According to a court-appointed receiver, investors who were the victim of a financial scam allegedly run by Total Wealth Management founder Jacob Cooper lost more than $44 million of assets. The investors are suing Cooper and other principals of the investment adviser.
Cooper pursued investors using “Uncommon Wealth,” his weekly radio show in which he’d discuss retirement planning. According to InvestmentNews, He capitalized on his past history as an Eagle Scout, as well as he was a Mormon and his dad had been in the U.S. Marine Corps, to grow a more than $100 million business with over 600 clients.
Cooper and other firm principals allegedly pooled about 6% of the $100 million and placed them in the Altus Funds, which are proprietary investment funds. These funds then invested in unsuccessful ventures, as well as in Private Placement Capital Notes-the latter did pay interest until two years ago.
After investors filed securities fraud case to get their money back, Total Wealth Management allegedly blocked fund access and Cooper told clients that if they wanted to speak with him they would need to sign a waver that indemnified him. He then upped his clients’ fees, charging over $300,000-money he is accused of using to pay for the lawyer defending him against both the complaints and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He also purportedly used $150,000 of client funds to cover a settlement he owed the SEC.
Now, the receiver is saying that most of that money appears to have been put into funds and private placements that were insolvent or losing money but offered revenue sharing agreements to Total Wealth Management. Cooper also is accused of taking money for his personal spending. To date, only $2 million has been recovered.
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Client losses total $44 million in ‘Madoff of Main Street’ case, InvestmentNews, March 19, 2015
Read the SEC Order (PDF)