Investor Lawyers Blog

SEC Investigates Morgan Stanley and Barclays Bankers Over Puerto Rico Bond Sales

Published on: July 7, 2017 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Barclays (BARC) and Morgan Stanley (MS) were underwriters when the island sold $3.5 billion of bonds in 2014. According to Bloomberg, brokerage firm records submitted to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) indicate that the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) staff is recommending that the SEC file an enforcement case against Barclays bankers James Henn and Luis Alfaro. The two men are under investigation for allegedly violating fair dealing in selling Puerto Rico bonds. They are also under investigation for alleged violations of securities rules and municipal bond rules as they pertain to misrepresentation, deception and fraud related to the securities.

Additionally, Bloomberg reports the SEC’s staff wants to issue a sanction against Morgan Stanley Managing Director Charles Visconsi and his ex-colleague Jorge Irizarry over disclosures that Puerto Rico made in documents that were sent to investors. The staff is interested in whether the broker-dealer adequately examined representations that were made by the island’s government. Visconsi and Irizarry reportedly have not been accused of any intentional misconduct.

In other Puerto Rico bond fraud news, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (“PREPA”) has joined the island in filing bankruptcy protection. PREPA is currently overburdened with $9 billion of debt.

Charitable Foundation Sues PJT Partners Over Andrew Caspersen Ponzi Fraud

Published on: July 6, 2017 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

The Moore Charitable Foundation and Kendall JMAC, which are both owned by hedge fund billionaire Louise Bacon, have filed a securities fraud lawsuit against PJT Partners over the $16M loss that they claim they sustained in the Ponzi –like scam perpetuated by former investment adviser Andrew Caspersen.

The two entities want full restitution plus interest. They also filed a securities fraud lawsuit against Caspersen, who was a partner and managing director at the PJT Partners’ Park Hill Group when he defrauded investors.

Caspersen pleaded guilty in 2016 to bilking investors of $38M. He said he had a gambling addiction that compelled him to make up bogus Wall Street deals. He is serving a four-year prison term for his crimes.

SEC Cases: Real Estate Agent Accused in Ponzi Scam, Oil Company Charged in $2.4M Offering Fraud, and NY Private Equity Fund Adviser Resolves Negligence Claims

Published on: July 5, 2017 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Oil Well Company and Founders Accused In $2.4M Offering Fraud
The SEC has filed offering fraud-related charges against Kentucky-Tennessee 50 Wells/400 BBLPD Block, Limited Partnership, its founders, and three members of its sales team over a $2.4M offering fraud. According to the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s complaint, the oil well company fraudulently offered and sold unregistered securities to investors through a boiler room operation. They raised about $2.4M from 41 investors.

Carol J. Wayland and her son John C. Mueller founded K-T 50 Wells. They are accused of misappropriating investor funds for purposes not disclosed in the private placement memorandum, including taking more than $871K for their own expenses and making Ponzi payments to some investors.

Real Estate Agent Allegedly Sold Unregistered Securities as Part of Brother’s Ponzi Scam
Cheryl L. Jones is accused of defrauding investors by helping her brother, Mark Jones, recruit investors for his Ponzi scam. The Commission contends that Jones brought in associates and friends to buy unregistered promissory notes and personal guarantees that her brother was involved in.

Securities Cases: Jury Renders Guilty Verdict in Ex-ARCP CFO Brian Block’s REIT Fraud Trial & Witnesses Testify Against Ex-Hedge Fund Manager Martin Shkreli

Published on: July 5, 2017 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

A federal jury has found ex-American Realty Capital Properties (ARCP) Inc. CEO Brian Block guilty of securities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud and other offenses, and of submitting false certifications and filings to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Block was convicted of overstating the adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) at the real estate investment trust. Following the rendering of the verdict in the REIT fraud case, a lawyer for Block said that his client plans to appeal.

According to the US Department of Justice, an employee notified Block, as well as then-accounting chief Lisa McAllister about the funds overstatement before the first quarter results were publicly released in 2014. However, neither of them reported the error to auditors or to the REIT’s board. Prosecutors contend that Block tried to cover up the incorrect figures in financial reports for the second quarter.

The Wall Street Journal, which reviewed ARCP’s filings, reports that during 2014’s first quarter, McAlister and Block overstated the AFFO by over $12M and by about $10.9M during the next quarter. McAlister pleaded guilty to securities fraud and other criminal charges last year.
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Cleveland Cavaliers Player Richard Jefferson is Allegedly Bilked by Former Business Manager of $7M

Published on: July 3, 2017 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

A federal grand jury has indicted the former business manager of Cleveland Cavaliers player Richard Jefferson for allegedly defrauding the professional athlete of $7M. Theodore Kritza is charged with more than 22 criminal counts related to financial fraud.

Jefferson reportedly paid the agency that Kritza worked for $250,000 a year to manage his financial accounts and pay his bills. Although Kritza did pay the NBA player’s bills, he also allegedly bilked him of millions of dollars.

According to the indictment, Kritza forged Jefferson’s signature on documents that gave the money manager power of attorney over the NBA athlete’s finances. Kritza also allegedly renewed credit lines, established new credit lines, and transferred funds from Jefferson’s accounts using his fake power of attorney. In 2012, the NBA player discovered numerous loans that had supposedly been initiated by him even though he did not give his consent.

Houston Adviser Pleads Guilty to $1.9M Texas Financial Fraud

Published on: June 30, 2017 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Lawrence Allan DeShetler is facing up to 20 years in prison for Texas investment adviser fraud. The Houston-based financial adviser pleaded guilty to mail fraud last month.

DeShetler fraudulently obtained $1.9M from clients he worked for through DeShetler & Company Inc. Three years ago, he started recommending that they take out money from their investments and give the cash to him so that he could help them garner higher returns. Instead of investing these funds, he put the money in a bank account that was only under his authority.

DeShetler admitted to using one investor’s funds to begin building a house in Nicaragua and persuading a senior investor, who was a widow in her eighties, to liquidate a trust account and move nearly $190K to him. Last year, DeShetler stayed at her house while she visited family. When she came back, he was no longer there and neither were her investment documents.

CFTC Cases: Non-Prosecutorial Deals Reached With Ex-Citigroup Traders Over Spoofing Allegations, NY-Based Firm is Barred From Commodity Interest Trading, and Regulator Alleges Fraud Involving Forex Trading of a Pooled Investment

Published on: June 30, 2017 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Former Citigroup Global Markets Traders Accused of Spoofing Arrive at Non-Prosecution Deals
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has reached non-prosecution agreements with three ex-Citigroup Global Markets Inc.(C) traders. Daniel Liao, Jeremy Lao, and Shlomo Salant admitted to engaging in spoofing in US treasury futures markets while working for the firm. The three of them also provided information about misconduct that was committed by others.

According to the non-prosecution deals, each trader submitted big orders on the opposite of orders that were smaller with the intention of cancelling the bigger orders. They engaged in spoofing to fill their smaller orders at prices they preferred.

The agreements with the ex-Citigroup traders comes nearly six months after the bank settled with the CFTC allegations over spoofing and supervisory-related deficiencies. A number of unlawful incidents at Citigroup were identified in the non-prosecutorial deals.

SEC Accuses Ex-COO of Penny Stock Fraud

Published on: June 29, 2017 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has brought penny stock fraud charges against Diana P. Lovera, the ex-COO of Oxford City Football Club, Inc. Lovera faced criminal charges in a parallel case and she has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud.

According to the SEC’s Complaint, from about 7/2013 to 7/2015, Lovera and others at the penny stock company used a boiler room and exercised pressure tactics to raise about $6.6M from over 150 investors. They sold millions of unregistered Oxford City stock shares. Many of the investors involved were unaccredited.

The regulator is accusing Lovera of making misstatements about Oxford City’s assets, potential for profit, business plan, and management composition. She also allegedly falsely told potential investors that they could “lock in” a reduced share price by using Oxford City’s voice verification “system.” She touted the system as having the ability to link the personal information of investors to an SEC filing.

SEC Cases: Oil and Gas Company is Charged With Accounting Fraud, Utah-Based Broker-Dealer is Accused of Not Complying With Anti-Money Laundering Laws, and Hemp Oil Company Allegedly Inflated Assets

Published on: June 28, 2017 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Penn West Petroleum is Accused of Accounting Fraud

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Penn West Petroleum Ltd., now called Obsidian Energy Ltd., and three of its ex-finance executives with involvement in an alleged accounting fraud. According to the regulator, the Canadian-based oil and gas company fraudulently transferred hundreds of millions of dollars in expenses to capital expenditure accounts from its operating expense accounts. As a result, Penn West was able to artificially lower operating expenses by up to 20% during some periods, as well as falsely enhance the metrics having to do with profitability and oil extraction efficiency. These metrics are important for selling barrels of oil.

The SEC is accusing ex-Penn West CFO Todd Takeyasu, ex-VP of Accounting and Reporting Jeffery Curan, and ex-Operations Controller Waldermar Grab of running the accounting fraud. The regulator claims that the three men violated federal securities laws related to antifraud, books and records, reporting, and internal controls provisions.

UBS Financial Services of Puerto Rico Ordered to Pay Investors $793,000 Over Muni Bond Sales

Published on: June 28, 2017 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) arbitration panel has awarded two investors $793,000 in their Puerto Rico municipal bond fraud case against UBS Financial Services (UBS) and UBS Financial Services of Puerto Rico (UBS-PR). The claimants, Madeleine Carrero (as an in individual and as the trustee of Ulises Barros Carrero and Fideicomiso Ulises Barros), accused UBS of negligence, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, unauthorized trading, unsuitability, and breach of contract.

This is the latest ruling in which UBS and its Puerto Rico-based brokerage firm have been ordered to pay investors for the losses they suffered from investing in Puerto Rico bonds and closed-end bonds.

On the island and the U.S. mainland, our UBS Puerto Rico bond attorneys are continuing to work with investors seeking to recover their losses from investing in Puerto Rico securities. Many investors lost everything, with some even borrowing funds at the inappropriate recommendation of their advisor so that they could invest even more in the island’s bonds.

If you think that you may have grounds for a Puerto Rico bond fraud claim against UBS Puerto Rico, Santander Securities (SAN), Banco Popular or another brokerage firm, it’s not too late to file your claim. Contact Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas, LTD LLP today.