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
$208m
Median penalty
$325k
Largest
$147m
Criminal parallel
44%
Action Agency Filed Penalty Status
SEC v. Michael Scronic (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-04-04 filed
SEC v. Spark Trading Group LLC and Niket Shah (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-03-23 filed
SEC v. Geoffrey H. Lunn, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-02-12 judgment
CFTC v. Randall Crater (ponzi schemes, 2018) CFTC 2018-01-24 filed
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. Colorado Resident Dillon Michael Dean and His Company (ponzi schemes, 2018) CFTC 2018-01-19 filed
SEC v. David S. Haddad, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2018) SEC 2018-01-11 $181k judgment
SEC v. Robert H. Shapiro, Woodbridge Group of Companies, LLC, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-12-21 filed
SEC v. Stephen C. Peters, VisionQuest Wealth Management, LLC, VisionQuest Capital, LLC, and VQ Wealth, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-12-21 filed
SEC v. Capital Financial Partners, LLC et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-11-17 judgment
SEC v. Pedro Fort Berbel et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-11-16 filed
SEC v. The End of the Rainbow Partners, L.L.C., and others (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-11-14 unknown
SEC v. James P. Kolf (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-11-03 settled
SEC v. Joseph Meli, et al. and Craig H. Carton, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-10-31 unknown
SEC v. Marc A. Celello (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-10-06 filed
SEC v. Homero Joshua Garza (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-10-04 judgment
CFTC v. California Residents Hasan Sarwar a/k/a Alexander Sarwar (ponzi schemes, 2017) CFTC 2017-09-30 filed
SEC v. Naris Chamroonrat, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-09-28 judgment
CFTC v. Nicholas Gelfman and Gelfman Blueprint (ponzi schemes, 2017) CFTC 2017-09-22 filed
SEC v. Francisco Illarramendi, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-09-19 judgment
SEC v. Craig H. Carton, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-09-06 filed
SEC v. Scott Newsholme (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-09-06 filed
SEC v. Dawn J. Bennett and DJB Holdings LLC (paid stock promotion, 2017) SEC 2017-08-28 filed
CFTC v. South Carolina Resident Thomas Lanzana (ponzi schemes, 2017) CFTC 2017-08-25 filed
SEC v. Robert Cortez Marshall (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-08-16 filed
SEC v. Louis Martin Blazer III (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-08-10 judgment
SEC v. Joey Stanton Dodson (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-07-26 judgment
SEC v. Cheryl L. Jones (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-07-03 filed
SEC v. Edwin Yoshihiro Fujinaga and MRI International, Inc., et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-06-15 appealed
SEC v. Homero Joshua Garza, GAW Miners, LLC, and ZenMiner, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-06-05 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 $1m judgment
SEC v. Murakami, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-05-22 filed
SEC v. Chamroonrat, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-05-11 filed
SEC v. William R. Schantz III and Verto Capital Management LLC (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-05-04 settled
SEC v. Mark J. Varacchi, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-05-01 judgment
SEC v. Patrick Churchville, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-03-17 filed
SEC v. FX & Beyond Corporation et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-02-21 judgment
SEC v. Patrick O. Howard, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-02-16 unknown
CFTC v. Carlos Javier Ramirez and His Companies (ponzi schemes, 2017) CFTC 2017-02-15 filed
SEC v. Varacchi, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-02-02 filed
CFTC v. Florida Residents Anthony J. Klatch II and Lindsey Heim (ponzi schemes, 2017) CFTC 2017-01-27 judgment
SEC v. Herman Ronnie Young, Jr. d/b/a Race Cycler (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-01-27 judgment
SEC v. Charles A. Bennett (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-01-18 unknown
SEC v. Gregory W. Gray, Jr., et al. (ponzi schemes, 2017) SEC 2017-01-12 judgment
OSC v. 2002 Concepts Inc. and others (ponzi schemes, 2017) OSC 2017-01-10 dismissed
SEC v. Chamroonrat, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-12-22 filed
CFTC v. Former CBOE Member Alvin (ponzi schemes, 2016) CFTC 2016-12-01 $12.4m judgment
SEC v. Blackbird Capital Partners, LLC, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-11-30 unknown
SEC v. Neman and Shervin Neman Financial, Inc. (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-11-29 judgment
SEC v. Capital Financial Partners, LLC et al. and others (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-11-22 unknown
SEC v. Gary R. Purwin, CPA (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-11-21 $20k settled
CFTC v. New Jersey Residents Alcibiades Cifuentes and Jennifer Wee Cifuentes (ponzi schemes, 2016) CFTC 2016-10-01 filed
SEC v. Ikenna Ikokwu, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-09-30 filed
OSC v. Saileshwar Rao Narayan and others (ponzi schemes, 2016) OSC 2016-09-30 filed
SEC v. Mark A. Jones (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-09-20 unknown
SEC v. BOKF, NA (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-09-09 $600k judgment
SEC v. Peterson and Curtis A. (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 (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-08-05 filed
SEC v. Traffic Monsoon et al. (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-07-28 filed
SEC v. Jeffery A. McCollum and JNL Oilfield Instruments, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-07-27 $160k settled
SEC v. Blount and John Steven (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-07-22 unknown
CFTC v. Naples (ponzi schemes, 2016) CFTC 2016-07-06 $7.5m judgment
CFTC v. Former CBOE Member Alvin Guy Wilkinson and his Connecticut-based Entities (ponzi schemes, 2016) CFTC 2016-06-29 filed
SEC v. Malcolm Segal (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-06-24 judgment
CFTC v. Haena Park and Her Companies Phaetra Capital GP LLC (ponzi schemes, 2016) CFTC 2016-06-04 filed
SEC v. JSG Capital Investments, LLC, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-05-31 filed
SEC v. David B. Kaplan, Esq., et al. (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-05-27 unknown
SEC v. Louis Martin Blazer III (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-05-06 settled
SEC v. Marquis Properties LLC, Chad Deucher and Richard Clatfelter (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-05-05 filed
SEC v. Ariel Quiros, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-04-14 unknown
SEC v. John Scott Clark (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-03-31 filed
SEC v. Daniel Rivera, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-03-30 $160k judgment
SEC v. Mark A. Jones (paid stock promotion, 2016) SEC 2016-03-16 filed
SEC v. Aequitas Management, LLC, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-03-11 dismissed
SEC v. Edwin Yoshihiro Fujinaga and MRI International, Inc., et al. (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-03-09 judgment
CFTC v. unnamed respondents (ponzi schemes, 2016) CFTC 2016-02-09 $8.2m judgment
SEC v. Marquis Properties, LLC (ponzi schemes, 2016) SEC 2016-01-21 unknown
CFTC v. Defendant Nikolai S. Battoo (ponzi schemes, 2016) CFTC 2016-01-14 $147m judgment
SEC v. Trudy R. Gilmond (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-12-08 unknown
SEC v. National Note of Utah and Wayne L. Palmer (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-12-04 $1.1m unknown
SEC v. Homero Joshua Garza (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-12-01 filed
SEC v. James A. Torchia et al. (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-12-01 settled
CFTC v. Navinder Sarao (benchmark submission rigging, 2015) CFTC 2015-11-07 $1.6m judgment
SEC v. William M. Apostelos, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-10-30 unknown
SEC v. Diverse Financial Corp., et al. (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-10-29 unknown
SEC v. Summit Trust Company, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-10-27 judgment
SEC v. James N. Fry (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-10-26 settled
CFTC v. John R. Bullar (ponzi schemes, 2015) CFTC 2015-10-21 unknown
CFTC v. Watson (ponzi schemes, 2015) CFTC 2015-10-21 $27m judgment
SEC v. Garfield Taylor, Inc., et al. (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-10-08 $150k judgment
SEC v. Charles Riel III and REinvest LLC (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-09-30 filed
SEC v. Jason Mogler, et al. (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-09-15 filed
SEC v. Joseph Paul Zada (ponzi schemes, 2015) SEC 2015-09-11 appealed