Investor Lawyers Blog

Real Estate Investment Trust Cases: SII to Repay Clients Who Bought Non-traded REITs, Trustmont Financial Group is Ordered to Pay Client $1M, and Vereit Settles with More Investors Over Accounting Fraud Claims Against ARCP

Published on: October 3, 2018 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

SII Investments to Pay Back Clients Over Nontraded REITs Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin is ordering SII Investments Inc. to repay clients who purchased non-traded real estate investment trusts through the independent brokerage firm. According to Galvin’s office, SII did not properly supervise these transactions. It was last year that the Massachusetts […]

SEC Cases: Atlanta Fund Manager is Accused of Misusing Investors’ Funds and Final Judgments are Reached in $1.95M Matched Trades Scam and in REIT Fraud Case Against Ex-ARCP CFO Brian Block

Published on: February 14, 2018 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

SEC Accuses Atlanta Man of Misusing Over $1.2M in Investor Funds In an enforcement action, the US Securities and Exchange Commission is accusing Timothy S. Batchelor of misusing over $1.2M in investor monies. The funds were supposed to go toward the development of a submarine vessel and to businesses involved in national security. According to […]

Criminal Securities Fraud: Ex-ARCP CFO Sentenced to 18 Months for REIT Scam, Former Merrill Lynch Broker Pleads Guilty Over Excessive Commissions, and Businessman Convicted For Defrauding Washington Mutual Bank

Published on: November 9, 2017 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Ex-American Reality CFO to Go to Prison for 18 Months In Manhattan, a US District Court Judge has sentenced Brian Block to 18 months behind bars. Block, who was the CFO of American Realty Capital Properties, was found guilty of fraud when he inflated the financial statements of the real estate investment trust. Prosecutors accused […]

Securities Cases: Jury Renders Guilty Verdict in Ex-ARCP CFO Brian Block’s REIT Fraud Trial & Witnesses Testify Against Ex-Hedge Fund Manager Martin Shkreli

Published on: July 5, 2017 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

A federal jury has found ex-American Realty Capital Properties (ARCP) Inc. CEO Brian Block guilty of securities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud and other offenses, and of submitting false certifications and filings to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Block was convicted of overstating the adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) at the real estate […]

Former ARCP CFO Pleads Not Guilty to Criminal Securities Fraud Charges

Published on: September 30, 2016 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Brian S. Block, the ex-CFO of American Realty Capital Properties Inc., now called Vereit, has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges that accuse him making false filings with the SEC, making false certifications, securities fraud, and conspiracy to commit securities fraud. His criminal trial is scheduled for May 2017. The U.S. Department of Justice […]

Securities Violations: Raymond James and Robert W. Baird to Pay Fines For Alleged Wrap Fee Compliance Failures, RBC Agrees to Pay $2.5M Over Proxy Statement Disclosures, and Ex- ARCP Accounting Executives Are Accused of Overstating REIT’s Performance

Published on: September 10, 2016 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Raymond James and Robert W. Baird Are Charged With Compliance Failures The Securities and Exchange Commission said that Robert W. Baird and Co. and Raymond James & Associates (RJF) will pay $250K and $600K, respectively, to settle charges accusing them of compliance failures in their own wrap free programs. Both firms resolved the charges […]

Securities Class Action Says ARCP Made Over $900M From Acquisition Binge

Published on: April 20, 2015 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

According to the amended complaint of an investor class action securities case, American Realty Capital Properties Inc. made over $900 million in commissions, fees and payments issued to company insiders after it started an acquisition binge to raise its share price and capital. The non-traded real estate investment trust purportedly started the buying frenzy, which […]

American Realty Capital Properties to Pay Investors $1B

Published on: September 12, 2019 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Nicholas Schorsch’s former real estate investment trust (REIT) American Realty Capital Properties Inc. (ARCP) has arrived at a $1B settlement with investors who sued over the company’s accounting scandal that led to inflated financial results five years ago. Now called Vereit, the REIT will pay $738.5M of the class action securities fraud settlement, while Schorsch’s […]

AR Capital, Nick Schorsch, and Brian Block Settle REIT Fraud Case for $60M

Published on: July 18, 2019 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

A $60M settlement has been reached between The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and AR Capital, the real estate investment trust (REIT) manager’s founder Nicholas Schorsch, and American Realty Capital Properties Inc. (ARCP) ex-CFO Brian Block. The three of them are accused of “wrongfully obtaining” millions of dollars related to two mergers involving REITS […]

SEC Fights to Stop Fraud Scam Targeting Small Businesses

Published on: February 28, 2018 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has filed civil charges against “repeat securities law violator” Steven J. Muehler, who it has barred from associating with any broker-dealer since 2016. Once again, the regulator is accusing him of defrauding small businesses. Muehler and his companies Altavista Capital Markets LLC, Alta Vista Securities, LLC, and Alta Vista […]