Misrepresentations

August 19, 2020

The Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank) has been ordered to pay $127.4 million to the CFTC and $60.4 million in criminal fines, forfeiture, and restitution to the DOJ for attempting to manipulate prices and spoofing in precious metals futures contracts, making false and misleading statements to investigators, and failing to comply with swap dealer conduct and supervision requirements.  The alleged misconduct occurred over the eight years ending in 2016 and involved four precious metals traders in New York, London, and Hong Kong.  From the penalty paid to the CFTC, a record-breaking $42 million will go toward resolving the price manipulation and spoofing allegations, and a record-breaking $17 million will go toward resolving the false and misleading statements allegations.  In addition to the fines, Scotiabank has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement and agreed to retain an independent monitor.  CFTC; DOJ; USAO NJ 

July 31, 2020

Canadian company Bausch Health, formerly known as Valeant Pharmaceuticals, will pay a $45 million penalty to resolve charges that its executives engaged in improper revenue recognition and misleading disclosures in SEC filings and earnings presentations between 2014 and 2015.  The company was alleged to have recorded false sales of products to specialty pharmacy Philidor Rx Services and its affiliates, which were controlled by Valeant.  In addition, Valeant allegedly misrepresented the source and materiality of revenue it received following a 500% increase in the price of its diabetes drug Glumetza.  Former CEO J. Michael Pearson will pay a civil penalty of $250,000; former CFO Howard B. Schiller will pay a civil penalty of $100,000; former controller Tanya Carro will pay a civil penalty of $75,000.  The individuals also agreed to return specified portions of their incentive compensation to the company.  SEC

July 28, 2020

Savraj Gata-Aura, a British citizen, has been sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to forfeit nearly $3 million for his role in a massive Ponzi scheme involving coworking space Bar Works that defrauded over 800 investors of more than $40 million.  Together with fellow British citizen Renwick Haddow—who was widely reported to be disqualified from serving as the director of a U.K. company and was managing Bar Works under the alias “Jonathan Black”—Gata-Aura solicited investors by making material misrepresentations about Bar Works’ management and the company’s financial condition.  Haddow is due to be sentenced later this year.  USAO SDNY

July 27, 2020

The owner and operator of three California-based companies, Brandon Frere, has been sentenced to over three years in prison for using deceptive sales tactics to draw customers to his companies’ student loan repayment services programs.  Between 2014 and 2018, Frere allegedly instructed employees of American Financial Benefits Center (AFBC), the Financial Education Benefits Center (FEBC), and Ameritech Financial (Ameritech) to make false statements concerning the companies’ abilities, engage in improper enrollment practices that made customer payments look smaller, and hide monthly fees.  A hearing later this year will determine the amount of restitution that Frere will be required to pay.  USAO NDCA

July 1, 2020

Leonard J. Cipolla of Richmond, Virginia, was sentenced to ten years in prison for bilking more than $7 million in investor funds from customers of his Tate Street Trading, Inc..  Cipolla falsely told the investors that he was a successful commodities trader and could guarantee them a fixed rate of return.  In fact, Cipolla diverted the investor funds that he did not lose through speculative trading, and provided his customers with false account statements. USAO EDVA (Restitution order)

July 1, 2020

Raeann Gibson of Palm City, Florida, was sentenced to ten years in prison based on her role in an investment fraud conspiracy.  Gibson served as the Chief Operating Officer of Dominion Investment Group, which defrauded elderly investors of over $25 million by diverting investment funds to the personal use of Gibson and co-defendant Daryl Bank.  Gibson created numerous shell companies, laundered investment funds through multiple accounts, and spoke with investors.  USAO EDVA

April 20, 2020

A company that markets rent-to-own payment plans in retail stores nationwide has agreed to pay $175 million to settle FTC charges of intentionally misleading customers.  By hiding payment terms, Progressive Leasing allegedly led customers to believe the payment plans had no interest when in fact, the company did charge an interest rate that resulted in customers paying as much as double the true price of products.  The settlement proceeds will go toward refunds for affected customers, and under the terms of the proposed settlement, Progressive Leasing will be prohibited from engaging in similar conduct and required to disclose full payment costs to its customers.  FTC

April 14, 2020

Importer Blue Furniture Solutions, LLC, its successor XMillennium, LLC, and former executives Yingqing Zeng and Alex Cheng have agreed to pay more than $5.2 million to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act in conspiring to evade customs duties and fees on furniture imported from China.  In a qui tam complaint by whistleblower University Loft Company, which the United States elected to intervene in, the defendants were accused of declaring wooden bedroom furniture as “metal” or “non-bedroom”, manipulating packing lists and invoices, and directing manufacturers to mislabel boxes and falsify invoices to help defendants evade U.S. customs officials.  USAO WDTX