The Justice Department and the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) have charged eight men of using their social media clout to manipulate investors in a stock pump-and-dump scheme. The defendants allegedly took to Twitter...more
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) has two levels of jurisdiction under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). First, there is an exclusive (or regulatory) jurisdiction over “derivatives” on “commodities,”...more
The Commission prevailed on a summary judgment motion this week in a case based on an offering fraud. It also filed another settled FCPA action centered on gifts, travel and entertainment provided to healthcare professionals...more
Pump- and-dump schemes keyed to microcap stocks seem to be the flavor of the week. On Friday the mastermind of an international market manipulation scheme was sentenced to serve 18 years in prison. U.S. v. Gallison,...more
The man who orchestrated a large international microcap market manipulation involving at least 34 persons was sentenced to serve 216 months in prison after pleading guilty. Harold Gallison, pleaded guilty to two counts of...more
The SEC prevailed on two summary judgment motions. One centered on a manipulation action. The other was against an attorney who facilitated a prime bank fraud. The Commission also filed: An action against UBS tied to its...more
Microcap fraud has been a priority for SEC Enforcement at least since the creation of the Microcap Fraud Task Force two years ago. The cases typically focus on market manipulation claims of shell companies and pump-and–dump...more
The SEC filed a series of actions in the last two weeks which included a break for the Thanksgiving holiday. One action focused on a Swiss investment firm giving advise in the U.S. without registering with the Commission....more