Market Manipulation. Search

Ponzi schemes enforcement actions

This library records 474 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
$572m
Median penalty
$925k
Largest
$429m
Criminal parallel
59%
Action Agency Filed Penalty Status
OSC v. Marilyn Dianne Stuart (ponzi schemes, 2021) OSC 2021-01-13 — judgment
SEC v. DeAndre P. Sears et al. (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-12-31 — settled
SEC v. Gregory Altieri (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-12-30 — settled
CFTC v. Mark N. Pyatt (ponzi schemes, 2020) CFTC 2020-12-22 — judgment
CFTC v. unnamed respondents (ponzi schemes, 2020) CFTC 2020-11-04 $450k judgment
SEC v. Paul Horton Smith, Sr. and others (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-10-22 — judgment
OSC v. Vernon Ray Fauth (ponzi schemes, 2020) OSC 2020-10-20 — judgment
SEC v. Rudden, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-10-16 — judgment
SEC v. Michael Staisil (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-09-30 $200k settled
SEC v. Lewis I. Wallach (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-09-29 — settled
CFTC v. 4 Florida Men (ponzi schemes, 2020) CFTC 2020-09-16 $80.5m judgment
CFTC v. Walsh (ponzi schemes, 2020) CFTC 2020-09-11 — judgment
SEC v. Steven Fitzgerald Brown (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-09-03 — settled
CFTC v. Multiple Individuals and Entities (ponzi schemes, 2020) CFTC 2020-08-28 — filed
SEC v. Dale Tenhulzen et al. (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-08-13 — settled
Former financial adviser sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for dishonest conduct (ASIC, 2020) ASIC 2020-08-04 — judgment
SEC v. Victor Lee Farias and Integrity Aviation & Leasing, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-08-04 — judgment
CFTC v. California and Colorado Residents (ponzi schemes, 2020) CFTC 2020-07-08 — judgment
SEC v. Todd Lahr and Thomas Megas (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-06-24 — judgment
SEC v. Neil Burkholz, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-06-15 — judgment
SEC v. Damon Elliott, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-05-06 $5.4m judgment
SEC v. Aequitas Management, LLC, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-04-24 $925k judgment
SEC v. Todays Growth Consultant Inc. and Kenneth D. Courtright, III (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-03-06 — filed
SEC v. Brook Church-Koegel, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-03-05 — settled
CFTC v. Colorado Resident (ponzi schemes, 2020) CFTC 2020-02-14 $450k judgment
SEC v. DFRF Enterprises LLC, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-01-31 — judgment
SEC v. Michael Douglas Billings and MDB Group, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-01-31 — settled
SEC v. Jeffrey P. Carpoff and Paulette Carpoff (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-01-24 — filed
CFTC v. US Coin Bullion LLC and its Owners (ponzi schemes, 2020) CFTC 2020-01-10 — judgment
SEC v. John James Sheehan, Jr. (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-01-10 $37.5k settled
SEC v. Edward Espinal and Cash Flow Partners, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-01-07 — filed
SEC v. Robert A. Karmann (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-12-18 — settled
CFTC v. New Mexico Resident (ponzi schemes, 2019) CFTC 2019-12-10 $5.2m settled
SEC v. Lester Burroughs (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-12-05 — settled
SEC v. Brett Pittsenbargar, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-11-25 $100k settled
SEC v. Kevin B. Merrill, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-11-25 — filed
SEC v. David F. Bandimere (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-11-22 $130k settled
SEC v. Ruless Pierre a/k/a Rules Pierre (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-11-21 — unknown
SEC v. Burkholz, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-11-20 $1.8m judgment
SEC v. DFRF Enterprises LLC, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-10-29 $1m judgment
SEC v. Joseph Bayliss and Ronald Roach (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-10-22 — settled
CFTC v. Nevada Company and its Owner (ponzi schemes, 2019) CFTC 2019-10-16 $1.5m judgment
CFTC v. unnamed respondents (ponzi schemes, 2019) CFTC 2019-10-15 $12.6m judgment
SEC v. Eric J. "EJ" Dalius et al. (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-10-15 $3.1m settled
SEC v. James T. Booth (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-09-30 — settled
SEC v. Andres Fernandez and Edison Denizard (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-09-25 — judgment
SEC v. William M. Apostelos, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-09-25 — judgment
CFTC v. Trader and his Company (ponzi schemes, 2019) CFTC 2019-09-19 — settled
SEC v. Executive Financial Services, Inc. (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-09-04 $8.1m judgment
SEC v. Terry Wayne Kelly and Kelly Management, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-08-22 — settled
SEC v. William J. Milles, Jr. and Donald J. Lutzko (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-07-18 $414k judgment
SEC v. Henry J. Wieniewitz, III, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-07-15 — settled
CFTC v. unnamed respondents (ponzi schemes, 2019) CFTC 2019-06-27 — judgment
SEC v. Landon M. Smith (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-06-24 — settled
SEC v. Edward Lee Moody, Jr. (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-06-21 — judgment
CFTC v. Company and its Principal (ponzi schemes, 2019) CFTC 2019-06-18 $429m judgment
SEC v. James E. Hocker (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-06-04 — judgment
SEC v. Syed Arham Arbab, Artis Proficio Capital Investments, LLC, and Artis Proficio Capital Management, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-06-03 — settled
SEC v. Craig H. Carton, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-05-31 — judgment
SEC v. Robert C. Morgan (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-05-23 — settled
SEC v. Robert S. Davis, Jr., et al. (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-05-22 — settled
SEC v. Jonathan H. Seigel, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-05-21 — settled
SEC v. Christopher D. Dougherty, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-04-26 — settled
CFTC v. Forex Trading Firms and Principals (ponzi schemes, 2019) CFTC 2019-04-22 $14.6m judgment
SEC v. Anthony C. Zufelt (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-04-22 — judgment
SEC v. Ivan Acevedo & Dane R. Roseman (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-04-12 — settled
SEC v. Jeffrey Gainer (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-04-10 — judgment
SEC v. Carol Ann Pedersen (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-03-20 — settled
SEC v. Kent R.E. Whitney, David Lee Parrish, The Church for the Healthy Self a/k/a CHS Trust, and CHS Asset Management Inc. (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-03-18 — settled
SEC v. William Neil "Doc" Gallagher, Gallagher Financial Group, Inc., and W. Neil Gallagher, Ph.D. Agency, Inc. (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-03-12 — filed
SEC v. NL Technology, LLC et al. (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-02-11 $960k judgment
SEC v. Spark Trading Group, LLC and Niket Shah (ponzi schemes, 2019) SEC 2019-02-08 $371k judgment
SEC v. Joe Lawler (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-12-21 $150k judgment
SEC v. Robert S. "Lute" Davis, Jr., et al., Jordan E. Goodman., Alan H. New, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-12-19 $100k settled
CFTC v. Gaylen Rust (ponzi schemes, 2018) CFTC 2018-12-17 — filed
CFTC v. Defendants Gaylen Dean Rust (ponzi schemes, 2018) CFTC 2018-11-16 — filed
SEC v. Arthur Lamar Adams et al. (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-11-09 — settled
SEC v. Joseph Meli, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-11-09 — settled
SEC v. Kevin B. Merrill, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-11-09 — filed
SEC v. Craig H. Carton, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-11-08 — settled
CFTC v. GBI (ponzi schemes, 2018) CFTC 2018-10-18 $2m judgment
SEC v. Merrill, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-10-11 — filed
SEC v. NL Technology, LLC et al. (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-09-28 $480k judgment
OSC v. Daniel P. Reeve (ponzi schemes, 2018) OSC 2018-09-26 — judgment
SEC v. Barry M. Kornfeld, et al., Lynette M. Robbins and Knowles Systems, Inc. (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-08-22 $100k settled
SEC v. John C. Maccoll (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-08-09 — settled
SEC v. Arthur Lamar Adams and Madison Timber Properties, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-08-08 — filed
SEC v. Rudden, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-07-26 — settled
SEC v. Edward Lee Moody Jr., et. al. (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-07-03 — settled
SEC v. James VanBlaricum, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-06-26 — settled
SEC v. James E. Hocker (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-06-21 — judgment
SEC v. Santillo, Parris, LaRocco, Piccarreto and Brenner (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-06-19 — settled
SEC v. Ralph T. Iannelli and Essex Capital Corporation (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-06-06 $640k settled
CFTC v. Alcibiades Cifuentes (ponzi schemes, 2018) CFTC 2018-05-08 $1.8m judgment
SEC v. Small Business Capital Corp. and Mark Feathers (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-05-02 $10k judgment
CFTC v. Charles H. McAllister and BullionDirect (ponzi schemes, 2018) CFTC 2018-04-30 — settled
CFTC v. Kane Capital Investment Group and Amrit Chahal (ponzi schemes, 2018) CFTC 2018-04-12 — settled
SEC v. Amrit J. S. Chahal (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-04-12 — judgment
SEC v. The Lifepay Group, Clifton E. Stanley and Michael E. Watts (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-04-06 — settled
SEC v. Joseph Meli and Craig H. Carton (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-04-05 — settled