Investigators with the U.S. Department of Justice reportedly are investigating energy pricing benchmarks published by Platts, targeting suspected manipulation of deal prices provided by individual traders. According to...more
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced last week that it has obtained another admission from a trader of violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations ...more
In the last five years, the Justice Department and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission have aggressively prosecuted “spoofing” cases. While the government’s record in these cases has been mixed, the government has...more
In 2019, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC or Commission) experienced significant changes in leadership, including the appointment of Dr. Heath P. Tarbert as the Commission’s 14th Chairman. The Division of...more
On September 16, 2019, an indictment was unsealed revealing that the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) has charged three traders at a global banking and financial services company with conspiracy to engage in a pattern of...more
The Department of Justice raised the stakes in spoofing enforcement actions by including racketeering charges in an indictment filed last week alleging spoofing by three traders over many years. The Commodity Futures Trading...more
On March 4, 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California acquitted a former sell-side foreign exchange trader on all counts brought against him arising from his alleged misuse of confidential client...more
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has published the Final Notice (dated October 30, 2018) that it issued to a former employee of a major international bank, prohibiting him from performing any function relating to any...more
On 31 July 2018, the Administrative Division of the High Court of England and Wales blocked the extradition of Stuart Scott to the United States. As the second case this year in which the High Court has blocked extradition to...more
The U.K.'s Serious Fraud Office has announced that two former bankers have been found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to defraud for manipulating the Euro Interbank Offered Rate (EURIBOR). One other former banker has been...more
A commodity merchandising firm was fined US $6.55 million by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Chicago Board of Trade combined for attempting to manipulate the prices of wheat futures contracts. However, its...more
On June 4, 2018, Société Générale S.A., together with a subsidiary of the Paris-based global financial services institution, announced an agreement with both French and American authorities to resolve charges relating to...more
The Financial Conduct Authority published a Final Notice in relation to Neil Danziger, a former RBS interest rate derivatives trader, in connection with his involvement in the manipulation of Japanese Yen LIBOR. The FCA...more
The growth of global enforcement systems raises important policy issues and risks for enforcement authorities. In an interesting case, US v. Allen and Conti, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reversed criminal convictions...more
Broker-Dealer Settles SEC and NYS Charges Regarding Disclosures of Dark Pool Order Routing Arrangements: Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. settled charges brought by both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the New York...more
The Commission responded to critics of its administrative proceedings this week, proposing changes to the Rules of Practice which govern them. If adopted the new rules would modify the time period within which the actions...more
The Yates Memo, refocusing DOJ criminal and civil corporate investigations, continues to be the critical topic of discussion this week. The Memo, discussed here, directs that individuals be the focus of the inquiry from the...more
Microcap fraud and offering fraud cases are staples of SEC enforcement. The agency added to its totals in these areas, filing an additional offering fraud and microcap fraud action. SEC v. Mogler, Civil Action No. 15-cv-01814...more
Alleged Flash Crasher's Formal Indictment Provides More Details Regarding His Purported Spoofing - The US Department of Justice filed a formal indictment against Navinder Singh Sarao in a US federal court in Chicago on...more
On Monday, Aug. 3, Tom Hayes was convicted and sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment for his part in the manipulation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor). The result has attracted attention because it was the first...more
On July 9, the Securities and Exchange Commission settled with two stock promoters accused of reaping $2.5 million in illicit profits by manipulating stocks of medical marijuana microcap companies. According to the proposed...more
Navinder Singh Sarao, a London-based trader, was arrested at his home in the United Kingdom on April 21, 2015, and accused by both the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the US Department of Justice of engaging in...more
Almost five years ago the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped about 600 points in five minutes, creating chaos in the markets and huge losses for many. The market debacle became known as the flash crash. The causes were...more