On April 7, 2015 the SEC charged Los Angeles-based Pacific West Capital Group, Inc. and its owner Andrew Calhoun with fraud in the sale of “life settlement” investments. The SEC’s complaint alleges that since 2004, Pacific West and Calhoun raised nearly $100 million from life settlement investors. Since at least…
Securities Fraud Lawyer Blog
SEC Charges VGTel Owner Edward Durante with Fraud
On December 18, 2015 the SEC charged Edward Durante, a recidivist securities law violator for running a multi-year securities offering fraud that targeted investors in New England, Ohio and California. The SEC alleges that between 2012 and 2014, Edward Durante defrauded at least 50 unsophisticated investors of $11 million through…
Clermont FL Broker Greg Townes hit with FINRA Award
On December 3, 2015, a FINRA Dispute Resolution, Inc. arbitration panel found against Greg Townes, a registered representative with Foresters Equity Services of Ocala, FL. The Claimants in the matter, Wanda and Michael Saporito were represented by The Law Office of David Liebrader. After hearing the evidence, the FINRA arbitrators…
SEC Charges Pacific West Capital Group Over Life Settlements
On April 7, 2015 the SEC charged Los Angeles-based Pacific West Capital Group, Inc. and its owner Andrew B Calhoun IV with fraud in the sale of “life settlement” investments. The SEC’s complaint alleges that since 2004, Pacific West Capital Group and Calhoun, a Beverly Hills, California, life insurance agent,…
SEC Charges Veros Partners with Farm Loan Scheme
On April 24, 2015 the SEC announced charges against an Indianapolis investment adviser, Veros Partners, its president, two associates and several affiliated companies for engaging in two fraudulent farm loan offerings, in which they made ponzi scheme payments to investors in other offerings and paid themselves hundreds of thousands of…
SEC Charges North Dakota Developments, principals Gavin and Hogan
On May 6, 2015 the SEC announced charges and an emergency asset freeze against North Dakota Developments, LLC and its two principals, Robert L. Gavin and Daniel J. Hogan, for allegedly defrauding investors in a scheme to purportedly build and operate short-term housing facilities or “man camps” for workers in…
SEC charges Clear Path’s Patrick Churchville
On May 8, 2015 the SEC filed a complaint against ClearPath Wealth Management and its president and owner Patrick Churchville as defendants for operating a fraudulent scheme that the SEC alleges resulted in at least $11 million in losses to investors. The Multi-Strategy Funds and the HCR Value Fund, L.P.…
SEC Charges SoCal Broker Chad Wiegand
On June 9, 2015, The SEC announced that it had charged three men living in California with insider trading in the stock and options of Ardea Biosciences. The SEC alleges that Michael J. Fefferman learned material nonpublic information as senior director of information technology at Ardea Biosciences, and tipped his…
SEC Freezes Assets of Capital Cove Bancorp and Rashid Khalfani
On June 24, 2015, The SEC announced that it had obtained a court order freezing the assets of Capital Cove Bancorp and its owner Rashid K. Khalfani, charging them with pocketing money raised from investors. The SEC alleges that Rashid K. Khalfani (real name Christopher M. Lee) operated under an…
SEC obtains order freezing Interinvest assets
On June 26, 2015, The SEC announced that it had obtained a preliminary injunction against Interinvest Corporation and its owner for funneling more than $17,000,000 of client funds into four Canadian gold and mineral exploration penny stocks companies that owner Hans Peter Black has undisclosed business and financial interests in.…