Enforcement Press Releases

December

• CFTC FILES AND SETTLES FRAUD ACTION AGAINST COMMODITY POOL OPERATOR VERAS INVESTMENT PARTNERS, LLC; CFTC Finds that Veras, Along with Owners and Managing Members James McBride and Kevin Larson, Failed to Disclose Illegal and Deceptive Trading Practices to Pool Participants; Order Imposes $500,000 Penalty on Veras, McBride, and Larson, and Revokes Their Registrations, 5149-05, December 22, 2005
• CFTC CHARGES THIRTEEN FLORIDA RESIDENTS AND COMPANIES WITH DEFRAUDING CUSTOMERS OF MORE THAN $6 MILLION; CFTC Charges that Defendants Fraudulently Solicited Nearly 400 Customers to Trade Commodity Options Contracts and Misappropriated Customer Funds, 5148-05, December 22, 2005
• Federal Court Freezes Assets Of Three Related South Florida Firms And Their Principal In CFTC Action Alleging A $14 Million Foreign Currency (forex) Fraud; CFTC Charges Carlos Alejandro Libera Saume and His Companies with Stealing Funds of 140 Customers, 5147-05, December 22, 2005
• CFTC Issues Consumer Advisory Warning About Promises of Easy Profits from Commodity Futures and Options Trading Based on Seasonal Demand and Other Well-Known Public Information, 5146-05, December 20, 2005
• CFTC Obtains Federal Court Order Freezing Assets of FX Trading, LLC of Iselin, New Jersey, and Charges Firm with Failing to Maintain Minimum Net Capital Requirements for Registered Futures Commission Merchants, 5144-05, December 15, 2005
• Washington State Commodity Advisory Firm Trade Risk Management and Firm President James Maggio Charged With Fraud, 5142-05, December 7, 2005

November

• Illinois Federal Court Requires Canadian Commodity Pool Operator Kevin J. Steele To Pay Over $7 Million In Restitution To Defrauded Investors In CFTC Enforcement Action, 5139-05, November 28, 2005
• CFTC Orders Shahrokh Nikkhah to Pay a $200,000 Civil Monetary Penalty in Fraudulent Trade Allocation Case, 5137-05, November 18, 2005

October

• CFTC FILES FRAUD ACTION AGAINST HEDGE FUND OPERATED BY LAKE DOW CAPITAL; Federal Court Freezes Assets of Hedge Fund and its Operator, 5135-05, October 24, 2005
• U.S. DISTRICT COURT FREEZES ASSETS OF SOUTH FLORIDA FOREIGN CURRENCY FIRM MADISON FOREX INTERNATIONAL BASED ON FRAUD ALLEGATIONS BY CFTC; Owner, John Peter D'Onofrio, and Employees Christopher Peck, Gary Baugh, and Lea Lauren Allegedly Lied to Customers When Pitching Foreign Currency Options; Predecessor Company Chadwick Grayson Bauer & Co., and Employees Also Charged With Foreign Currency Fraud, 5134-05, October 20, 2005
• CFTC OBTAINS FEDERAL COURT ORDER FREEZING ASSETS OF BULGARIAN WEBSITE OWNER IN FOREIGN CURRENCY FRAUD ACTION; CFTC Charges Marin Illiev Yanev with Fraudulent Solicitation of Customers Through His Websites, 5132-05, October 19, 2005
• CFTC CHARGES FLORIDA BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL CURRENCY EXCHANGE, INC. AND ITS PRINCIPALS WITH $900,000 FOREIGN CURRENCY OPTIONS SCAM; CFTC Alleges that International Currency Exchange, Inc., Michael Cottec, John Aucella, and Eugene Aucella Fraudulently Solicited Customers; Worldwide Clearing, LLC Also Charged, 5131-05, October 18, 2005
• CFTC CHARGES NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENT JOHN POOLE WITH FRAUD; CFTC Alleges that Poole, as a Commodity Trading Advisor, Made False Representations on His Website Regarding the Profitability of His Commodity Trading System, 5130-05, October 18, 2005
• CFTC BRINGS FRAUD CHARGES AGAINST SOUTH AFRICAN RESIDENT JAMES DE WET WHO OPERATES COMPANY TEAM FOREX INTERNATIONAL AND WEBSITE; CFTC Alleges That de Wet, Doing Business As Team Forex International, Misrepresented His Trading Track Record, 5126-05, October 5, 2005
• CFTC CHARGES TWO GEORGIA CORPORATIONS AND FIVE OTHERS IN $4.6 MILLION COMMODITY OPTIONS FRAUD SCHEME; CFTC Complaint Names American Derivatives Corp., Brokerage Management Corp., Layne David Gerstel, Devereux Decatur Booth and David N. Mittler as Participants In Alleged Fraudulent Solicitations Of More Than 274 Customers; Futures Commission Merchants National Commodities Corp., Inc. and International Commodity Clearing, LLP Also Charged; Court Enters Asset Freeze Order, 5125-05, October 5, 2005
• CFTC ASSESSES PENALTIES AGAINST IRISH COMPANY TRADE EXCHANGE NETWORK LIMITED FOR OFFERING ILLEGAL COMMODITY OPTION CONTRACTS; Trade Exchange Network Cooperates with Federal Investigation and Agrees to Pay Civil Penalty of $150,000, 5124-05, October 4, 2005

September

• Hedge Fund Operator Bayou Management, Its Employees Samuel Israel III And Daniel E. Marino, And Accounting Firm Richmond Fairfield Associates, Are Charged With Misappropriation And Fraud In An Action Brought By U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, 5121-05, September 29, 2005
• CFTC CHARGES OHIO FUTURES BROKER TODD DELAY WITH MANIPULATION OF THE FEEDER CATTLE MARKET; CFTC Action Also Charges Nebraska Feedlot Managers Jack McCaffery and John Lawless with Assisting Scheme by Delivering False Cattle Sales Reports to USDA, 5120-05, September 29, 2005
• CFTC ALLEGES THAT NEVADA RESIDENT BERNADETTE FLAVELL VIOLATED A COMMISSION ORDER BY PROVIDING FALSE INFORMATION, 5116-05, September 20, 2005
• CFTC CHARGES NEW YORK HEDGE FUND, LINUXOR ASSET MANAGEMENT, AND ITS PRINCIPAL, ABBAS A. SHAH, WITH FRAUD; CFTC Alleges that Linuxor and Shah Defrauded Fund Participants by Failing to Send Them Required Periodic Statements and by Misrepresenting the Value of the Fund; Defendants Also Charged With Failure to Send Timely Required Annual Reports to the National Futures Association, 5115-05, September 20, 2005
• CFTC CHARGES FORMER HEAD OF NATURAL GAS TRADING DESK AT AEP ENERGY SERVICES, INC. WITH ATTEMPTED MANIPULATION AND FALSE REPORTING; Joseph P. Foley Allegedly Directed the Submission of Thousands of False Reports About Natural Gas Trades to Skew Natural Gas Indexes, 5114-05, September 20, 2005
• CFTC ASSISTS IN SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL PROSECUTION OF STUART MICHAEL HELFFRICH, Convicted of Wire Fraud and Fraudulent Conversion of his Customers' Commodity Futures Positions, 5113-05, September 19, 2005

August

• CFTC FREEZES OVER $1.5 MILLION OF HEDGE FUND'S ASSETS IN FRAUD CASE; CFTC Charges Stuart Pippin, Individually And Doing Business As Pippin Investments, With Fraud For Issuing False Trading Results To Pool Participants, 5112-05, August 30, 2005
• CFTC Fines Foreign Futures and Options Broker Credit Lyonnais Rouse Limited for Entering Illegal, Prearranged Futures Trades on U.S. Markets, 5111-05, August 30, 2005
• CFTC SUES FORMER BROOKLYN RESIDENT DAWN MUSOROFITI FOR COMMODITIES FRAUD; CFTC Alleges That Musorofiti Defrauded Customers By Promising Large Profits Without Risk and Pretending to Be a New York Mercantile Exchange Broker, 5109-05, August 17, 2005
• HAWAIIAN RESIDENT BARRY SCHOTZ ORDERED TO PAY $4.5 MILLION IN SETTLEMENT OF CFTC FRAUD ACTION; Court Also Enjoins Los Angeles-Area Resident Randolph Gale in Same Commodity Pool Fraud Scheme, 5107-05, August 8, 2005
• CFTC Revokes Registration of Palomino Capital Management, A Commodity Pool Operator in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 5106-05, August 3, 2005
• CFTC SUSPENDS AND RESTRICTS REGISTRATION OF CHICAGO MERCANTILE EXCHANGE TRADER DEAN KAULENTIS; Cattle Trader's Registration Suspended for Six Weeks and Then Restricted for Three Years, 5105-05, August 2, 2005
• CFTC BRINGS FRAUD CHARGES AGAINST FLORIDA FATHER AND SON, JACK AND CHRIS SMITHERS; CFTC Alleges That Jack and Chris Smithers, and Their Company, Prosperity Consultants, Inc., Fraudulently Solicited Customers to Trade Commodity Futures Contracts; Chris Smithers Also Charged With Breach of Prior Injunction, 5104-05, August 2, 2005

July

• CFTC CHARGES FLORIDA FOREIGN CURRENCY FIRM PRESIDENTIAL FX, INC. AND TWO EMPLOYEES WITH FRAUD; CFTC Alleges That Firm and Employee Joseph Marchiano Fraudulently Solicited Customers to Trade Foreign Currency Options; Adam León is Charged as a Controlling Person of Presidential, 5102-05, July 29, 2005
• CFTC CHARGES OXNARD, CALIFORNIA RESIDENT BRETT E. LOVETT WITH DEFRAUDING COMMODITY FUTURES CUSTOMERS; CFTC Alleges Lovett Cheated Fellow Church Member; Federal Court Issues Order Freezing Defendant's Assets , 5101-05, July 25, 2005
• CFTC AND STATE OF CALIFORNIA CHARGE SAN FRANCISCO FOREIGN CURRENCY FIRM NATIONAL INVESTMENT CONSULTANTS, INC. AND OTHER COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS WITH FRAUD; Federal Court Freezes Assets of National Investment Consultants, Inc.; South China Investments, Inc.; Pacific Best Group Limited, a.k.a. Pacific Best Company Ltd.; Run Ping Zhou, a.k.a Flora Zhou; Yi Kerry Xu; and Wei M. Tse, a.k.a. Raymond Tse, 5099-05, July 21, 2005
• U.S. COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION CHARGES IOWA MAN WITH FRAUD; CFTC Alleges that Victor Lochmann Misappropriated Customer Funds and Engaged in Unauthorized Trading 5098-05, July 19, 2005

June

• FEDERAL COURT ENTERS JUDGMENTS AGAINST MICHIGAN AND NEW JERSEY RESIDENTS AND TWO PANAMANIAN COMPANIES IN MARQUIS COMMODITY POOL FRAUD CASE; Court Orders Payments To Customers And Penalties Totaling More Than $2.5 Million, 5096-05, June 30, 2005
• CFTC OBTAINS PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION PREVENTING FLORIDA COMMODITY TRADING FIRM, UNITED INVESTORS GROUP, INC. AND FIVE EMPLOYEES, FROM VIOLATING THE COMMODITY EXCHANGE ACT; Nearly 98 Percent Of Accounts Opened At UIG Between August 2003 And June 2004 Lost Money Trading Commodity Options; Customers Lost More Than $6.1 Million, While UIG Charged Over $4.25 Million In Commissions And Fees, 5095-05, June 30, 2005
• CFTC CHARGES ILLINOIS RESIDENT CAMERON CHARLES WITH DEFRAUDING HIS EMPLOYER, WATSEKA FARMERS GRAIN CO. COOPERATIVE, 5094-05, June 30, 2005
• U.S. COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION SANCTIONS UK AND GERMAN TRADING COMPANIES FOR ILLEGALLY PREARRANGING FUTURES TRADES THAT REPRESENTED FICTITIOUS SALES ON U.S. MARKETS, 5093-05, June 29, 2005
• FEDERAL COURT FREEZES ASSETS OF FIVE FLORIDA FOREIGN CURRENCY (FOREX) BOILER ROOMS AND FIVE INDIVIDUALS CHARGED WITH DEFRAUDING CUSTOMERS OF OVER $17 MILLION; U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Charges Fraudulent Solicitation of Customers to Trade Foreign Currency Options Contracts By Defendants World Market Advisors, Inc., U.S. Capital Management, Inc., United Equity Group, Inc., Liberty One Advisors, LLC, Lighthouse Capital Management, LLC, Jason T. Dean, Steven D. Knowles, Paul F. Plunkett, Joseph D. Valko and Jeffrey Paul Jedlicki; Universal Options, Inc., Qualified Leverage Providers, Inc. and Safeguard FX, LLC Also Charged With Liability As Principals; Complaint Charges More Than 96 Percent of Customers Lost Money While Paying Defendants $8.6 Million in Commission, 5092-05, June 29, 2005
• CFTC OBTAINS FEDERAL COURT FREEZE OF ASSETS OF PHILADELPHIA COMPANY AND ITS PRESIDENT IN FRAUD ACTION INVOLVING HEDGE FUND AND $230 MILLION COMMODITY POOL; CFTC Charges Philadelphia Alternative Asset Management Co., LLC, And Its President, Paul M. Eustace, With Issuing False Trading Results To Pool Participants; National Futures Association Assists CFTC In Its Action, 5091-05, June 29, 2005
• FEDERAL COURT FREEZES ASSETS OF FLORIDA ILLEGAL OFF-EXCHANGE METALS OPTIONS FIRM AND TWO CORPORATE OFFICERS; CFTC Charges E-Metal Merchants, Inc., Benji Dayan, And Andrew Stern With Illegal Metals Options Trading 5089-05, June 23, 2005
• CFTC CHARGES FLORIDA FIRM COMMODITY INVESTMENT GROUP AND ITS PRINCIPALS WITH FRAUD RESULTING IN OVER $9 MILLION IN LOSSES TO CUSTOMERS; CFTC Alleges That Linda and Michael Kuhney Fraudulently Solicited Customers To Trade Commodity Options Contracts, 5088-05, June 23, 2005
• ILLINOIS MAN SANCTIONED FOR UNAUTHORIZED COMMODITY TRADING; CFTC Imposes Trading Ban and Monetary Penalty on David J. Mueller, 5087-05, June 21, 2005
• FEDERAL COURT FREEZES ASSETS OF FLORIDA FIRM WINDSOR FOREX TRADING CORP. AND ITS OWNER, ANTHONY FRISONE, IN FOREIGN CURRENCY (FOREX) FRAUD CASE; Registered Futures Commission Merchant COES FX Clearing, Inc. Consents to Entry of Preliminary Injunction, 5086-05, June 20, 2005
• CFTC SETTLES CHARGES AGAINST AUDITOR G. VICTOR JOHNSON AND THE ACCOUNTING FIRM OF ALTSCHULER, MELVOIN & GLASSER LLP FOR AUDITING FAILURES; Respondents to Pay $350,000 in Fines and Restitution, and Repay Fees, 5085-05, June 20, 2005
• CFTC CHARGES FLORIDA COMMODITY POOL OPERATOR LONGBOAT GLOBAL FUNDS MANAGEMENT, LLC AND ITS PRESIDENT, ROBERT JOSEPH BEASLEY, WITH FRAUD; CFTC Alleges That Defendants Fraudulently Misrepresented Certain Investments, 5084-05, June 16, 2005
• CFTC AND STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE BRING SALES FRAUD CLAIMS AGAINST FLORIDA TRADING FIRM CROMWELL FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND OTHERS; Complaint by U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the New Hampshire Secretary of State, Bureau of Securities Regulation, Charges Cromwell Financial Services, Inc. and Certain Employees with Defrauding Customers and Failure to Supervise, 5083-05, June 16, 2005
• CFTC SEEKS ENFORCEMENT OF SUBPOENA SERVED ON MCGRAW-HILL; CFTC Moves to Compel Production of Natural Gas Trade Data, 5082-05, June 16, 2005
• CFTC Charges Hugh J. Maddox with Fraudulent Trade Allocation Scheme, 5081-05, June 13, 2005

May

• BRITISH COLUMBIA CITIZEN KEVIN STEELE CHARGED WITH DEFRAUDING OVER 200 PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING U.S. RESIDENTS, IN $7.5 MILLION COMMODITY POOL SCHEME; Scheme Touched Victims Worldwide, 5080-05, May 27, 2005
• CFTC CHARGES THREE FLORIDA MEN AND TWO COMPANIES WITH $3 MILLION FOREIGN CURRENCY OPTIONS FRAUD; Melvin Webman, Larry Webman, Lyle Wexler, International Forex Advisory Group, and Worldwide Currencies Corp. Charged with Defrauding Over 125 Customers, 5079-05, May 25, 2005
• FORMER WILLIAMS NATURAL GAS TRADER AGREES TO COOPERATE WITH GOVERNMENT; CFTC Continues Probe Into Illegal Conduct by Natural Gas Traders, 5078-05, May 20, 2005
• CFTC CHARGES OKLAHOMA RESIDENT RANDY STEVE LANIER WITH DEFRAUDING CUSTOMERS, 5077-05, May 19, 2005
• CFTC SANCTIONS LOS ANGELES-AREA COMMODITY POOL OPERATOR JAMES WEATHERFORD, DOING BUSINESS AS MANAGED MINI.COM, 5075-05, May 10, 2005

April

• CFTC CHARGES THREE DEFENDANTS IN FLORIDA AND ONE DEFENDANT IN CALIFORNIA WITH FOREIGN CURRENCY OPTIONS FRAUD: Amended Complaint Alleges the Defendants’ Activities Caused Losses of More than $5.8 Million to at Least 350 Customers, 5073-05, April 28, 2005
• CALIFORNIA FEDERAL COURT ORDERS CITY TRUST AND INVESTMENT CO. LTD. OF TOKYO, JAPAN, TO PAY MORE THAN $11 MILLION IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SCAM; Federal Court Orders Defendant to Pay Civil Penalty and Repay Defrauded Customers, 5072-05, April 27, 2005
• KANSAS FEDERAL COURT ORDERS CALIFORNIA RESIDENT DEREK ABRAHAMS TO PAY CIVIL PENALTY FOR FRAUDULENTLY PROMOTING COMMODITY TRADING SYSTEMS, 5071-05, April 26, 2005
• CFTC SETTLES FRAUD CHARGES WITH NEVADA MARKETING FIRM, PROFIT PARTNERS INC.; Firm Barred From Fraudulently Soliciting Customers to Purchase Commodity Futures and Options Trading Systems, 5070-05, April 21, 2005
• FEDERAL COURT ISSUES ORDER FREEZING ASSETS OF FLORIDA FOREIGN CURRENCY TRADING FIRM AND ITS VICE-PRESIDENT; BOTH CHARGED WITH FRAUD; CFTC Charges Defendants G7 Advisory Services, LLC and Michel Geraud With Fraudulently Soliciting Customers to Trade Foreign Currency Options, 5069-05, April 18, 2005
• CFTC CHARGES COLORADO ENERGY EXECUTIVE WITH FALSE REPORTING AND ATTEMPTED MANIPULATION OF NATURAL GAS PRICES; CFTC Files Federal Action in Denver, Colorado Against Andrew Richmond, Former Director of Marketing for Western Gas Resources, Inc., 5068-05, April 14, 2005
• U.S.DISTRICT COURT ISSUES ORDER REQUIRING FLORIDA RESIDENTS WILLIAM A. FOLINO, GEORGE BELANGER AND INVESTORS FREEDOM CLUB LC TO PAY OVER $2 MILLION IN RESTITUTION IN FOREX COMMODITY SCAM; William Folino Also Ordered To Pay Up To $2.3 Million In Civil Penalties, 5066-05, April 12, 2005
• CFTC SETTLES ACTION AGAINST COMMODITY POOL OPERATOR FOR UNAUTHORIZED TRADING OF CLIENT FUNDS; Jeffrey Thomas Allen Banned From Trading Commodity Futures and Options, 5065-05, April 6, 2005

March

• FEDERAL COURT ISSUES INTERIM ORDER BARRING FOREIGN FUND, AN INTERNET CURRENCY TRADING FIRM, FROM DEFRAUDING CUSTOMERS, AND ORDERS THE APPOINTMENT OF A TEMPORARY RECEIVER; Court’s Order Continues Asset Freeze against Foreign Fund and Bars the Sale of Illegal Futures Contracts, 5063-05, March 31, 2005
• CALIFORNIA FOREIGN CURRENCY FIRM AND ITS PRINCIPAL AGREE TO PAY OVER $1 MILLION IN SETTLEMENT OF U.S. GOVERNMENT FOREIGN CURRENCY FRAUD ACTION; In Settling Charges by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Defendants Ben Ouyang and Victco Financial Services, Inc. Consented to Release over $1 Million in Frozen Funds as Restitution to Defrauded Customers; Consent Order also Imposes Civil Penalty of $120,000 and a Permanent Injunction, 5060-05, March 23, 2005
• U.S. COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION APPLAUDS SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION OF OPERATION WOODEN NICKEL DEFENDANT, Anthony Iannuzzi Convicted of Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud in "Points for Cash" Scheme, 5059-05, March 18, 2005
• CFTC CHARGES FLORIDA MAN AND HIS COMPANY WITH VIOLATIONS BASED ON OFFER AND SALE OF FOREIGN CURRENCY OPTIONS; William David Seigler, Jr. and Sonoma Trading Corporation Allegedly Solicited Customers to Trade Foreign Currency (Forex) Options Contracts Via the Internet, 5056-05, March 15, 2005
• FEDERAL COURT FREEZES ASSETS OF FLORIDA FOREIGN CURRENCY FIRM AND OTHERS IN U.S. GOVERNMENT LAWSUIT CHARGING A COMMODITY OPTIONS SCAM; CFTC Charges Mercury Partners, Inc.; Mercury Financial Partners, Inc.; Mercury Management, L.C.; Bruce N. Crown; Andrew Bartos; and Michael Morgan with Fraud and Misappropriation of Customer Funds, 5055-05, March 15, 2005
• CFTC AND SEC ANNOUNCE $50 MILLION DISTRIBUTION TO FORMER CUSTOMERS OF PRINCETON ECONOMICS INTERNATIONAL, LTD., AND PRINCETON GLOBAL MANAGEMENT, LTD., 5054-05, March 14, 2005
• FEDERAL COURT FREEZES ASSETS OF SEATTLE FIRM AND FOUR OTHER DEFENDANTS CHARGED WITH INTERNATIONAL SCHEME THAT DEFRAUDED U.S. CUSTOMERS OF OVER $8.5 MILLION; CFTC Alleged That Premium Income Corp., Its Principal, Gerald Rogers, And Others, Made False Claims About Profit and Risk, And Misappropriated Funds; Rogers is a Recent Ex-Convict Who Served Time for Similar Crimes, 5053-05, March 8, 2005
• MARYLAND FEDERAL COURT ENTERS CONSENT ORDER AGAINST FORMER RESIDENT ANDREW M. SILBERSTEIN IN COMMODITY POOL FRAUD ACTION; In Action Brought by U.S.Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the State of Maryland, Silberstein Is Ordered to Pay Total Sanctions of $560,000, 5052-05, March 8, 2005

February

• Tennessee Foreign Currency Firm FxTrade Financial, LLC, and Jeffrey Mischler, its CEO and Managing Partner, Along with Seven Others, Agree to Order Finding that They Violated Court Orders Preventing Dissipation of Customer Funds, 5051-05, February 24, 2005
• U.S. COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION AND OTHER FEDERAL AUTHORITIES COOPERATE TO SHUT DOWN NEW YORK FOREIGN CURRENCY (FOREX) BOILER ROOM OPERATION; CFTC CHARGES RICHMOND GLOBAL ENTITIES OF STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK AND FOUR INDIVIDUALS WITH DEFRAUDING 160 CUSTOMERS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FOREX SCHEME; CFTC Assisted U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 5050-05, February 18, 2005
• U.S. District Court Orders Florida Company World-Wide Currency, Corp., and Florida Residents Genady Spivack a.k.a. George Spivak and Ellison Kent Morris to Pay Over $6 Million in Civil Fraud Action, 5048-05, February 3, 2005
• CFTC AWARDED FINAL JUDGMENT IN FRAUD ACTION AGAINST INTERTRADE FOREX, INC. AND UK RESIDENT PRITESH PATEL; Defendants Ordered to Pay More Than $650,000 in Civil Penalty and Customer Restitution, 5047-05, February 2, 2005
• Federal Court Orders New Jersey Resident James I. Weiss and Clearview Capital Management, Inc. to Pay Sanctions of $800,000 in Foreign Currency Fraud Case, 5046-05, February 2, 2005
• CFTC LAUNCHES MULTIPLE FEDERAL ACTIONS AGAINST A TOTAL OF 15 ENERGY TRADERS, CHARGING THEM WITH FALSE REPORTING AND ATTEMPTED MANIPULATION; CFTC Names Former Traders of Enserco Energy, Inc., Mirant Americas Energy Marketing, Cinergy Corp., Duke Energy Trading and Marketing, CMS Field Services Inc., and Coral Energy Resources, LLP, 5045-05, February 1, 2005

January

• CFTC SEEKS TO REVOKE REGISTRATIONS OF ILLINOIS RESIDENT LESLIE JEAN WNUKOWSKI; 5042-05, January 27, 2005
• CFTC SETTLES LAWSUIT WITH AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY AND AEP ENERGY SERVICES, INC. FOR FALSE REPORTING AND ATTEMPTED MANIPULATION IN NATURAL GAS MARKETS; Federal Government Collects $81 Million: Defendants Ordered to Pay $30 Million Civil Monetary Penalty to CFTC; AEP Energy Services, Inc. to Pay an Additional $30 Million to U.S.Department of Justice to Avoid Federal Criminal Prosecution, and $21 Million to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 5041-05, January 26, 2005
• CFTC FINDS THAT PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY, COMMODITY TRADING ADVISOR ROYAL BERG, INC. AND ITS PRINCIPAL, GARY BERG, VIOLATED DISCLOSURE OBLIGATIONS, 5040-05, January 19, 2005
• TEXAS FEDERAL COURT ORDERS DEFENDANTS RICHARD HALE AND ALLEGHENY GULF INVESTMENTS, INC. TO PAY $440,000 IN CIVIL PENALTIES FOR MISAPPROPRIATING CUSTOMER FUNDS; Defendants Also Prohibited From Handling Commodity Interest Accounts, 5039-05, January 13, 2005
• U.S. DISTRICT COURT ENJOINS SOUTH CAROLINA RESIDENT GEORGE HEFFERNAN FROM ENGAGING IN COMMODITIES FRAUD; FREEZES ASSETS; Order Arises From Complaint By CFTC Charging Heffernan, Also Known As "George W. Marshall," With Fraud for the Third Time in Four Years, 5038-05, January 13, 2005
• FEDERAL COURT FREEZES ASSETS OF FLORIDA FIRM AND FIVE INDIVIDUALS CHARGED WITH DEFRAUDING CUSTOMERS OF OVER $6 MILLION; CFTC Alleges that United Investors Group, Inc., Former Director Andrew D. Ross, CEO Paul F. Plunkett, and Traders Greg P. Allotta, Jay M. Levy, and Michael H. Savitsky III, Made False Claims that Customers Would Make Large Profits with Little Risk, 5037-05, January 11, 2005
• CALIFORNIA FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS ARREST OF JIAN ZHUANG, PRESIDENT OF LOS ANGELES-AREA FOREIGN CURRENCY FIRM EMERALD WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS, INC., IN LAWSUIT CHARGING A COMMODITIES SCAM; Zhuang Failed to Pay Money Sanctions Arising Out of Earlier Contempt Order in CFTC Case Charging Zhuang and Others With Defrauding More than 300 Customers of Over $5 Million, 5036-05, January 11, 2005
• CFTC SETTLES CHARGES AGAINST FLORIDA TRADING FIRM AND TWO INDIVIDUALS RELATING TO ILLEGAL WASH TRADES; Hencorp Becstone Futures LC, Jorge Mattos, and Oscar Schaps Ordered to Pay Civil Penalties, 5034-05, January 5, 2005