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
$329m
Median penalty
$1m
Largest
$100m
Criminal parallel
51%
Action Agency Filed Penalty Status
SEC v. Michael Scronic (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-04-04 — settled
SEC v. Spark Trading Group LLC and Niket Shah (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-03-12 $371k judgment
SEC v. Ash Narayan, The Ticket Reserve Inc. a/k/a Forward Market Media, Inc., Richard M. Harmon, and John A. Kaptrosky (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-01-22 $325k judgment
CFTC v. Dean and The Entrepreneurs Headquarters (ponzi schemes, 2018) CFTC 2018-01-18 $1.5m judgment
CFTC v. Crater, Gillespie and My Big Coin Pay (ponzi schemes, 2018) CFTC 2018-01-16 — settled
SEC v. David S. Haddad, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-01-11 $181k judgment
SEC v. Stephen C. Peters, VisionQuest Wealth Management, LLC, VisionQuest Capital, LLC, and VQ Wealth, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-12-21 — judgment
SEC v. Robert H. Shapiro and Woodbridge Group of Companies (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-12-20 $100m settled
SEC v. Capital Financial Partners, Allen and Daub: final judgments (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-11-17 — judgment
SEC v. The End of the Rainbow Partners and the Estate of Michael F. Anderson (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-11-08 — judgment
SEC v. Joseph Meli, et al. and Craig H. Carton, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-10-31 — settled
SEC v. Marc A. Celello (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-10-05 — settled
SEC v. Homero Joshua Garza (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-10-04 — judgment
CFTC v. Sarwar and Elfrimi (ponzi schemes, 2017) CFTC 2017-09-28 — filed
SEC v. Pedro Fort Berbel and others (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-09-28 $7m judgment
CFTC v. Nicholas Gelfman and Gelfman Blueprint, Inc. (ponzi schemes, 2017) CFTC 2017-09-21 $2m settled
SEC v. Francisco Illarramendi, Highview Point and Michael Kenwood (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-09-19 $1m judgment
SEC v. Craig H. Carton, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-09-06 — settled
SEC v. Dawn J. Bennett and DJB Holdings (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-08-25 — judgment
CFTC v. Lanzana, Masanko, Blackbox Pulse and White Cloud Mountain (ponzi schemes, 2017) CFTC 2017-08-21 $2m judgment
SEC v. Robert Cortez Marshall and Adz on Wheelz (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-08-15 $1.5m judgment
SEC v. Joey Stanton Dodson (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-07-26 $859k judgment
SEC v. Cheryl L. Jones (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-07-03 — dismissed
SEC v. Edwin Yoshihiro Fujinaga and MRI International, Inc., et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-06-15 — judgment
SEC v. Homero Joshua Garza, GAW Miners, LLC, and ZenMiner, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-06-05 $2m judgment
SEC v. Mark A. Jones (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-05-25 $160k judgment
SEC v. William J. Wells and Promitor Capital Management LLC (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-05-25 — settled
SEC v. Francisco Illarramendi, Highview Point Partners, LLC and others (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-05-24 — judgment
SEC v. Yasuna Murakami and Avi Chiat (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-05-22 $185k settled
SEC v. William R. Schantz III and Verto Capital Management LLC (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-05-04 $600k settled
SEC v. Mark J. Varacchi and Sentinel Growth Fund Management (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-05-01 — judgment
SEC v. Curtis A. Peterson (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-04-19 $7.5k judgment
SEC v. Patrick Churchville and ClearPath Wealth Management (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-03-17 $225k judgment
SEC v. FX & Beyond Corporation and Steve H. Karroum (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-02-16 $512k judgment
CFTC v. Ramirez, Gold Chasers and Royal Leisure International (ponzi schemes, 2017) CFTC 2017-02-14 $8.2m judgment
SEC v. Patrick O. Howard and Optimal Economics Capital Partners (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-02-14 — settled
SEC v. Mark J. Varacchi and Sentinel Growth Fund Management (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-02-02 — settled
SEC v. Herman Ronnie Young, Jr. d/b/a Race Cycler (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-01-26 — settled
SEC v. Gregory W. Gray, Jr., Archipel Capital and BIM Management (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-01-12 — settled
OSC v. 2002 Concepts Inc. and others (ponzi schemes, 2017) OSC 2017-01-10 — judgment
SEC v. Gary L. McDuff (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-12-16 — dismissed
CFTC v. Former CBOE Member Alvin (ponzi schemes, 2016) CFTC 2016-11-30 $12.4m judgment
SEC v. Shervin Neman and Neman Financial, Inc. (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-11-29 — judgment
SEC v. Blackbird Capital Partners, Kelley and Shumway (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-11-28 $50k judgment
SEC v. Capital Financial Partners, Allen and Daub: guilty pleas (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-11-22 — judgment
SEC v. Daniel Christian Stanley Powell (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-11-01 — judgment
CFTC v. Cifuentes, Wee and Cifuentes Fund Management (ponzi schemes, 2016) CFTC 2016-09-30 $1.8m judgment
OSC v. Saileshwar Rao Narayan and others (ponzi schemes, 2016) OSC 2016-09-30 — judgment
SEC v. Mark A. Jones (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-09-20 $160k judgment
SEC v. Curtis A. Peterson (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-08-23 $7.5k settled
SEC v. Damon M. Barnes and Cathy S. Barnes (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-08-16 — settled
SEC v. Daniel J. Bean (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-08-16 $7.5k settled
SEC v. Jeremy D. Barnes (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-08-16 — settled
SEC v. John L. Shipley (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-08-16 $7.5k settled
SEC v. Joshua M. Beauregard and Jennifer M. Beauregard (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-08-16 — settled
SEC v. Patrick Churchville and ClearPath Wealth Management (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-08-05 — judgment
SEC v. Jeffery A. McCollum and JNL Oilfield Instruments, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-07-27 $160k settled
SEC v. Traffic Monsoon and Charles Scoville (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-07-26 $2.4m judgment
SEC v. John Steven Blount (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-07-22 — settled
SEC v. Deven Sellers and Roland Barrera (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-07-14 — judgment
CFTC v. Garcia, DG Wealth Management and Quanttra (ponzi schemes, 2016) CFTC 2016-07-05 $7.5m judgment
CFTC v. Former CBOE Member Alvin Guy Wilkinson and his Connecticut-based Entities (ponzi schemes, 2016) CFTC 2016-06-28 $12.4m judgment
SEC v. Malcolm Segal (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-06-24 — judgment
SEC v. Wayne L. Palmer (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-06-13 $1.1m judgment
CFTC v. Haena Park and Phaetra Capital (ponzi schemes, 2016) CFTC 2016-06-03 $175k judgment
SEC v. JSG Capital Investments, Gill and Rios (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-05-31 $5.7m settled
SEC v. David B. Kaplan and Synchronized Organizational Solutions (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-05-19 $300k settled
SEC v. Marquis Properties LLC, Chad Deucher and Richard Clatfelter (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-05-05 $130k settled
SEC v. Ariel Quiros, William Stenger and Jay Peak (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-04-14 $1m settled
SEC v. Daniel Rivera, Matthew Rivera and Robbins Lane (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-03-24 $260k settled
SEC v. Gedrey Thompson (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-03-21 — judgment
SEC v. Mark A. Jones (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-03-15 $160k judgment
SEC v. Aequitas Management, LLC, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-03-11 — settled
SEC v. Edwin Yoshihiro Fujinaga and MRI International, Inc., et al. (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-03-09 — judgment
SEC v. Garfield M. Taylor (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-03-01 — judgment
CFTC v. 4X Solutions and Whileon Chay (ponzi schemes, 2016) CFTC 2016-02-08 $8.2m judgment
SEC v. Marquis Properties, Deucher and Clatfelter (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-01-19 — settled
SEC v. National Note of Utah and Wayne L. Palmer (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-12-04 $2m judgment
SEC v. Trudy R. Gilmond (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-12-04 — judgment
SEC v. Homero Joshua Garza, GAW Miners and ZenMiner (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-12-01 $2m settled
SEC v. James A. Torchia and Credit Nation Capital (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-11-10 $670k judgment
SEC v. William M. Apostelos and WMA Enterprises (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-10-29 — judgment
SEC v. Diverse Financial Corp., Dekel and Kandell (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-10-28 $545k settled
SEC v. Summit Trust Company, Kevin and George Brown (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-10-27 $6.5m settled
CFTC v. Bullar and Executive Management Advisors (ponzi schemes, 2015) CFTC 2015-10-20 $24.8m judgment
CFTC v. Watson (ponzi schemes, 2015) CFTC 2015-10-20 $27m judgment
SEC v. Garfield Taylor, Jeffrey King and Gibraltar Asset Management (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-10-08 $1.6m judgment
SEC v. Mogler, Hinkeldey, Polanchek, Buckley and Stevens (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-09-11 — judgment
SEC v. Joseph Paul Zada (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-09-11 — judgment
SEC v. Aronson, Aaron and Buonauro (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-09-02 $1.6m judgment
CFTC v. Ron Earl McCullough (ponzi schemes, 2015) CFTC 2015-08-28 $2.5m judgment
OSC v. Paul Camillo Dinardo (ponzi schemes, 2015) OSC 2015-08-20 — judgment
SEC v. Palladino and Viking Financial Group (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-08-13 — judgment
CFTC v. Simmons, Salazar and their companies (ponzi schemes, 2015) CFTC 2015-07-31 $76m settled
SEC v. Michael R. Enea (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-07-20 — judgment
CFTC v. Carl David Wright (ponzi schemes, 2015) CFTC 2015-07-10 $1m settled
SEC v. Luca International Group, Yang and others (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-07-06 $426k settled
SEC v. Malcolm Segal (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-07-01 — settled
SEC v. DFRF Enterprises, Filho and others (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-06-30 — judgment
CFTC v. Wurl and Ludiera Capital (ponzi schemes, 2015) CFTC 2015-06-24 — filed