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SEC Enforcement Actions

					
The  Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is the United States agency with primary responsibility for enforcing federal securities laws. Whistleblowers with knowledge of violations of the federal securities laws can submit a claim to the SEC under the SEC Whistleblower Reward Program, and may be eligible to receive  monetary rewards and protection against retaliation by employers.


Below are summaries of recent SEC settlements or successful prosecutions. If you believe you have information about fraud which could give  rise to an SEC enforcement action and claim under the SEC Whistleblower Reward Program, please contact us to speak with one of our experienced whistleblower attorneys.

				

			

			
						
					
			

	
		
		

			

				
				
April 9, 2014

				 The SEC charged Hewlett-Packard with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) when its subsidiaries in Russia, Poland and Mexico made improper payments to government officials to obtain or retain lucrative public contracts.  Hewlett-Packard agreed to pay more than $108M to settle the SEC’s charges and a parallel criminal case by the DOJ.  SEC				 					 

						
Tagged in:
													  FCPA, 
												
						

					
	
							
	
		
		
	


 			




	
		
		

			

				
				
April 8, 2014

				 The SEC announced fraud charges and an asset freeze against the operators of JCS Enterprises Inc. and T.B.T.I. Inc., a South Florida-based Ponzi scheme which targeted investors through YouTube videos and sold them investments in a product called virtual concierge machines (VCMs) that would purportedly generate guaranteed returns of 300 to 500 percent in four years.  SEC				 					 

						
Tagged in:
													  Ponzi Schemes, 
													  Securities Fraud, 
												
						

					
	
							
	
		
		
	


 			




	
		
		

			

				
				
April 8, 2014

				 The SEC charged CVS Caremark Corp. with misleading investors about significant financial setbacks and using improper accounting that artificially boosted its financial performance.  CVS  agreed to pay $20M to settle the charges.  SEC				 					 

						
Tagged in:
													  Accounting Fraud, 
													  Securities Fraud, 
												
						

					
	
							
	
		
		
	


 			




	
		
		

			

				
				
April 3, 2014

				 The SEC charged the St. Petersburg, Florida-based financial services firm, Transamerica Financial Advisors, with improperly calculating advisory fees and overcharging clients. SEC				 					 

						
Tagged in:
													  Regulatory Violations, 
													  Securities Fraud, 
												
						

					
	
							
	
		
		
	


 			




	
		
		

			

				
				
March 28, 2014

				 The SEC announced charges and asset freezes against three entities operating under the business names WCM and WCM777 for allegedly running a worldwide pyramid scheme targeting Asian and Latino communities in the U.S. and abroad.  According to the SEC’s complaint, WCM and WCM777 have raised more than $65M since March 2013 by, among other things, falsely promising tens of thousands of investors a return on investment of 100 percent or more in 100 days. SEC				 					 

						
Tagged in:
													  Misrepresentations, 
													  Ponzi Schemes, 
													  Securities Fraud, 
												
						

					
	
							
	
		
		
	


 			




	
		
		

			

				
				
March 19, 2014

				 The SEC charged Vladimir Eydelman, a stock broker, and Steven Metro, a managing clerk at the New York law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, with insider trading around more than a dozen mergers or other corporate transactions for illicit profits of $5.6M during a four-year period.  Metro allegedly obtained inside information from the firm’s corporate clients involved in pending deals by accessing confidential documents in the law firm’s computer system.  SEC				 					 

						
Tagged in:
													  Insider Trading, 
													  Securities Fraud, 
												
						

					
	
							
	
		
		
	


 			




	
		
		

			

				
				
March 13, 2014

				 The SEC charged Ronald Dennis, a former analyst at an affiliate of hedge fund advisory firm S.A.C. Capital Advisors, with insider trading.  Dennis allegedly received from two fellow hedge fund analysts confidential details about impending announcements at Dell Inc. and Foundry Networks which he used to make illegal trades in Dell and Foundry stock, enabling hedge funds managed by S.A.C. Capital and affiliate CR Intrinsic Investors generate illegal profits and avoid significant losses.  SEC 				 					 

						
Tagged in:
													  Insider Trading, 
												
						

					
	
							
	
		
		
	


 			




	
		
		

			

				
				
March 12, 2014

				 The SEC charged global investment bank and brokerage firm Jefferies LLC with failing to supervise employees on its mortgage-backed securities desk who were lying to customers about pricing during the financial crisis.  Jefferies agreed to pay $25M to settle the SEC’s charges as well as a parallel action by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.  SEC				 					 

						
Tagged in:
													  Misrepresentations, 
													  Regulatory Violations, 
													  Securities Fraud, 
												
						

					
	
							
	
		
		
	


 			




	
		
		

			

				
				
March 5, 2014

				 Long Island-based proprietary trading firm, Worldwide Capital, and its owner Jeffrey Lynn, agreed to pay $7.2M to settle charges they violated Rule 105 short-selling restrictions, the largest-ever monetary sanction for Rule 105 short selling violations.  SEC				 					 

						
Tagged in:
													  Market Manipulation and Trading Violations, 
													  Securities Fraud, 
												
						

					
	
							
	
		
		
	


 			




	
		
		

			

				
				
February 21, 2014

				 The SEC charged Zurich-based Credit Suisse Group AG for violating the federal securities laws by providing cross-border brokerage and investment advisory services to U.S. clients without first registering with the SEC.  Credit Suisse agreed to pay $196M and admit wrongdoing to settle the SEC’s charges.  SEC				 					 

						
Tagged in:
													  Regulatory Violations, 
													  Securities Fraud, 
												
						

					
	
							
	
		
		
	


 			


											

						

								

									
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