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Articles Posted in Investment Fraud

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Silver Law Group has filed two FINRA arbitration claims to recover losses on behalf of Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) investors who were recommended fixed and variable annuities. The arbitrations claims have been filed against the securities brokerage firms who recommended and solicited the Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) investments to their customers. Northstar is now in court-ordered liquidation proceedings after filing for Chapter 15 bankruptcy last year, and is unable to honor client surrender requests. A FINRA complaint filed April 12, 2021 against one of the securities brokerage firms, Truist Investment Service (formerly known as SunTrust), seeks damages for lack of due diligence, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence and negligent misrepresentation. The complaint alleges that Sun Trust and one of its brokers misrepresented to two retiree clients that their retirement savings, traditionally invested in money markets and CDs, would be equally safe in Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) annuities while steadily earning a fixed yield.Silver Law Group has filed two FINRA arbitration claims to recover losses on behalf of Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) investors who were recommended fixed and variable annuities. The arbitration claims have been filed against the securities brokerage firms who recommended and solicited the Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) investments to their customers. Continue reading ›

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On April 11, 2021, Silver Law Group filed a Complaint in the Southern District of New York against two Prophecy investment funds, First Landing Fund, LLC, Jeffrey Spotts, and several other Defendants to recover millions in losses suffered by an investor. The lawsuit alleges violations of federal securities laws, breach of fiduciary duty, and grossly negligent misrepresentation. Investors across the United States and potentially internationally are beginning to realize their investments in First Landing Fund, LLC and/or Prophecy Special Opportunities Fund, LP may have been decimated by the misconduct alleged in the Complaint. Silver Law Group is continuing to investigate these claims on behalf of other investors. The Complaint Alleges Misrepresentations And Mismanagement Led To Hundreds Of Millions Lost At the core of the allegations is Prophecy Special Opportunities Fund, LP, which is managed by Defendant Prophecy Special Ops GP, LLC and Jeffrey Spotts. According to the Complaint, Spotts and some other Defendants represented to investors that they would diversify investments and monitor risk, but instead, according to the Complaint: Defendants “plac[ed] investments with sub-advisor Brenda Smith, who was charged criminally by the Department of Justice and civilly by the Securities and Exchange Commission for operating a $68 million Ponzi scheme” Defendants “invest[ed] all or nearly all of investor funds with a single sub-advisor, Brian Kahn, who purportedly lost hundreds of millions of dollars.”On April 11, 2021, Silver Law Group filed a Complaint in the Southern District of New York against two Prophecy investment funds, First Landing Fund, LLC, Jeffrey Spotts, and several other Defendants to recover millions in losses suffered by an investor. The lawsuit alleges violations of federal securities laws, breach of fiduciary duty, and grossly negligent misrepresentation. Continue reading ›

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On April 5, 2021, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a Complaint against Zachary Horwitz and 1inMM Capital arising from an alleged “offering fraud and Ponzi scheme in violation of federal securities laws.” Among other things, the SEC alleged Horowitz and 1inMM “raised over $690 million from investors by selling promissory notes . . . using fabricated agreements and fake emails with prominent third parties with whom Defendants had no actual business relationship.” The SEC was able to obtain an asset freeze and emergency relief, but investors are now struggling to figure out whether they will receive any meaningful portion of their investments back. Los Angeles-Based Actor Zachary Horwitz Was Alleged Mastermind Of The Ponzi Scheme According to the SEC’s Complaint, Horwitz raised money from investors in the form of promissory notes issued by his company, 1inMM Capital. Regarding the promissory notes, the SEC alleged: Horwitz and 1inMM “represented that 1inMM would use the proceeds from each Promissory Note to finance transactions in which Defendants would: (1) acquire distribution rights in a specific movie; (2) license those rights to a specific media company; and (3) use the profits from these transactions to satisfy the note.” “Horwitz represented to investors that he and 1inMM would profit from these transactions by selling the movie rights to HBO or Netflix at a profit in excess of the profits paid to investors, and that Horwitz and 1inMM would retain this excess.”On April 5, 2021, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a Complaint against Zachary Horwitz and 1inMM Capital arising from an alleged “offering fraud and Ponzi scheme in violation of federal securities laws.” Among other things, the SEC alleged Horowitz and 1inMM “raised over $690 million from investors by selling promissory notes . . . using fabricated agreements and fake emails with prominent third parties with whom Defendants had no actual business relationship.” Continue reading ›

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On February 4, 2021, the SEC charged GPB Capital Holdings, its officials, and other affiliated entities with making material misrepresentations, violating whistleblower laws, and defrauding over 17,000 investors in a $1.7 billion Ponzi-like scheme. In the complaint, the SEC alleges that David Gentile, GPB Capital’s owner and CEO, and Jeffry Schneider, owner of a GPB affiliate called Ascendant Capital, falsely told investors that an 8% annualized distribution payment came exclusively from monies generated by the company’s portfolio companies. In reality, the distribution came from new investor contributions. The SEC also charged Jeffrey Lash, another GPB exec, with manipulating financial statements to further the Ponzi scheme and allege that GPB violated whistleblower laws by including language in its contracts that impeded potential whistleblowers and retaliated against a known whistleblower.On February 4, 2021, the SEC charged GPB Capital Holdings, its officials, and other affiliated entities with making material misrepresentations, violating whistleblower laws, and defrauding over 17,000 investors in a $1.7 billion Ponzi-like scheme. Continue reading ›

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Investors filed multiple Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration claims against stockbrokers at multiple different brokerage firms. The claims involve allegations of unsuitable investments in GPB Capital Holdings, and negligent due diligence resulting in millions of damages. GPB And Advisor Group In February of 2020, Advisor Group acquired Ladenburg Thalmann and its subsidiaries, including Triad Advisors. Advisor Group already owned SagePoint Financial, Royal Alliance, and other brokerage firms. So with the mounting claims against GBP Capital, Advisor Group now has become one of the many investment firms facing allegations of negligence, misconduct, or fraud by its financial advisors and stockbrokers. Triad Advisors is one of over 60 broker-dealers that sold GPB Capital Holdings investments to its customers. On February 4, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice and the SEC charged GPB Capital Holdings, its officials, and other affiliated entities with making material misrepresentations, violating whistleblower laws, and defrauding over 17,000 investors in a $1.7 billion Ponzi-like scheme. Investors have filed multiple Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration claims against stockbrokers at multiple different brokerage firms. The claims involve allegations of unsuitable investments in GPB Capital Holdings, and negligent due diligence resulting in millions of damages. Continue reading ›

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No one enjoys losing money on investments. Still, investors can feel even worse if they lost money because they invested in funds that their financial advisor or brokerage firm didn’t properly vet. Investors in GPB Capital Holdings may find that they are facing this exact situation. In parallel actions filed on February 4, 2021, the SEC and the United States Department of Justice charged GPB Capital Holdings, its officials, and other affiliated entities with making material misrepresentations, violating whistleblower laws, and defrauding over 17,000 investors in a $1.7 billion Ponzi-like scheme that lasted more than 4 years. Though the loss of money alone isn’t an indication of bad financial advice, when it comes to investments in GPB, there may be other indications that advisors failed to uphold their fiduciary duties. No one enjoys losing money on investments. Still, investors can feel even worse if they lost money because they invested in funds that their financial advisor or brokerage firm didn’t properly vet. Investors in GPB Capital Holdings may find that they are facing this exact situation. In parallel actions filed on February 4, 2021, the SEC and the United States Department of Justice charged GPB Capital Holdings, its officials, and other affiliated entities with making material misrepresentations, violating whistleblower laws, and defrauding over 17,000 investors in a $1.7 billion Ponzi-like scheme that lasted more than 4 years. Continue reading ›

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Investment fraud is any behavior related to investments that involves outright lies, omissions, or violations of the state or federal securities law. Fraud encompasses a wide variety of scams and behaviors, but at the core, they all involve making markets less fair. Investors who are unlucky enough to be caught up in the scheme may not realize until it’s too late and they have lost considerable money. And, of course, all investors suffer when the market isn’t fair. Financial advisors, issuers, brokers and others make substantial profits from the sale of investments even if an investment is unprofitable or fails to perform. Our investment fraud lawyers help victims of this kind of fraud hold the wrongdoers responsible—and, whenever possible, recover some or all of the money they lost. The Silver Law Group exclusively represents investors in fraud cases. Our attorneys are career securities lawyers and investor advocates. We understand this complex, specialized area of the law very well—and we use that knowledge to fight for your rights.Investment fraud is any behavior related to investments that involves outright lies, omissions, or violations of the state or federal securities law. Fraud encompasses a wide variety of scams and behaviors, but at the core, they all involve making markets less fair. Investors who are unlucky enough to be caught up in the scheme may not realize until it’s too late and they have lost considerable money. Continue reading ›

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Bonitas Research recently published a new report on AgEagle Aerial Systems, Inc. (UAVS) revealing that the company is not all it claims to be, and actively worked to defraud US investors. In its release, Bonitas stated:   “We believe that AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc.’s (“UAVS”, “AgEagle”, or the “Company”) was a pump & dump scheme orchestrated by Alpha Capital Anstalt (“Alpha Capital”), AgEagle founder and former chairman Bret Chilcott and other UAVS insiders to defraud US investors.” Based in Witchita, KS, AgEagle is a company that manufactures drones (unmanned aerial systems) and offers drone solutions for a range of different industries, including agriculture. Their website includes a description of their drone delivery work that the company has worked on since 2019. Although Amazon is not specifically mentioned, the web page includes a picture of a non-branded packing box flying under a drone.Bonitas Research recently published a new report on AgEagle Aerial Systems, Inc. (UAVS) revealing that the company is not all it claims to be, and actively worked to defraud US investors.

In its release, Bonitas stated:

“We believe that AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc.’s (“UAVS”, “AgEagle”, or the “Company”) was a pump & dump scheme orchestrated by Alpha Capital Anstalt (“Alpha Capital”), AgEagle founder and former chairman Bret Chilcott and other UAVS insiders to defraud US investors.” Continue reading ›

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Patrick Horsman (Patrick Brian Horsman CRD# 4694883) is a previously registered broker who was registered with Blue Sand Securities LLC (CRD# 142976), based out of Bay Harbor Islands, Florida from 2007 until October 2020.  Horsman was in the brokerage industry from 2003 until he left Blue Sands Securities LLC last year. Patrick Horsman’s Previous Run-Ins with Securities Regulators In 2017, Horsman consented to being sanctioned by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) following an enforcement action. According to FINRA’s Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent with Horsman (AWC), Horsman violated FINRA rules by purchasing shares in initial public offerings (IPOs) while associated with a FINRA member firm and by failing to disclose personal brokerage accounts to his firm, Blue Sand.  For this misconduct, Horsman consented to a 10-day suspension from association with any FINRA member firm, a fine of $20,000, and payment of more than $10,000 in disgorgement.Patrick Horsman (Patrick Brian Horsman CRD# 4694883) is a previously registered broker who was registered with Blue Sand Securities LLC (CRD# 142976), based out of Bay Harbor Islands, Florida from 2007 until October 2020. Horsman was in the brokerage industry from 2003 until he left Blue Sands Securities LLC last year. Continue reading ›

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