Market Manipulation. Search

Ponzi schemes enforcement actions

This library records 532 enforcement actions tagged ponzi schemes. A Ponzi scheme pays returns to earlier investors from later investors' money rather than from genuine profits, which is investment fraud with no market involvement and no price to manipulate.

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 ponzi schemes technique page.

Actions
100
Total penalties
$30.5m
Median penalty
$233k
Largest
$20m
Criminal parallel
36%
Action Agency Filed Penalty Status
CFTC v. Chicago-based Phillip Galles (ponzi schemes, 2023) CFTC 2023-11-15 $20m judgment
SEC v. Matthew Melton (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-11-15 filed
SEC v. John A. Masanotti, Jr. and Middlesex Mortgage Group, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-11-09 filed
SEC v. Matthew M. Motil, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-10-04 filed
SEC v. Zera Financial LLC (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-10-03 unknown
SEC v. Bin Hao and Qidian LLC (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-09-29 filed
SEC v. John Feloni and Stock Squirrel, Inc. (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-09-29 filed
CFTC v. unnamed respondents (ponzi schemes, 2023) CFTC 2023-09-28 unknown
CFTC v. Unregistered Pool Operator and its Owner (ponzi schemes, 2023) CFTC 2023-09-28 unknown
CFTC v. Florida Man (ponzi schemes, 2023) CFTC 2023-09-26 filed
SEC v. William B. McHenry, Jr. and First South Investments, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-09-26 judgment
SEC v. Stephen L. Bailey, Sapphire Exploration LLC, and Harris Exploration Inc. (paid stock promotion, 2023) SEC 2023-09-25 filed
SEC v. Empirex Capital LLC and Rafael Alberto Vargas Gonzalez, a/k/a Rafael Vargas (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-09-22 unknown
SEC v. Nathalia I. Burgos, Christian A. Cuesta, Steven A. Fernandez et. al. (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-09-22 settled
SEC v. Jon P. Kubler, Kubler Consulting LLC, Aksarben Evolution LLC, AV Bhill LLC, CFH Texas LLC, Green Saddle LLC (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-09-21 filed
SEC v. Luis Ricardo Quiroz Gardea (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-09-21 settled
SEC v. MFB 111 Investment, LLC and Monise François Bien Aimé (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-09-19 filed
SEC v. Tilila Walker Sumchai (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-09-19 filed
SEC v. Rand Heckler (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-09-13 judgment
SEC v. Esos Rings, Inc. and Michelle Silverstein aka Michelle Silverstein Bisnoff (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-09-12 $233k judgment
SEC v. Mina Tadrus, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-09-08 filed
SEC v. Brady Jack Speers, Chatree Thiranon, and GHAP, LLC d/b/a Blue Star Texas (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-08-31 judgment
SEC v. William V. Conn, Jr. (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-08-31 filed
CFTC v. Texas Man and His Company (ponzi schemes, 2023) CFTC 2023-08-23 filed
SEC v. Chad Stickforth (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-08-08 judgment
SEC v. Jose D. Rocha (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-08-03 settled
SEC v. Mina Tadrus and Tadrus Capital LLC (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-08-02 filed
SEC v. Brent Seaman, Accanito Holdings, LLC, and others (paid stock promotion, 2023) SEC 2023-07-28 judgment
CFTC v. Tennessee Husband and Wife Realtors (ponzi schemes, 2023) CFTC 2023-07-25 filed
SEC v. Eric J. "EJ" Dalius et al. (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-07-20 $112k judgment
SEC v. Robert D. Christensen, Anthony M. Matic, Foresee, Inc., The Commission PDX, LLC, The Policy PDX, Innings 150 (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-07-20 $200k judgment
SEC v. Joseph Michael Todd, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-07-13 settled
SEC v. Nayeem Choudhury and Dream Venture Capital Group, LLC (paid stock promotion, 2023) SEC 2023-07-12 unknown
CFTC v. Unregistered Michigan Commodity Pool Operator and its President (ponzi schemes, 2023) CFTC 2023-07-06 unknown
SEC v. Wilson Baston (A/K/A Chanon Gordon) (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-06-28 filed
SEC v. Royal Bengal Logistics, Inc. and Sanjay Singh (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-06-26 filed
SEC v. Josh S. Verne (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-06-14 unknown
SEC v. Chimene Van Gundy and others (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-05-31 judgment
SEC v. Integrated National Resources, Inc. dba WeedGenics, Rolf Max Hirschmann aka "Max Bergmann," and Patrick Earl Williams (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-05-23 unknown
SEC v. Sam A. Antar (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-05-19 judgment
SEC v. Brian Raymond Callahan et al. (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-05-17 judgment
CFTC v. Commodity Pool Operator Tyche Asset Management LLC and its Controlling Principal (ponzi schemes, 2023) CFTC 2023-05-11 filed
SEC v. Charles T. Lawrence, Jr., et al. (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-05-11 filed
SEC v. Cedric Dewayne Griffin (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-05-04 unknown
SEC v. Brett M. Bartlett and others (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-05-03 filed
CFTC v. New York Resident (ponzi schemes, 2023) CFTC 2023-04-11 filed
SEC v. Michael J. French, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-04-04 filed
SEC v. Surage Kamal Roshan Perera and Janues Capital Incorporated (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-03-29 filed
SEC v. Aaron Cain McKnight, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-03-27 judgment
SEC v. BKCoin Management, LLC, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-03-06 unknown
SEC v. Adam S. Kaplan and Daniel E. Kaplan (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-03-03 filed
SEC v. Stephen Keith Woodard, Sr. (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-03-01 filed
SEC v. Shawn E. Good (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-02-27 settled
SEC v. Energy & Environmental Investments, LLC and others (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-02-24 $1m judgment
CFTC v. Several People and Companies (ponzi schemes, 2023) CFTC 2023-02-23 filed
CFTC v. California-based Company and Its CEO (ponzi schemes, 2023) CFTC 2023-02-16 filed
CFTC v. Three Puerto Rico Residents and Their Companies (ponzi schemes, 2023) CFTC 2023-02-13 filed
SEC v. Austin D. Ellison-Meade (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-01-24 filed
SEC v. Yossi Engel (ponzi schemes, 2023) SEC 2023-01-12 unknown
CFTC v. Jeremy Spence (ponzi schemes, 2022) CFTC 2022-12-01 $2.8m judgment
SEC v. Adrian J. Kawuba, Civ. Action (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-11-14 judgment
SEC v. Douver Torres Braga, Joff Paradise, and Keleionalani Akana Taylor, Jonathan Tetreault (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-11-04 settled
SEC v. Syed Arham Arbab, Tomas Javier Jimenez, Blake Douglas McKinney, Mushfiqur Rahman, John Ryan Shows, and William Carl Spagnoli (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-11-01 settled
SEC v. Kevin B. Merrill, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-10-18 judgment
CFTC v. Walsh (ponzi schemes, 2022) CFTC 2022-10-17 judgment
SEC v. National Realty Investment Advisors LLC, Rey E. Grabato II, Daniel Coley O'Brien, Thomas Nicholas Salzano and others (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-10-14 filed
SEC v. Mauricio Chavez, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-10-03 unknown
SEC v. Ari Lauer (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-09-30 filed
SEC v. Christian J. Gonzalez (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-09-27 filed
SEC v. Judith Paris-Pinder (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-09-26 judgment
SEC v. Brian Lam, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-09-23 filed
SEC v. James Arthur McDonald, Jr. and Hercules Investments, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-09-22 unknown
SEC v. Gabriel Edelman, Creative Advancement LLC and Edelman Blockchain Advisors LLC (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-09-15 unknown
CFTC v. Tae Hung Kang (ponzi schemes, 2022) CFTC 2022-09-08 $800k judgment
CFTC v. unnamed respondents (ponzi schemes, 2022) CFTC 2022-09-02 $200k judgment
SEC v. Pavel Ruiz (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-08-30 settled
SEC v. Vladimir Okhotnikov et al. (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-08-01 settled
SEC v. Alexandra Robert, Chalala Academy LLC (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-07-27 filed
SEC v. Todd Lahr and Thomas Megas (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-07-26 judgment
SEC v. Matthew Wade Beasley, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-07-01 filed
SEC v. Prosperity Consultants, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-07-01 filed
SEC v. Eric D. Lachow (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-06-24 filed
SEC v. Michael Mooney, Britt Wright, and Penny Flippen (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-06-14 filed
SEC v. Patrick Churchville, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-06-09 $225k judgment
SEC v. Andrew M, Middlebrooks, et al (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-05-25 filed
CFTC v. Oregon and others (ponzi schemes, 2022) CFTC 2022-05-19 unknown
SEC v. Wynn Charlebois et al. (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-05-19 unknown
CFTC v. Long Island Resident and His Firm (ponzi schemes, 2022) CFTC 2022-05-13 unknown
CFTC v. California Man and His Companies (ponzi schemes, 2022) CFTC 2022-05-10 filed
SEC v. Manuel A. Romero (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-05-10 judgment
SEC v. Derek J. Slattery and TradeSmart Software RIC Corporation (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-05-05 unknown
SEC v. Mark Marchi (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-05-05 settled
SEC v. American Equities, Inc., American Eagle Mortgage Management, LLC, Ross C. Miles and Maureen T. Wile (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-04-27 settled
SEC v. Damon Elliott, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-04-15 judgment
SEC v. Julie Minuskin, Joshua Stoll, Dennis DiRicco, Tom Casey and Golden Genesis, Inc. (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-04-11 settled
CFTC v. Danish (ponzi schemes, 2022) CFTC 2022-04-08 $4.7m judgment
CFTC v. unnamed respondents (ponzi schemes, 2022) CFTC 2022-03-29 settled
CFTC v. unnamed respondents (ponzi schemes, 2022) CFTC 2022-03-22 $150k judgment
CFTC v. Four Operators (ponzi schemes, 2022) CFTC 2022-03-08 filed
SEC v. Joseph Orazio DeGregorio (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-03-02 settled