert J.…

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced fraud charges against a Manhattan-based lending company and its placement agent for falsely stating that its financial statements were being audited and lying about the returns on the loans. The SEC filed a complaint in federal district court in Manhattan against lending company American…

Deceptive boiler room tactics lead to trade suspension, resignation of CEO The SEC suspended trading for the Oxford City Football Club amid allegations of fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud by their CEO, Thomas Guerriero. The SEC contends that Guerriero used pressure tactics and led thousands of inexperienced investors to…

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) announced on April 27th that Avenir Financial Group (“Avenir”), its CEO Michael Clements (“Clements”), and registered representative Karim Ibrahim a/k/a Chris Allen (“Ibrahim”), consented to an order halting further fraudulent sales of equity interests in the firm and promissory notes, pending a hearing on…