A jury has convicted Anthony Chiasson and Todd Newman, two ex-hedge fund portfolio managers, of securities fraud and conspiracy charges related to the parts they played in insider trading scams that caused them to illegally profit about $72M. Newman was previously with Diamondback Capital Management, LLC while Chiasson was with…
According to Securities and Exchange Commissioner Elise Walter, examinations of newly registered private fund advisers has already revealed numerous instances of poor controls by a number of members, especially when expenses and fees are involved. Some of these instances, she reports, are on the border of misconduct. Walter, who President…
Hedge Fund Manager Named in “Most Lucrative Tip” Ever Prosecutors have unsealed a criminal complaint in what is being called an insider trading scam that lacks historical precedent involving the “most lucrative inside tip of all time.” Ex-hedge fund manager Mathew Martoma allegedly made or avoided losses of $276M when…
The US Supreme Court has decided not to review a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirming a $62M award against Michael Lauer, an ex-Lancer Group Hedge Fund manager, in the securities lawsuit filed against him by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The federal appeals…
The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed charges against hedge fund manager Walter A. Morales and his Baton Rouge-based firm Commonwealth Advisors with allegedly defrauding investors by concealing the millions of dollars in losses sustained from investments linked to residential mortgage-backed securities during the economic crisis. The SEC wants a…
Jon Horvath, an ex-research analyst at a New York hedge fund, has pled guilty to two counts of securities fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud related to a $61.8 million insider trading scheme. Several other former hedge fund managers and analysts from different investment firms and…
Ex-hedge fund managers Christopher Fardella and Michael Katz have been sentenced to three years in prison after they pleaded securities fraud and conspiracy charges for defrauding investors of nearly $1 million. Per court documents, between April 2005 and November 2006, the two men, along with two co-conspirators, were partners in…
In a divided 2-1 ruling, the Illinois Appellate Court has decided that Platinum Partners Value Arbitrage Fund LP can sue the Chicago Board Options Exchange and the Options Clearing Corporation for allegedly telling certain traders about a downward adjustment made to the price of certain mutual fund options. The ruling…
In SEC v. Moshayedi, the Securities and Commission is suing the Chairman and CEO of computer device storage company STEC Inc. (STEC) for insider trading. Manouchehr Moshayedi allegedly traded in his company stock’s secondary offering because he had insider knowledge that there was a decline in the demand for an…
The SEC has filed securities charges against Harbinger Capital Partners LLC and its owner Philip A. Falcone. The SEC is accusing them of a number of charges, including engaging in market manipulation and client asset misappropriation. Also facing SEC charges for allegedly helping them is former Harbinger COO Peter A.…