UBS Financial Services Inc. of Puerto Rico (UBS PR) has consented to pay $15 million to resolve the Securities and Exchange Commission’s claims related to the brokerage firm’s supervision of the sale of its closed-end Puerto Rico bond funds (CEFs). The SEC contends that UBS PR did not properly supervise…
The Securities and Exchange Commission is pursuing securities fraud charges against Family Endowment Partners LP and owner Lee Dana Weiss. The regulator claims that the registered investment adviser persuaded clients to invest over $40M in illiquid securities without disclosing that Weiss possessed an ownership stake in the entities that issued…
The North American Securities Administrators Association announced that its Board of Director has approved to release for comment a proposed model act to tackle the problems faced by brokerage firms, investment adviser firms, and their representatives when dealing with signs that older senior investors, or other vulnerable adults, may be…
The SEC is charging Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (CS) with submitting deficient blue sheet data to the regulator about customer trades. The financial firm is settling the charges by paying a $4.25 million penalty. It has admitted to violating federal securities laws. Credit Suisse acknowledged that it made at…
The Securities and Exchange Commission is charging a father, three sons, and two other men with bilking people who invested money in Gerova Financial Group. The regulator’s complaint names John Galanis, his sons Derek, Jason, and Jared, Gerova president Gary T. Hurst, and investment adviser Gavin Hamels. John has been…
Ex-Dallas Broker Accused of Texas Securities Fraud Face Five Years Wade Lawrence, a former Dallas broker, has pleaded guilty to Texas securities fraud. As part of his plea bargain the 43-year-old will have to forfeit $1.5 million and pay over $250,000 in fines. He also faces up to five years…
Ex-Detroit Pension Trustee Gets 11 Years in Prison Jeffrey Beazley, a former treasurer of the city of Detroit, Michigan, has been sentenced to 11 years behind bars for getting kickbacks and bribes from businessmen who received hundreds of millions of dollars from two of the city’s pension systems. Beasley, a…
The Securities and Exchange Commission has issued proposals that would amend its rules governing its use of administrative law judges in enforcement proceedings. The proposed amendments come in the wake of criticism and lawsuits contending that having in-house judges preside over SEC cases gives the regulator an unfair advantage over…
LPL Financial (LPLA) has agreed to pay 3.2 million fine to settle penalties related to its sale of nontraded real estate investment trusts and leveraged exchange-traded funds. The settlements were reached with the Non-Traded REIT Task Force of the North American Securities Administrators Association and regulators in Massachusetts and Delaware.…
Men Accused of $6.8M Private Equity Fund Fraud Allegedly Bilked Friends and Family The Securities and Exchange Commission has settled charges with two men and their unregistered investment advisory firm for allegedly bilking investors in a private equity fund. Under the agreement, William B. Fretz, John P. Freeman, and their…