The SEC has charged Terren S. Peizer, the Executive Chairman of Ontrak Inc., a healthcare treatment company based in Santa Monica, California, with insider trading. Peizer is accused of selling over $20 million of Ontrak stock between May and August 2021, while in possession of material nonpublic negative information related […]
Enforcement
Former Co-Lead Engineer of FTX Trading Charged by SEC for Role in Multiyear Scheme to Defraud Equity Investors
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Nishad Singh, the former Co-Lead Engineer of FTX Trading Ltd. (FTX), for his involvement in a multiyear scheme to defraud equity investors in FTX, a crypto trading platform that Singh co-founded with Samuel Bankman-Fried and Gary Wang. The scheme allegedly involved diverting […]
Ozy Media and Executives Charged with Defrauding Investors of $50 Million
The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged media and entertainment company Ozy Media Inc. and its executives with defrauding investors of approximately $50 million through misrepresentations regarding the company’s financial condition, business relationships, and fundraising efforts. The CEO of Ozy Media, Carlos R. Watson, Jr., the former COO Samir Rao, […]
Insider Trading Charges Laid Against Andrew Stiles and Gray Stiles by SEC and U.S. Attorney’s Office
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York have jointly charged Andrew Stiles and Gray Stiles with insider trading. Andrew Stiles is accused of trading Kodak and Novavax stocks based on nonpublic information related to the companies’ government partnerships aimed […]
SEC Settles Charges Against African Gold Acquisition Corp. for Internal Controls, Reporting, and Recordkeeping Violations
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has settled charges against African Gold Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), for violating Exchange Act provisions related to internal controls, reporting, and recordkeeping. The SEC’s order alleges that the SPAC’s former chief financial officer misappropriated approximately $1.2 million from the company’s […]
Ensign Peak Advisers and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Settle SEC Charges
Ensign Peak Advisers Inc., a non-profit entity owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has settled charges with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for failing to file required disclosure forms related to the Church’s equity investments. The SEC also announced charges against the Church […]
SEC Fines OCC $17 Million for Non-Compliance with Stress Testing and Clearing Fund Methodology
The SEC has ordered The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) to pay $17 million in penalties for violating its SEC-approved Stress Testing and Clearing Fund Methodology rule. The regulatory body found that OCC failed to comply with its own rule during certain times between October 2019 and May 2021. OCC, based […]
SEC Charges Terraform and CEO Do Kwon in Crypto Schemes
We discussed this case previously in connection with the firm’s CEO,s attempts to avoid service of a subpoena and his refusal to comply. The company not only refused to comply, but it sued the SEC for violation of various statutes. See, What Happens if I Ignore an SEC Subpoena. Now […]
Getting Paid to Promote Securities? You Need to Disclose That Fact!
Former NBA player Paul Pierce was paid more than $244,000 worth of EMAX tokens in order to promote them on Twitter. He failed to disclose the payment and ultimately agreed to settle an SEC case by disgorging the $244,000 payment, plus interest and $1,115,000 million in penalties. That is a […]
SEC Charges Georgia Resident for Spreading False Rumors about Public Companies
The SEC has charged Milan Vinod Patel, a resident of Cumming, Georgia, for disseminating over 100 false rumors about publicly traded companies, resulting in more than $1 million in illicit trading profits. In the past, the SEC had charged four other individuals, namely Barton Ross, Mark Melnick, Anthony Salandra, and […]