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…
Investor Lawyers Blog
Securities Fraud: SEC Charges Unregistered California Man with Fraud, FINRA Bars Two Brokers, Second Scam Lands Man in Jail Again
SEC Files Charges in $1.9M Broker Scam A California man is facing Securities and Exchange Commission charges. The regulator is accusing Gregory Ruehle of fraudulently selling purported stock in a medical device company and keeping investors’ money. The unregistered broker purportedly raised about $1.9M from over 100 investors but did…
FINRA Accuses Brokerage Firm of Lack of Supervision in Nontraded REIT Sales
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is accusing VFG Securities of failing to supervise brokers to make sure that clients’ portfolios did not become overly concentrated in illiquid investments. In its complaint against the brokerage firm, the regulator said that from 11/10 to 6/12, VFG made nearly 95% of revenue from…
FINRA Warns Investors About High-Yield CDs
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has put out a new investor alert warning about advertisements that are marketing higher-than-average CD yields. The self-regulatory authority says that some of the ads might be an attempt to get investors to buy a much more much more expensive investment, such as a fixed…
Hedge Fund Manger Files Whistleblower Lawsuit Blames Carlyle Group For Almost $2B of Investor Money
In his whistleblower lawsuit, ex-hedge fund manager Nikhil Dhir claims that the Carlyle Group fired him for complaining that the global asset management group’s executives had allowed close to $2B of investment funds to shrink to less than $50M without notifying account administrators. The Carlyle Group disputes his accusations. According…
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…
Aequitas Lays Off More Employees in the Wake of Faulty Subprime Bets
In the second round of layoffs, Aequitas Capital Management announced that it is letting of even more workers in the wake of financial problems. A week after disclosing that it would lay off about a third of its workers, the investment firm told employees that almost everyone else would have…
Bondholder Group with $17.3B in Puerto Rico Debt Proposes Debt Restructuring Plan
The Puerto Rico Sales Tax Financing Corporation (COFINA) has submitted a plan to restructure the financially beleaguered island’s debt. COFINA, which is comprised of investors who possess debt backed by sales-tax revenues, has issued $17.3 billion in Puerto Rico debt-$7.5 billion in senior debt and $9.7 billion in second lien…
Judge Refuses to Overturn Conviction of UK Traders for Rigging Libor
U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in New York has upheld the guilty convictions of former Rabobank (RABO) traders Anthony Conti and Anthony Allen for wire fraud and conspiracy. They are accused of involvement in the scam to rig the yen Libor rates and the U.S. dollar to benefit Rabobank’s trading…
Chesapeake Energy Corp. Stops Investor Payouts After Its Shares Plummets
U.S. natural gas driller Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CYC) has been halting investor payouts and cutting jobs to keep its cash flow from drying up. Now, with its shares dropping 51% following reports by Debtwire that the company has hired restructuring attorneys to help deal with its $9.8 billion debt, investors…