Banc de Binary Ltd. has settled a fraud lawsuit by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the SEC accusing the Cypriot financial trading company of illegally signing American investors to join its binary options trading program. According to the regulators, from 2011 and 2013, Banc de Binary pursued and took…
Articles Posted in SEC Enforcement
SEC Bars Former Investment Adviser Over Alleged Misuse of Exchange-Traded Funds
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is barring Nicholas Rowe, the former owner of registered investment advisor Focus Capital Wealth Management, from the industry. The charges come in the wake of parallel proceedings in New Hampshire where state regulators barred him from being licensed as an investment adviser. The New…
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Violation Allegations: VimpelCom, Qualcomm, and PTC Inc. Settle with Regulators
VimpelCom Resolves FCPA Violations for $795M The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice, and regulators in the Netherlands have arrived at a global settlement with VimpelCom Ltd. to resolve Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations. The telecommunications provider purportedly committed the offenses in order win business in…
Ex-Deutsche Bank Analyst to Pay $100K Penalty To Resolve SEC Charges Related to Rate Stock Certification
The Securities and Exchange Commission is accusing ex-Deutsche Bank (DB) research analyst Charles P. Grom of certifying a rating on a stock in a manner that was not in line with his personal view. According to the regulator, Grom certified that his research report on 3/29/12 about Big Lots was…
Securities Fraud: Ex-Broker Jerry McCutchen Under Investigation for REIT Sales, Hedge Fund Manager Must Pay $18M to SEC, and NASAA Steps Up Fight Against Elder Financial Fraud
Former Broker Is Subject of Numerous Securities Claims If you are an investor who sustained losses after purchased real estate investments trusts with the help of former broker Jerry McCutchen, you may have grounds for a securities claim. According to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s BrokerCheck Report, McCutchen is accused…
SEC News: Brokerage Firm Fined $1M to Resolve Anti-Money Laundering Violations, Ocwen Financial to Pay $2M Over Misstated Financial Results, and Software Company is Accused of FCPA Violations
E.S. Financial Accused of Anti-Money Laundering Violations The Securities and Exchange Commission is charging E.S. Financial Services, now called Brickell Global Markets, with violating anti-money laundering rules. To resolve the charges, the Miami-based firm will pay a $1M penalty. According to the regulator, on two occasions E.S. Financial did not…
SEC Files Fraud Charges Against American Growth Funding II
The Securities and Exchange Commission is pursuing a securities fraud case against American Growth Funding II, LLC. The regulator contends that the company, which raises money for business loans, lied to investors that bought high-yield securities. Also subject to charges is brokerage firm Portfolio Advisors Alliance, Ralph Johnson, Kerri Wasserman,…
Credit Suisse and Barclays Settle Dark Pool Cases for $150M
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (CS) and Barclays Capital Inc. (BARC) will settle their respective cases brought against them by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the New York Attorney General. The firms are accused of violating federal securities laws will running dark pools. At issue is whether the…
SEC Sues Ex-Superior Bank Executives and Board Members
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a lawsuit against eleven ex-Superior Bank executives and board members. The regulator says that the bankers took part in numerous scams to hide just how bad the loan losses were at the bank after the financial crisis struck. Nine of the individuals…
State Street To Pay $12M To Resolve Pay-to-Play Scam Charges Involving Ohio Pension Funds
The SEC said that State Street Bank and Trust Company will pay $12M to resolve civil charges accusing the firm of involvement in a pay-to-play scam. The regulator is accusing State Street of trying to gain contracts so it could do business with Ohio pension funds. Vincent Debaggis, who helmed…