Category Archives: ponzi scheme
SEC, U.S. Attorney Prosecute Miami Ponzi Scheme That Targeted Retirees
A Miami resident is facing federal criminal charges for allegedly running a Ponzi scheme targeting retired public sector workers. Phil Donnahue Williamson has already settled civil charges brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, agreeing to repay nearly $750,000 to investors. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami separately charged Williamson with investment advisor… Read More »
SEC Charges Rhode Island Broker With Running $11 Million Ponzi Scheme
On May 7, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged a Rhode Island investment adviser with running what amounted to a Ponzi scheme. The SEC alleges Patrick Churchville used his one-man company, ClearPath Wealth Management, LLC, to defraud investors out of millions of dollars. The SEC has asked a federal judge in Providence to… Read More »
Michigan Real Estate Promoter Sentenced for Running Ponzi-Type Scheme
On April 24, a Michigan judge sentenced a former real estate promoter to prison after a jury convicted him in March of orchestrating what the state attorney general and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission described as a Ponzi scheme. Even at his sentencing hearing, Joel I. Wilson maintained he never intended to defraud… Read More »
Feds Charge Son-in-Law of Prominent New York Politician With Securities Fraud
On April 13, federal prosecutors in New York City charged a Brooklyn man with scheming to defraud investors out of more than $7 million. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan claims Marcello Trebitsch, also known as Yair Trebitsch, promised to invest customer funds while actually appropriating money for himself. Trebitsch is married to the… Read More »
SEC Cannot Be Sued for Failing to Stop Ponzi Scheme Sooner
Federal securities regulators are responsible for identifying and stopping fraud that harms investors. But what happens when the regulators act too late? Can the government be held responsible for the negligence of its own officials when they fail to act on obvious warning signs of securities fraud? A federal appeals court recently addressed this… Read More »
Ex-Miami Dolphins Player Accused of Running Ponzi Scheme
Miami Dolphins fans may remember Will Allen’s five-year stint with the team as a defensive back. Allen played 11 seasons altogether in the NFL, ending his career with the New England Patriots in 2012. However, Allen’s time in New England was not exclusively devoted to football; he also co-founded a group of investment companies… Read More »
Final Defendant Sentenced in Massive North Carolina Ponzi Scheme
Earlier this year, a federal judge in North Carolina sentenced the 11th and final defendant in a massive Ponzi scheme that cost investors upwards of $40 million. The so-called Black Diamond Ponzi Scheme conned about 400 victims with promises of significant profits through trading in foreign currencies. Unlike traditional securities markets, foreign exchange (or… Read More »
SEC Says Buffalo Man Running Ponzi Scheme
On Feb. 27, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission obtained an emergency order from a federal judge in Buffalo, freezing the assets of a venture capital fund manager accused of running a “Ponzi-like scheme.” Regulators believe the fund manager made false promises to investors about his ability to obtain pre-IPO shares of popular stocks… Read More »
SEC Puts a Stop to Colorado-Based Pyramid Scheme
If you are considering investing with a company that feels the need to proclaim, “We are not a pyramid scheme,” you may, in fact, be dealing with a pyramid (or Ponzi) scheme. Investors in one Colorado-based company probably wish they had considered that possibility as federal securities regulators recently moved in on the firm… Read More »
Another Man Sentenced in Connection with Billion-Dollar Florida Ponzi Scheme
On Feb. 20, a federal judge in Miami sentenced former attorney Frank Preve to 3½ years in jail for his role in one of the most infamous Ponzi schemes of all time. Preve is among dozens of people convicted of criminal charges in connection with the scheme, which was orchestrated by the now-defunct law… Read More »
