wire fraud

Barred Mutual of Omaha Broker Edward Matthes Gets Over 5 Years in Prison For Investor Fraud

Published on: June 17, 2021 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Ex-Wisconsin Financial Advisor Bilked 27 Victims of $2.6M, Many of Them Older Investors

Edward Earl Matthes, an ex-Mutual of Omaha Investor Services broker, is sentenced to 63 months behind bars for defrauding over two dozen investors, most of them older customers, in a $2.6M investment scam. He had pleaded guilty to multiple counts of wire fraud.

Matthews was also the subject of a parallel Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lawsuit last year that ordered him to pay those he harmed $2.4M in restitution. The regulator permanently barred him from the industry.

Former Cetera Advisors Network Broker David Rockwell Sentenced To Prison For Fraud

Published on: June 9, 2021 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Ex-Fort Meyers, Florida Financial Advisor Misappropriated $1.02M From Investors

A former Cetera Advisors Network registered representative, David Aaron Rockwell, has been sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for multiple counts of bank fraud and wire fraud. According to the US Justice Department, Rockwell defrauded investors of over $1.02M and used their money to pay his credit card debt and purchase a house.

Court documents state that while overseeing retirement and investment clients for customers, Rockwell began to take investors’ funds in 2017. He allegedly defrauded a federally insured bank by applying for $700K in credit lines under a client’s name without that person’s knowledge or consent. Rockwell is also accused of convincing another client to invest $400K in low-income housing and instead, using the money to cover his debt and buy the home.

Ex-Wells Fargo Broker Ramon Herrera is Sentenced For Defrauding 40 Investors

Published on: May 24, 2021 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

New Jersey Financial Advisor’s Victims Included Older Investors Who Spoke Spanish

Ramon Arturo Herrera, a former Wells Fargo (WFC) registered representative, is sentenced to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release. The former New Jersey financial advisor pleaded guilty to wire fraud for bilking approximately 40 clients of $450K.

Herrera worked five years in the industry. The entire time, he was a Wells Fargo broker until 2018. That is the same year that Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) barred him from the industry. The following year, Herrera was expelled by the New Jersey Bureau of Securities.

Rogue Broker Named in Over 50 Complaints Found Guilty of Mail & Wire Fraud

Published on: February 10, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Rogue Broker Convicted & Faces Decades In Prison

A jury has convicted Anthony Diaz, a barred rogue stockbroker who was fired by several brokerage firms and has been the subject of more than four dozen customer complaints, of 11 counts of wire fraud and mail fraud. Each criminal court comes with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm) have been speaking to former customers of Diaz who sustained investment losses while working with him. If you are one of these investors, contact our broker fraud attorneys today. You may have grounds for a civil claim against the brokerage firm where he was working at the time.

Platinum Partners Principal Pleads Guilty to Fraud

Published on: May 23, 2018 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Murray Huberfeld, a Platinum Partners principal, has pleaded guilty to allegations that he was involved in a wire fraud conspiracy. However, he has not admitted a guilty plea to related to an alleged $1B scam involving his hedge fund.

Huberfeld admitted to misleading his hedge fund when he falsely claimed that a $60K payment was to pay for Knicks tickets when, in truth, it was a bribe to ex-New York City jail union boss Norman Seabrook to invest pension cash.

The money had been issued to fixer Jona Rechnitz. She has since turned government witness in a number of federal corruption probes. The bribe resulted in the Correction Officers Benevolent Association investing $20M in Platinum.

Investment Fraud: Man Who Pretended to be Financial Adviser Pleads Guilty to $13M Scam, Ponzi Fraudster is Accused of Bilking Friends & Coworkers, and Real Estate Scammers Must Pay Back Investors $30M

Published on: March 31, 2018 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Man Accused of Targeting Religious Congregation Members Admits to $13M Fraud

Sung “Laurence” Hong has pleaded guilty to money laundering and wire fraud, as well as to pretending to be an investment adviser so he could bilk clients of almost $13M. His plea agreement states that Hong mostly targeted members of religious organizations.

This is not the first time Hong that was caught for investor fraud. He served three years in prison after defrauding a neighbor of about $800K. Now, he may end up back in jail for decades.

SEC Files Case Against Man Accused in $250K Ponzi Scam

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has filed charges against Niket Shah, who is accused of stealing over $250K from coworkers and friends in a Ponzi scam. The regulator’s case comes in the wake of complaints brought by investors.

Stock Fraud: Fyre Festival Founder to Pay $26M After Guilty Plea, Promoter is Accused of Defrauding Gold Mining Stock Investors, and SEC Prevents Alleged Pump-And-Dump Scam

Published on: March 17, 2018 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Fyre Festival Founder Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Must Pay Back Investors

Billy McFarland, the founder of the failed Fyre Festival who pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, must may pay back millions of dollars to investors whom he bilked. In Manhattan federal court, McFarland acknowledged that he received more than $26M in investor funds for the Bahamas festival that promised catered dining, luxury accommodations, and renowned performers. Instead, attendees were greeted with no food or tent accommodations.

Billboard reports that eventually prepackaged sandwiches were served, local musicians performed, and the festival was postponed even though it had already begun. Travelers who headed back home encountered rescheduled and delayed flights. Many festival employees went unpaid.

The FBI arrested McFarland last summer. He has since admitted that he solicited investors using bogus documents touting financial holdings that he didn’t possess.

Securities Fraud: Investment Manager is Accused of Bilking Retired Teacher of $950K, Ex-U. Va Football Player is on Trial in $9M, and Former Investment Adviser Pleads Guilty

Published on: August 16, 2017 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Wyoming Investment Manager Indicted for Allegedly Bilking Retired Investor
Tyris D. Maxey has been indicted on multiple counts of wire fraud and he was arrested this week. Maxey, a Wyoming investment manager, owns RB Mister Enterprises LLC. He allegedly convinced a retired school teacher to give him about $950K to invest and then using almost all of the funds on his own expenses.

Meantime, any investments he made with the investor’s money experienced “heavy losses.” Funds that he gave to the investor, which he claimed were returns, were actually the same funds that the teacher had given him to invest.

Maxey pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges of financial fraud.