Articles Posted in Fraud and Misrepresentation

State of Florida Insurance Fraud, Regulation, Misrepresentation, and Negligence Litigation and Arbitration Attorney: In the Matter of Johan Mary-Lyn Akal, Case No.: 140353-13-AG: On September 20, 2013, the Florida Department of Financial Services (“Department”) issued a Consent Order against Johan Mary-Lyn Akal, which, in part, required the Respondent to surrender to the Department of Insurance…

Florida Boiler Room, Penny Stock (Low Priced) and Ponzi Scheme FINRA Arbitration and State and Federal Court Litigation Attorney: The Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission) Obtains Final Judgment against Defendants Charged with Perpetrating $35 Million International Boiler Room Scheme Recnetly, the Commission announced that the United States District Court for the Central District of California…

Common Stocks, Preferred Stocks, Corporate Bonds, Municipal Bonds, Promissory Notes, Exchange-Traded Funds (ETF’s), and Mutual Funds – South Florida Securities and Investment Fraud, Negligence and Breach of Fiduciary Duty FINRA Arbitration and Litigation Attorney: The elements of a breach of fiduciary duty action are (1) the existence of a fiduciary duty and (2) the breach…

Security and Exchange Commission Obtains Summary Judgment against Defendants Charged With Defrauding Investors in Fictitious Offering The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently announced that the United States District Court for the District of Columbia granted the SEC’s motion for summary judgment against all primary defendants and certain relief defendants in a civil action arising…

The Securities and Exchange Commission recently announced an emergency asset freeze to halt a Ponzi scheme involving U.S. and New Zealand-based companies peddling sham investment opportunities ranging from a bank trading program to kidney dialysis clinics. The SEC alleges that Christopher A.T. Pedras, who has residences in Turlock, Calif., and New Zealand, misled his initial…

Variable Annuity Misrepresentation – Florida Litigation and Arbitration Attorney: In the Matter of: Matthew Watson Shaw, Administrative Case No: 139968-13-AG: On September 4, 2013, the Florida Department of Financial Services entered a Consent Order against Matthew Watson Shaw, which was based upon a Settlement Agreement for Consent Order dated August 9, 2013. In the Consent…

The Florida Department of Insurance: The mandate of the Florida Department of Insurance is to ensure that insurance companies licensed to do business in Florida are financially viable, operating within the laws and regulations governing the insurance industry; and offering insurance policy products at fair and adequate rates which do not unfairly discriminate against the…

In the Matter of OX Trading, LLC, optionsXpress, Inc., and Thomas E. Stern The Commission issued an Order Making Findings and Imposing Remedial Sanctions and a Cease-and-Desist Order Pursuant to Sections 15(b) and 21C of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as to OX Trading, LLC and optionsXpress, Inc. (OX Order). The OX Order finds…

Crowdfunding: The Securities and Exchange Commission recently voted unanimously to propose rules under the JOBS Act to permit companies to offer and sell securities through crowdfunding. Crowdfunding describes an evolving method of raising capital that has been used outside of the securities arena to raise funds through the Internet for a variety of projects ranging…

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Investor Education and Advocay recently issued an Investor Alert: Beware of Pyramid Schemes Posing as Multi-Level Marketing Programs. Excerpts from this release follow: Have you ever been tempted by an advertisement or offer to make “easy money” or “online income” out of your own home? Multi-level marketing (“MLM”)…