Securities Fraud Lawsuit Names NRP Financial Inc. in $150M Minnesota Ponzi Scam

A Minnesota securities fraud lawsuit, filed by court-appointed receiver R.J. Zayed, contends that because NRP Financial Inc. allegedly failed to properly supervise former broker Jason Bo-Alan Beckman, the brokerage firm ended up assisting in one of the largest Ponzi scams that the state has ever experienced. The $150M financial fraud raised $47.3M from at least 143 clients. Over 900 investors sustained losses as a result of the scam.

Beckman worked as an NRP rep between 2005 and 2008. Last year, he was charged with 13 felony counts related to the alleged financial scheme, including the criminal charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail fraud, aiding and abetting wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering. He also is accused of stealing $7M from Global Advisors LLC, which he owns.

Minneapolis money manager Trevor Cook is the supposed chief architect of the Minnesota Ponzi scam. (He is serving a 25-year prison after pleading guilty to tax evasion and mail fraud.) Involving foreign currency arbitrage, investors were allegedly told that yearly returns of up to 12% would be earned with little, if any, risk to their principal if they bought into the program. Beckman made representations about the currency program between 2006 and 2009.

Per the Ponzi fraud lawsuit, the scam would have ended sooner if only NPR Financial had properly supervised Beckman, denied transfer of investors’ funds to bank accounts maintained on behalf of shell entities, looked into improper transfers of clients’ monies that Beckman had made, and refused to let him hide his actions behind its name and reputation. A lot of the parties that invested were clients of Oxford Private Client Group LLC, which is not only a NRP Financial branch, but also it is partly owned by Cook and Beckman.

Oberlin Financial, which preceded NRP, is accused of having known
way back in April 2006 that Beckman had another business involving trading currencies. NPR also allegedly was aware that Beckman used marketing collaterals that made an inflated claim that there was $3.5B in assets under management.

National Retirement Partners Inc., which is NRP Financial’s parent, sold its assets to LPL for $27M. When the deal was taking place, LPL touted the buy as a way to get into the retirement and pension market. However, according to an LPL Investment Holdings spokesperson, the company is not named in the securities complaint and has not been liable in this case. The broker-dealer was not one of the assets that LPL Holdings bought from NRP.

B-D that sold assets to LPL played role in $150M scam: Lawsuit, Investment News, January 6, 2012
Patrick Kiley, two others indicted in Trevor Cook ponzi scheme, CityPages, January 6, 2011

More Blog Posts:
SEC Sues SIPC Over R. Allen Stanford Ponzi Payouts, Stockbroker Fraud Blog, December 20, 2011
SEC Charges Father and Son with Utah Securities Fraud In Alleged $220M Ponzi Scam Over Purported Real Estate Investments, Stockbroker Fraud Blog, December 15, 2011
SEC Issues Emergency Order to Stop $26M “Green” Ponzi Scam, Institutional Investor Securities Blog, October 13, 2011
Ponzi scams have been known to defraud investors of their life savings, retirement, and other funds. Our stockbroker fraud lawyers are familiar with the devastating consequences that can arise from being the victim of a financial scam. Contact Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas, LTD LLP today.