Market Manipulation. Search

Paid stock promotion enforcement actions

This library records 68 enforcement actions tagged paid stock promotion. Paid stock promotion is publicising a security in exchange for compensation, which is lawful only if the fact of payment, the payer and the amount are fully disclosed under Securities Act Section 17(b).

Actions are listed newest first. Each row links to a case page carrying the regulator's own release and, where one was published, the complaint. For how this technique works and what statute it engages, read the paid stock promotion technique page.

Actions
68
Total penalties
$25m
Median penalty
$87.5k
Largest
$10m
Criminal parallel
18%
Action Agency Filed Penalty Status
SEC v. Brian Keasberry (paid stock promotion, 2026) SEC 2026-08-21 $37.5k judgment
SEBI v. Anupam Narain Gupta and others (paid Telegram tips, Moksh Ornaments, 2026) SEBI (India) 2026-07-30 — judgment
SEBI v. Veerkrupa Jewellers Limited and others (SME IPO publicity and trading, 2026) SEBI (India) 2026-05-29 — judgment
SEC v. Medallion Financial Corp., Andrew Murstein, Lawrence Meyers, and Ichabod’s Cranium, Inc. (paid stock promotion, 2025) SEC 2025-06-06 $4.1m judgment
SEC v. John S. Clayton and others (insider trading, 2024) SEC 2024-12-11 — filed
SEC v. Ian Balina (paid stock promotion, 2024) SEC 2024-05-23 — dismissed
SEC v. Ahmed Alomari and MCM Consulting (paid stock promotion, 2024) SEC 2024-05-03 — filed
SEC v. Christian Fernandez (paid stock promotion, 2024) SEC 2024-02-20 — settled
SEC v. Justin Sun, Tron Foundation Limited, BitTorrent Foundation Ltd., Rainberry, Inc., Austin Mahone, and Deandre Cortez Way (paid stock promotion, 2023) SEC 2023-08-07 $37.5k judgment
SEC v. Costello et al. (paid stock promotion, 2023) SEC 2023-07-11 — judgment
SEC v. Eleazar Kauderer, GPL Ventures LLC, et al. (paid stock promotion, 2023) SEC 2023-05-24 — judgment
SEC v. Thomas Carter Ronk (paid stock promotion, 2023) SEC 2023-05-22 $75k judgment
SEC v. Justin Sun et al. (paid stock promotion, 2023) SEC 2023-03-24 $10m settled
SEC v. Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam (paid stock promotion, 2023) SEC 2023-03-22 $126k settled
SEC v. Jake Joseph Paul (paid stock promotion, 2023) SEC 2023-03-22 $75.1k settled
SEC v. Lindsay Dee Lohan (paid stock promotion, 2023) SEC 2023-03-22 $30k settled
SEC v. Michele Anne Mason (paid stock promotion, 2023) SEC 2023-03-22 $2.9k settled
SEC v. Miles Parks McCollum (paid stock promotion, 2023) SEC 2023-03-22 $30k settled
SEC v. Shaffer Chimere Smith (paid stock promotion, 2023) SEC 2023-03-22 $36k settled
SEC v. Paul Anthony Pierce (paid stock promotion, 2023) SEC 2023-02-17 $1.2m settled
SEC v. Kimberly Kardashian (paid stock promotion, 2022) SEC 2022-10-03 $1m settled
SEC v. Jonathan William Mikula, et al. (paid stock promotion, 2022) SEC 2022-09-30 $1.6m settled
SEC v. Bruce Schoengood, Medifirst Solutions, Inc., and Joshua Tyrell (paid stock promotion, 2022) SEC 2022-07-18 $100k judgment
SEC v. Global Wholehealth Partners Corp., Charles Strongo, Brian M. Volmer, Joshua Yafa, Jamie M. Yafa, and Empire Associates, Inc. (paid stock promotion, 2022) SEC 2022-02-17 — filed
SEC v. Adam Heimann (paid stock promotion, 2021) SEC 2021-09-30 $1.3m settled
SEC v. Lawrence B. Adams (paid stock promotion, 2021) SEC 2021-08-16 — filed
SEC v. Blotics Ltd. f/d/b/a Coinschedule Ltd. (paid stock promotion, 2021) SEC 2021-07-14 $154k settled
SEC v. Contrarian Press, LLC, Scott S. Fraser, and Nathan Yeung (paid stock promotion, 2021) SEC 2021-07-01 $200k judgment
SEC v. Reuben Robert Goldman and Two Triangle Consulting Group, LLC d/b/a Goldman Small Cap Research (paid stock promotion, 2021) SEC 2021-06-30 $39.9k settled
SEC v. Bruce Schoengood, Medifirst Solutions, Inc. and Joshua Tyrell (paid stock promotion, 2021) SEC 2021-02-24 — filed
SEC v. Anthony Thompson, Jr., et al. (paid stock promotion, 2020) SEC 2020-12-30 — judgment
SEC v. McAfee et al. (paid stock promotion, 2020) SEC 2020-10-06 — settled
SEC v. IRTH Communications, LLC and Andrew Haag (paid stock promotion, 2020) SEC 2020-07-22 $42.5k settled
SEC v. Shawn Severson (paid stock promotion, 2020) SEC 2020-02-28 $3.5k settled
SEC v. Steven Seagal (paid stock promotion, 2020) SEC 2020-02-27 $157k settled
SEC v. Lidingo Holdings, LLC, et al. (paid stock promotion, 2020) SEC 2020-01-14 — judgment
SEC v. Jeffrey O. Friedland, Global Corporate Strategies LLC., and Intiva Pharma, LLC (paid stock promotion, 2019) SEC 2019-12-09 $2m judgment
SEC v. Brian Robert Sodi, et al. (newsletter scalping, 2019) SEC 2019-09-19 — settled
SEC v. ICO Rating (paid stock promotion, 2019) SEC 2019-08-20 $162k settled
SEC v. Anthony J. Thompson, Jr., et al. (paid stock promotion, 2019) SEC 2019-02-01 — settled
SEC v. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (paid stock promotion, 2018) SEC 2018-11-29 $300k settled
SEC v. Khaled Khaled (paid stock promotion, 2018) SEC 2018-11-29 $100k settled
SEC v. Morrie Tobin et al. (paid stock promotion, 2018) SEC 2018-11-28 $461k settled
SEC v. SeeThruEquity, LLC et al. (newsletter scalping, 2018) SEC 2018-11-08 $520k judgment
SEC v. Thomas Carter Ronk (boiler rooms, 2018) SEC 2018-09-28 $75k settled
SEC v. CSIR Group, LLC, et al. (paid stock promotion, 2018) SEC 2018-09-20 $20k judgment
SEC v. Kon and Alexander (paid stock promotion, 2018) SEC 2018-05-29 $20k settled
OSC v. David Tuan Seng Lim and Michael Mugford (pump and dump, 2018) OSC 2018-03-28 — judgment
SEC v. Joe Yiu Cheung, a/k/a Dylon de lu Zhang (paid stock promotion, 2017) SEC 2017-08-02 $150k settled
SEC v. Jeffrey D. Martin, Thomas L. Tedrow and others (Mainstream Entertainment pump and dump, 2017) SEC 2017-08-01 $142k judgment
SEC v. Joey Giamichael and Umbrella Research, LLC (newsletter scalping, 2017) SEC 2017-07-25 $48.9k settled
SEC v. Lidingo Holdings, LLC, et al., CSIR Group, LLC, et al. (paid stock promotion, 2017) SEC 2017-04-12 — settled
SEC v. Craig Keolanui (paid stock promotion, 2017) SEC 2017-04-10 — settled
SEC v. Edward Borrelli and Dunedin, Inc. (paid stock promotion, 2017) SEC 2017-04-10 $30k settled
SEC v. ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd. (paid stock promotion, 2017) SEC 2017-04-10 — settled
SEC v. Joel Corenman (paid stock promotion, 2017) SEC 2017-04-10 $25k settled
SEC v. Lion Biotechnologies, Inc. (paid stock promotion, 2017) SEC 2017-04-10 $100k settled
SEC v. Michael A. McCarthy (paid stock promotion, 2017) SEC 2017-04-10 $75k settled
SEC v. Stephen Ramey (paid stock promotion, 2017) SEC 2017-04-10 $24k settled
SEC v. Contrarian Press, LLC, Scott S. Fraser, and Nathan Yeung (paid stock promotion, 2016) SEC 2016-09-06 $200k judgment
SEC v. Richard St. Julien et al. (paid stock promotion, 2016) SEC 2016-05-03 — settled
SEC v. William E. Mapp, III, et al. (paid stock promotion, 2016) SEC 2016-04-11 $200k settled
SEC v. Tobin Smith, et al. (paid stock promotion, 2016) SEC 2016-03-29 $75k settled
SEC v. Guy Gentile (paid stock promotion, 2016) SEC 2016-03-23 — filed
SEC v. Harold Bailey "B.J." Gallison II et al. (paid stock promotion, 2015) SEC 2015-07-14 — settled
SEC v. Mike Taxon and Itamar Cohen (paid stock promotion, 2015) SEC 2015-05-28 — settled
SEC v. Houston American Energy Corp., John F. Terwilliger, Undiscovered Equities, Inc. and Kevin T. McKnight (paid stock promotion, 2015) SEC 2015-04-23 $22.5k settled
SEC v. Adam Troy Dooly (paid stock promotion, 2013) SEC 2013-09-30 $3k settled