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Displaying 10 out of 13 results for "Private Placements".

Why Citigroup Paid the SEC $180 Million Over MAT/ASTA

(Aug 2015)

I. Introduction

This week Citigroup paid $180 million to the SEC to settle allegations that Citigroup improperly sold high risk hedge funds known as MAT, ASTA and Falcon. The SEC Order is available to view online.

The SEC Order makes clear that Citigroup did not effectively monitor the portfolio manager or the sales force as it sold billions of dollars of high risk MAT ASTA funds with false and misleading sales presentations. In the end, Citigroup lost hundreds of wealthy clients and likely...

Enforcement Actions: Week in Review - August 10th, 2015

(Aug 2015)

SEC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

SEC Charges Houston-Area Businessman in Ponzi Scheme
August 3, 2015 (Litigation Release No. 158)
Frederick Alan Voight, owner of F.A. Voight & Associates LP and DayStar Funding LP, has been charged with defrauding investors while operating a $114 million Ponzi scheme. As Ponzi scheme's tend to go, Voight's scheme was caught after he could not find enough new money to pay previous investors his promised 42% annual return rate. Recently, Voight raised $13.8 million...

Enforcement Actions: Week in Review - July 31st, 2015

(Jul 2015)

SEC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

SEC Charges Three Penny Stock Promoters Behind Pump-and-Dump Schemes
July 21, 2015 (Litigation Release No. 152)
Former Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. employees: Scott A. Eisler, Arthur W. Lewis and Robert Okin, agreed to settle the SEC's charges involving unregistered sales of billions of shares of penny stocks on behalf of an Oppenheimer customer. Lewis and Okin failed to respond to red flags associated with sales that violated the federal securities laws and allowed...

Enforcement Actions: Week in Review - July 17th, 2015

(Jul 2015)

SEC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

SEC Announces Settlement With Cooperator in Grand Central Post-It Notes Insider Trading Case
July 13, 2015 (Litigation Release No. 143)
The SEC announced a settlement with Frank Tamayo for cooperating in a continuing insider trading investigation where illegal information was passed via Post-It notes at Grand Central Terminal. Tamayo was alleged to distributing received tips from a law firm clerk to a stockbroker that he would meet up with at Grand Central Terminal,...

Enforcement Actions: Week in Review - June 26th, 2015

(Jun 2015)

SEC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

SEC Charges Unregistered Brokers in EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program
June 23, 2015 (Litigation Release No. 127)
Ireeco LLC and its successor Ireeco Limited were charged with being unregistered brokers after the firms handled more than $79 million of investments. Ireeco brokered investments for more than 150 foreign investors through the governments EB-5 program. The EB-5 program allows foreigners who invest directly in a U.S. business or private "regional centers"...

Securities-Based Lending

(Jun 2015)

In this blog post I summarize my recently published working paper, "Securities-Based Lending".

Introduction

The securities industry has long targeted the liability side of the customer's balance sheet as an opportunity to cross-sell banking products, increase wallet share, and diversify revenue streams away from cyclical trading commissions. In the current euphoric market environment, with portfolio values soaring and borrowing rates historically low, lending to customers has become "Wall...

Enforcement Actions: Week in Review - June 5th, 2015

(Jun 2015)

SEC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

Merrill Lynch Admits Using Inaccurate Data for Short Sale Orders, Agrees to $11 Million Settlement
June 1, 2015 (Litigation Release No. 105)
An SEC investigation found some of Merrill Lynch's programs to execute short sale trades were using inaccurate and old data. Merrill Lynch and other broker-dealers are required to maintain an up to date easy-to-borrow (ETB) list composed of stocks that are readily accessible to borrow for short sale orders. Merrill Lynch...

Enforcement Actions: Week in Review - May 15th, 2015

(May 2015)

SEC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

SEC Sues Retirement Planners for Making False Claims to Investors
May 11, 2015 (Litigation Release No. 85)
Novers Financial and its principals, Christopher A. Novinger and Brady J. Speers, were charged with falsely informing customers that interests in life settlements they sold were guaranteed and federally insured. Interests in life settlements are investments that are based on life insurance policies purchased by others. These interests are not risk-free or...

Enforcement Actions: Week in Review - April 10th, 2015

(Apr 2015)

SEC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

SEC Charges Firms and Individuals for Defrauding Investors in Cellular Licensing Scheme
April 6, 2015 (Litigation Release No. 57)
Twelve companies and six individuals have been charged with defrauding investors in a scheme involving falsely advertised securities based on licenses for cellular spectrum bands. The alleged orchestrators of the scheme are David Alcorn and Kent Maerki, cofounders of Janus Spectrum LLC. The SEC alleges that third-party fundraisers sold...

Enforcement Actions: Week in Review - March 20th, 2015

(Mar 2015)

SEC ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

Corporate Insiders Charged for Failing to Update Disclosures Involving "Going Private" Transactions
March 13, 2015 (Litigation Release No. 47)
Major shareholders of three different companies have been charged by the SEC for failing to disclose their intentions to privatize. "Beneficial owners" that acquire over 5% voting power are required to file a Schedule 13D with the SEC. This form contains information about the beneficial owners including the intentions behind...

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