Market Manipulation. Search

Ponzi schemes enforcement actions

This library records 568 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
$67.2m
Median penalty
$963k
Largest
$32m
Criminal parallel
47%
Action Agency Filed Penalty Status
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
OSC v. Christopher Uitvlugt (ponzi schemes, 2022) OSC 2022-04-27 filed
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
CFTC v. William S. Evans III (ponzi schemes, 2022) CFTC 2022-01-19 $17m judgment
SEC v. Tanmaya Kabra et al. (ponzi schemes, 2022) SEC 2022-01-06 judgment
CFTC v. New Jersey-Based Entities and Individuals (ponzi schemes, 2021) CFTC 2021-12-28 unknown
SEC v. Marco "Sully" Perez and Permian Basin Proppants, Inc. (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-12-22 filed
ASIC v. Courtenay House (ponzi schemes, 2021) ASIC 2021-11-30 filed
SEC v. Guy Scott Griffithe and Robert William Russell (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-11-24 dismissed
SEC v. BNZ One Capital, LLC, et al. (paid stock promotion, 2021) SEC 2021-10-29 filed
CFTC v. New Jersey Resident and His Company (ponzi schemes, 2021) CFTC 2021-10-27 settled
SEC v. Ann M. Vick (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-10-26 settled
CFTC v. El Paso Resident and His Firm (ponzi schemes, 2021) CFTC 2021-10-20 filed
CFTC v. Craig L. Clavin (ponzi schemes, 2021) CFTC 2021-10-12 $370k judgment
CFTC v. North Carolina Companies and Their Owners (ponzi schemes, 2021) CFTC 2021-10-08 unknown
SEC v. Steven Pagartanis (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-10-07 judgment
SEC v. Gregory L. Ciccone, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-09-29 unknown
SEC v. Sky Group, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-09-29 filed
SEC v. Jaeson Birnbaum (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-09-28 filed
SEC v. Frantz Simeon and First Black Enterprises, Inc. (paid stock promotion, 2021) SEC 2021-09-23 unknown
CFTC v. Former Hawaii Resident (ponzi schemes, 2021) CFTC 2021-09-16 filed
SEC v. Jason Dodd Bullard, Angela Romero-Bullard, and Bullard Enterprises LLC (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-09-16 unknown
CFTC v. Texas Resident and others (ponzi schemes, 2021) CFTC 2021-09-14 filed
SEC v. Todd Elliott Hitt et al. (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-09-10 dismissed
SEC v. Steven Fitzgerald Brown (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-08-31 judgment
CFTC v. Glen Galemmo (ponzi schemes, 2021) CFTC 2021-08-27 settled
SEC v. William B. McHenry Jr. and First South Investments, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-08-27 filed
SEC v. John J. Woods, Livingston Group Asset Management Company d/b/a Southport Capital, and Horizon Private Equity, III, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-08-25 unknown
SEC v. Martin Adrian Ruiz et al. (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-08-13 unknown
SEC v. MJ Capital Funding, LLC, et al, (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-08-13 unknown
SEC v. George Heckler (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-07-28 filed
SEC v. Outdoor Capital Partners, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-07-22 unknown
OSC v. Jiubin Feng and CIM International Group Inc. (ponzi schemes, 2021) OSC 2021-07-21 judgment
SEC v. Profit Connect Wealth Services, Inc., Joy I. Kovar, and Brent C. Kovar (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-07-20 unknown
SEC v. Matthew J. Skinner, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-06-29 filed
SEC v. Robert Joseph Armijo, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-06-15 filed
SEC v. The Estate of Kenneth J. Casey (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-06-02 filed
CFTC v. Cipolla (ponzi schemes, 2021) CFTC 2021-05-14 $5m judgment
CFTC v. Aaron Michael Scott (ponzi schemes, 2021) CFTC 2021-04-27 $1.3m judgment
SEC v. Jonathan P. Maroney, Et. Al (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-04-27 unknown
SEC v. Gregory Altieri (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-04-23 judgment
CFTC v. unnamed respondents (ponzi schemes, 2021) CFTC 2021-04-08 $32m judgment
CFTC v. Douglas Lien (ponzi schemes, 2021) CFTC 2021-04-08 $5.2m judgment
SEC v. Zachary J. Horwitz, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-04-08 unknown
SEC v. Jason P. Wootten, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-03-23 filed
SEC v. Seth P. Levine (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-03-19 settled
SEC v. Shawn C. Cutting (paid stock promotion, 2021) SEC 2021-03-11 unknown
SEC v. EarthSource Minerals International, LLC et al. (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-03-02 $125k settled
SEC v. James T. Booth (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-02-22 judgment
SEC v. Isaiah L. Goodman (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-02-09 filed
CFTC v. New York Man (ponzi schemes, 2021) CFTC 2021-01-26 filed
SEC v. Jacob C. Glick (ponzi schemes, 2021) SEC 2021-01-19 filed
OSC v. Marilyn Dianne Stuart (ponzi schemes, 2021) OSC 2021-01-13 filed
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 filed
CFTC v. Mark N. Pyatt (ponzi schemes, 2020) CFTC 2020-12-22 $255k judgment
SEC v. Rumbaugh et al (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-11-24 judgment
CFTC v. unnamed respondents (paid stock promotion, 2020) CFTC 2020-11-04 $450k judgment
SEC v. Terrence Chalk, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-11-03 filed
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. Alexander Rowland (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-10-13 filed
SEC v. Michael Staisil (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-09-30 filed
SEC v. Thomas J. Gity, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-09-30 filed
SEC v. Todd W. Mixon (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-09-30 filed
SEC v. Lewis I. Wallach (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-09-29 settled
SEC v. Craig A. Zabala (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-09-24 filed
SEC v. Scott Allen Fries (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-09-17 filed
CFTC v. 4 Florida Men (ponzi schemes, 2020) CFTC 2020-09-16 filed
CFTC v. Walsh (ponzi schemes, 2020) CFTC 2020-09-11 judgment
SEC v. Phillip W. Conley (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-09-03 filed
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
OSC v. Donald Bruce Wilson and others (ponzi schemes, 2020) OSC 2020-08-10 unknown
Former financial adviser sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for dishonest conduct (ASIC, 2020) ASIC 2020-08-04 unknown
SEC v. Victor Lee Farias and Integrity Aviation & Leasing, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-08-04 filed
CFTC v. California and Colorado Residents (ponzi schemes, 2020) CFTC 2020-07-08 filed
SEC v. Ralph C. Greaves, Esq. (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-07-06 judgment
SEC v. Todd Lahr and Thomas Megas (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-06-24 judgment
SEC v. Todd H. Lahr, Esq. (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-06-24 judgment
SEC v. Neil Burkholz, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-06-15 judgment
CFTC v. Unregistered Commodity Pool Operator and Its Chief Executive Officer (ponzi schemes, 2020) CFTC 2020-06-11 filed
SEC v. Daniel F. Putnam, Jean Paul Ramirez Rico, Angel A. Rodriguez, MMT Distribution, LLC, R & D Global (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-06-05 unknown
CFTC v. Kentucky Man (ponzi schemes, 2020) CFTC 2020-06-02 filed
CFTC v. Danish Man (ponzi schemes, 2020) CFTC 2020-05-18 filed
SEC v. Damon Elliott, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-05-06 filed
SEC v. Aequitas Management, LLC, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-04-24 $625k judgment
SEC v. Barry R. Bekkedam (ponzi schemes, 2020) SEC 2020-04-22 unknown