A National Securities Arbitration & Investment Fraud Law Firm
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has accused Emil Botvinnik of taking $3.7 million in a fraudulent scheme involving excessive, high-frequency trading. On November 7, 2018, he asked a New York federal judge to toss the suit because he claimed its allegations do not meet the pleading standard for fraud.…
After the state of Massachusetts began an investigation into 63 brokers selling private placements into GPB after the company stopped selling them, The SEC and FINRA have followed suit. Both agencies have launched their own investigations into the company and its practices. GPB announced in August that they would cease…
In September, we told you about Morgan Stanley brokers James Polese and 29-year-old Cornelius Peterson, who were found guilty of financial charges ranging from conspiracy to aggravated identity theft. They have both been sentenced in the case. James Polese has been sentenced to 60 months (five years) in prison after…
Petrotech Oil & Gas Inc. (PTOG) is a company based in Bedford, TX, and claims it is involved in petroleum recovery from oil wells that are considered “empty.” Using their own extraction technology with CO2 and N2 called “Gas-Injection EOR” (Enhanced Oil Recovery), Petrotech is able to recover 20% or…
In August, we told you about John Cochran Maccoll (CRD #839441) who was barred by FINRA after multiple fraud allegations. Since then, there have been two additional developments. Another customer has come forward and filed a complaint on 08/16/2018, alleging misappropriation of client funds from 10/01/2015 through 08/16/2018. The case…
The SEC has ordered four entities of Transamerica to refund $97 million to investors after discovering that faulty investment models used for fund management didn’t work as it was purported. Aegon USA Investment Management, operating through Transamerica Asset Management, Transamerica Capital, Inc. and Transamerica Financial Advisors, discovered the model’s inconsistencies,…
Back in June, we told you about five former brokers charged by the SEC when the agency shut down their Ponzi scheme worth $102 million. Scott Silver recently spoke with Jennifer Cefalu of WHEC News in Rochester, NY, where two of the suspects lived and the scheme originated. The scheme…
Craig Aaron Bonn (CRD #2280460) is a currently registered FINRA broker employed with National Securities Corporation (CRD #7569) of New York, NY. He was previously registered with Laidlaw & Company (UK) LTD. (CRD #119037) and Sands Brothers & Co., LTD. (CRD #26816), both also of New York, NY. He has…
Marijuana is still an illegal substance in a number of states (and on the federal level.) But with the increased evidence of medical benefits, many states have begun legalization for medical use. Some, like California and Colorado, have also legalized it for recreational use. Companies are now looking for ways…
It seemed like a good investment—a company that repurposes and refits old shipping containers into hydroponic growing “pods” for local Denver agriculture, as well as the state’s burgeoning cannabis industry. These refurbished containers, complete with installed grow lighting, were known as “PharmPods.” They were marketed as portable hydroponic greenhouses that…