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☆ Trump Media stock tumbles as the SEC charges its auditor with 'massive fraud'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Trump Media's stock price dropped on Friday after its auditor was accused of "massive fraud." The auditor BF Borgers did not comply with common accounting standards, the SEC said. BF Borgers CPA PC, which audited the financials of Trump Media, had "deliberate and systemic failures to comply" with public company accounting standards, the regulatory agency said. BF Borgers settled the SEC charges by paying a $12 million penalty, while Borgers, the owner, paid a separate $2 million penalty. "Trump Media looks forward to working with auditing partners in accordance with today's SEC order," a spokesperson for TMTG said.

Persons: BF, —, Benjamin Borgers, BF Borgers, Borgers, Ben Borgers, Gurbir Grewal, TMTG Organizations: Trump, SEC, Service, Trump Media, Securities and Exchange Commission Locations: SEC's

☆ Trump Media’s accounting firm charged with ‘massive fraud’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

“Trump Media looks forward to working with new auditing partners in accordance with today’s SEC order,” Trump Media spokesperson Shannon Devine told CNN in a statement. According to filings, Borgers served as Trump Media’s independent registered accounting firm before the social media company went public in March. Later in March, the audit committee of Trump Media approved the hiring of Borgers as the public company’s accounting firm. The SEC review only focused on public companies, meaning BF Borgers’ work for Trump Media when it was private was not included. Trump Media is chaired and majority owned by former President Donald Trump, who is also the most popular user on Truth Social.

Persons: BF, Benjamin Borgers, “ Borgers, ” Gurbir Grewal, Trump Media , “, ”, Shannon Devine, Borgers, BF Borgers, Donald Trump Organizations: New, New York CNN, Trump Media & Technology, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Truth Social, Trump Media, BF Borgers, “ Trump Media, ” Trump Media, CNN, Trump, Borgers Locations: New York

☆ Terraform Labs and founder Do Kwon found liable in US civil fraud trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Kwon designed TerraUSD and Luna, a more traditional token that fluctuated in value but was closely linked to TerraUSD. The SEC is seeking civil financial penalties and orders barring Kwon and Terraform from the securities industry. Kwon falsely attributed the recovery to the reliability of TerraUSD’s algorithms, according to the regulator. Earlier in the case, Terraform argued that securities laws did not apply to the cryptocurrencies it developed. After a final judgment in the case, Terraform will be able to challenge that ruling on appeal.

Persons: Kwon, Terraform’s blockchain, Luna, Jed Rakoff, Terraform, Gurbir Grewal, ” Grewal, ”, Laura Meehan, ” Meehan, Terraform’s, Louis Pellegrino, ” Pellegrino, Rakoff Organizations: Labs, US Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, SEC Division Locations: Manhattan, Singapore, Montenegro, United States, South Korea

☆ US SEC sues Kraken crypto exchange over failure to register
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Kraken cryptocurrency exchange logo is seen in this illustration taken July 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 20 (Reuters) - Kraken, one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, was sued on Monday by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which accused it of illegally operating as a securities exchange without first registering with the regulator. In June, the SEC filed similar lawsuits against Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, and Coinbase, the largest in the United States. Monday's lawsuit seeks a civil fine, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, and a halt to acting as a crypto exchange without registering. The case is SEC v Payward Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Gary Gensler's, Kraken, Gurbir Grewal, Binance, Jonathan Stempel, Chris Prentice, David Gregorio, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Binance, Payward Inc, Payward Ventures Inc, Blockchain, Digital Currency Group, Hummingbird Ventures, Tribe Capital, Payward, Court, Northern District of, Thomson Locations: San Francisco federal, United States, San Francisco, U.S, Northern District, Northern District of California, New York

☆ The Cybersecurity Lawsuit That Boards Are Talking About
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Sarah Kessler | More About Sarah Kessler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Most experts agree that, regardless of the lawsuit’s outcome, it could affect how companies handle cybersecurity risks. In July, the agency adopted new cybersecurity disclosure requirements set to take effect in December. They require companies to report material attacks within four days and to make yearly disclosures about their cybersecurity risk management, strategy and governance. In a June speech, the S.E.C.’s enforcement director, Gurbir Grewal, said it had “zero tolerance for gamesmanship” around cybersecurity disclosures. No CISO can now risk basically painting an unrealistically positive picture of cybersecurity.”

Persons: Gurbir Grewal, ” Wolff, ‘, Ramakrishna, it’ll, ”, Jake Williams, CISOs Organizations: cybersecurity

☆ SEC alleges SolarWinds and key executive misled investors about cybersecurity prior to 'massive' cyberattack
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"We allege that, for years, SolarWinds and Brown ignored repeated red flags about SolarWinds' cyber risks, which were well known throughout the company," SEC enforcement director Gurbir Grewal said in a press release. SolarWinds went public in 2018, and made only "generic" disclosures about cybersecurity risk in both its prospectus and in continued filings, the complaint said. However, the SEC alleged that SolarWinds and Brown knew that the company's cybersecurity practices were weak, pointing to an internal presentation from Brown that was made the same month SolarWinds went public. It appears to be one of the first times the SEC has alleged a company misled and defrauded investors over cybersecurity risks. In reality, Brown knew that the company was not following those best practices, the SEC alleged.

Persons: SolarWinds, Tim Brown, Brown, Gurbir Grewal, weren't, Solarwinds, Kevin Thompson, Sudhakar Ramakrishna, Mr, Alec Koch Organizations: SolarWinds Corp, New York Stock Exchange, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, software, Orion, unf, Regulators, MGM Resorts, CNBC Locations: New York, U.S, Russian, Clorox, SolarWinds

☆ US SEC will go to court if someone is 'playing games' during probes -official
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The headquarters of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are seen in Washington, July 6, 2009. REUTERS/Jim Bourg/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - A top U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission official on Wednesday said the SEC will turn to courts to enforce its subpoena authority when someone is "playing games" or trying to delay investigations. THE TAKEThe SEC's enforcement director Gurbir Grewal said the agency rarely turns to a court to enforce its subpoena authority, but will do so when necessary. Grewal estimated the agency pursued about a dozen such actions last year. KEY QUOTE:"We need to have accountability and we need to get that message out to the public," Grewal said at an industry conference.

Persons: Jim Bourg, Gurbir Grewal, Grewal, Elon Musk, Chris Prentice, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, REUTERS, Rights, Exchange, Thomson Locations: Washington

☆ Wells Fargo overcharged nearly 11,000 investment accounts with advisory fees, SEC alleges
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —For years, Wells Fargo overcharged almost 11,000 investment advisory accounts about $27 million in fees, federal regulators alleged on Friday. Wells Fargo agreed to pay a $35 million civil penalty to settle the matter, without admitting or denying the SEC charges. The agency said Wells Fargo also paid account holders about $40 million — including interest — to reimburse customers who’d been overcharged. The SEC also said Wells Fargo overcharged some clients who opened accounts prior to 2014 through the end of 2022. Wells Fargo spokesperson Caroline Szyperski said Wells Fargo Advisors conducted a “thorough review” of accounts and has fully reimbursed affected customers.

Persons: Wells, Wells Fargo, “, ” Gurbir Grewal, Edwards, Caroline Szyperski, “ We’re Organizations: New, New York CNN, Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Wells Fargo Advisors, Wachovia, Advisors Locations: New York, Wells Fargo overcharged, Wells, Wells Fargo

☆ Wells Fargo repays clients $40 million for excessive investment advice fees
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Wells Fargo paid back $40 million to almost 11,000 customers who for years were overcharged on fees for investment advice, the Securities and Exchange Commission said Friday. Wells Fargo neither admitted nor denied the allegations, the agency said. However, internal systems failed to account for those reduced advisory fees in some cases, the SEC said. (AG Edwards and Wachovia merged in 2007; Wells Fargo and Wachovia then did so in 2008.) Caroline Szyperski, a spokesperson for Wells Fargo, said the firm is "pleased to resolve this matter."

Persons: Wells Fargo, Wells, There's, — AG, Gurbir Grewal, Caroline Szyperski Organizations: Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Finance, —, — AG Edwards, Wachovia —, Edwards, Wachovia Locations: Wells Fargo

WASHINGTON, Aug 8 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators on Tuesday hit another batch of Wall Street firms with $549 million in civil penalties over widespread record-keeping failures related to employees' use of personal text messages and other messaging apps. Eleven firms, including Wells Fargo Securities and BNP Paribas Securities Corp, have agreed to pay $289 million in fines to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to resolve the allegations. Regulators require broker dealers and investment advisers to keep certain work-related communications, but Wall Street dealers have increasingly used personal devices in recent years. Spokespeople for BNP, which agreed to pay $110 million to the regulators, and Mizuho, which agreed to pay $25 million to the SEC, declined to comment. The regulators have already fined units of JPMorgan Chase and Co (JPM.N), Barclays, Bank of America and others for similar record-keeping failures.

Persons: Wells, Société, Spokespeople, Gurbir Grewal, Chris Prentice, Susan Heavey, Nivedita Balu, Nupur Anand, Saeed Azhar, Bernadette Baum, Jason Neely Organizations: Wall Street, Wells, Wells Fargo Securities, BNP Paribas Securities Corp, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Futures Trading, BNP, Bank of Montreal, Wedbush Securities Inc, Wall, SEC, CFTC, Mizuho, Nikko Securities, JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, Bank of America, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Wells Fargo, Nikko, New York, Washington, Toronto

NEW YORK, July 26 (Reuters) - British billionaire Joe Lewis has surrendered to U.S. authorities in Manhattan and is expected to appear in court later on Wednesday to face insider trading charges, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan said. Two of Lewis' pilots, Patrick O'Connor and Bryan Waugh, were also charged with insider trading securities fraud. Joe Lewis is a wealthy man," Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan, said in a statement. Insider trading has long been a focus of Williams' office, dating to 2009 when a crackdown began under one of his predecessors, Preet Bharara. Separately on Wednesday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil insider trading case against Lewis, O'Connor, Waugh and Lewis' then-girlfriend Carolyn Carter.

Persons: Joe Lewis, Lewis, Patrick O'Connor, Bryan Waugh, David Zornow, O'Connor, Waugh, O'Connor texted, Mirati, Daniel Levy, Dylan Martinez, Damian Williams, Williams, Preet Bharara, Carolyn Carter, Carter, Gurbir Grewal, Luc Cohen, Jonathan Stempel, Chris Prentice, Chizu Nomiyama, Daniel Wallis Organizations: YORK, U.S, Tottenham Hotspur, Tottenham, Prosecutors, Mirati Therapeutics, Southampton Premier League, Reuters, Tavistock Group, Forbes, Attorney, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Thomson Locations: British, U.S, Manhattan, United States, New York, Virginia

Companies Mirati Therapeutics Inc FollowNEW YORK, July 26 (Reuters) - The British billionaire Joe Lewis pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to orchestrating what prosecutors called a "brazen" insider trading scheme by passing tips about companies in which he invested to friends, private pilots and a former girlfriend. Two of Lewis' pilots, Patrick O'Connor and Bryan Waugh, also pleaded not guilty to related insider trading charges, after being accused of making millions of dollars in illegal profit from Lewis' tips. British billionaire and Tottenham Hotspur owner Joe Lewis exits the United States Courthouse in Manhattan, following his appearance on insider trading charges, in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. Insider trading has long been a focus of Williams' office, dating to 2009 when a crackdown began under one of his predecessors, Preet Bharara. Separately on Wednesday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil insider trading case against Lewis, O'Connor, Waugh and Lewis' former girlfriend Carolyn Carter.

Persons: Joe Lewis, Lewis, Valerie Figueredo, Nicolas Roos, Patrick O'Connor, Bryan Waugh, David Zornow, O'Connor, Waugh, O'Connor texted, Mirati, Amr Alfiky Mirati, Prosecutors, Damian Williams, Williams, Preet Bharara, Carolyn Carter, Carter, Gurbir Grewal, Luc Cohen, Jonathan Stempel, Jody Godoy, Chris Prentice, Chizu Nomiyama, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Mirati Therapeutics, Tottenham Hotspur, Aviva, Tavistock Group, Forbes, Tottenham, Prosecutors, United, REUTERS, U.S, Attorney, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Thomson Locations: British, Manhattan, United States, New York City, U.S, New York, Virginia, South Korea

July 7 (Reuters) - A former U.S. Army financial counselor from New Jersey was criminally charged on Friday with defrauding grieving military families out of life insurance payments, causing millions of dollars of losses while reaping big commissions for himself. The U.S. Department of Justice charged Caz Craffy, 41, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, through a 10-count indictment with wire fraud, securities fraud and making false statements targeting members of at least two dozen Gold Star families. Craffy "preyed upon these vulnerable families," U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger in New Jersey said at a news conference. Craffy, who is also known as Carz Craffey, also faces civil charges from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Gold Star families include people who have immediate family members who died in active duty.

Persons: Caz Craffy, Philip Sellinger, Craffy, Mark Berman, Sellinger, Gurbir Grewal, Grewal, Jonathan Stempel, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, Army, U.S . Department of Justice, Gold Star, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Star, Authorities, SEC, Thomson Locations: New Jersey, , New Jersey, New York

The agreement, disclosed in court papers filed late on Friday, still requires the approval of the federal judge overseeing the litigation. To make certain that U.S. customer assets do not go offshore, the agreement allows only Binance.US employees access to these assets. The SEC said in a statement released on Saturday that the emergency relief order secured for Binance.US customers will protect their assets and ensure that they can continue to withdraw those assets. "Given that Changpeng Zhao and Binance have control of the platforms' customers' assets and have been able to commingle customer assets or divert customer assets as they please ... these prohibitions are essential to protecting investor assets," Gurbir Grewal, director of the SEC's enforcement division, said in the statement. The U.S. affiliate of Binance halted dollar deposits last week and gave customers a deadline of June 13 to withdraw their dollar funds, after SEC asked a court to freeze its assets.

Persons: Binance, Changpeng Zhao, Binance.US, Zhao, Gurbir Grewal, Baranjot Kaur, Akanksha, Jose Joseph, Will Dunham, Stephen Coates, Louise Heavens Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Binance Holdings, Services, U.S, Thomson Locations: United States, Bengaluru

☆ SEC enforcement chief rejects criticism of crypto crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Chris Prentice | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The regulator's heightened scrutiny of crypto firms comes in response to the industry's failure to comply with the agency's regulations, SEC enforcement director Gurbir Grewal said at a Rutgers University and Lowenstein Sandler LLP event in New York. "We have worked thoughtfully and incrementally in this space," Grewal said on Friday. The SEC began targeting initial coin sales as unregistered securities offerings, but has increasingly focused on crypto firms acting as unregistered exchanges and broker-dealers. The SEC last week sued Binance and Coinbase, two of the world's largest crypto exchanges, for allegedly breaking its rules. Coinbase has said the agency hardened its stance and became less willing to work with crypto firms in the wake of the FTX scandal in late 2022.

Persons: Gurbir Grewal, Lowenstein Sandler, Grewal, you'd, Binance, Coinbase, Chris Prentice, Nick Macfie Organizations: YORK, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Rutgers University, Lowenstein, Capitol, Democratic, Thomson Locations: New York, noncompliance

☆ Coinbase CEO believes SEC lawsuit will benefit crypto industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong is confident his battle with federal regulators will benefit the crypto industry, no matter how the judge rules. “Regardless of the outcome of the case, it’s a step towards clarity.”The Securities and Exchange Commission dealt another blow to the crypto industry on Tuesday by suing Coinbase, America’s largest crypto exchange. The SEC alleges Coinbase made billions of dollars facilitating the sale of crypto assets as an unregistered exchange, robbing investors of key protections along the way. ‘Icy reception’Armstrong questioned the timing of SEC Chairman Gary Gensler’s decision to file a lawsuit against his company just 24 hours after the agency accused Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, of mishandling customer funds. “They allowed us to become a public company,” Armstrong said.

Persons: Brian Armstrong, isn’t, ” Armstrong, Coinbase, Armstrong, “, Gary Gensler’s, Binance, “ He’s, Gensler, ”, I’ve, ‘, ‘ I’m, ’ ” Armstrong, ’, Gurbir Grewal, ” Coinbase, San, Coinbase wouldn’t, We’re, Adam Levitin Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Enforcement, “, SEC —, Georgetown Law Locations: New York, Washington, SEC’s, “ Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong, San Francisco

The lawsuit is the SEC's second in two days against a major crypto exchange, following its case against Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, and founder Changpeng Zhao. Crypto companies including Coinbase have said SEC rules are unclear, and the regulator is overreaching by asserting oversight of their industry. Coinbase customers pulled more than $57 million from the exchange within a couple of hours of the filing, according to data firm Nansen. The SEC said Coinbase traded at least 13 crypto assets that are securities that should have been registered, including tokens such as Solana, Cardano and Polygon. The case is SEC v Coinbase Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

Persons: Coinbase, Binance, Changpeng Zhao, Gary Gensler's, Gensler, Paul Grewal, Coinbase's, Nansen, Dado Ruvic, Gurbir Grewal, Kristin Smith, Jonathan Stempel, Hannah Lang, Michelle Price, Manya, Jason Neely, Louise Heavens, Chizu Nomiyama, Nick Zieminski Organizations: YORK, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, CNBC, Global Inc, Reuters Graphics, REUTERS, Coinbase, New, Blockchain Association, Court, Southern District of, Manya Saini, Thomson Locations: U.S, California, Manhattan, Solana, Cardano, New Jersey, Southern District, Southern District of New York, New York, Washington ,, Bengaluru

Companies Coinbase Global Inc FollowMay 30 (Reuters) - A former product manager for Coinbase Global Inc (COIN.O) and his brother have agreed to settle U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charges related to insider trading of crypto asset securities. A lawyer for Ishan Wahi declined to comment on the settlement. Ishan Wahi was sentenced to two years in prison earlier this month. In January, Nikhil Wahi was sentenced to 10 months in prison. In pleading guilty to the criminal charges, Ishan Wahi said he did not believe any of the relevant tokens were securities.

Persons: Ishan Wahi, Nikhil Wahi, Gurbir Grewal, Nikhil, ”, Kanishka Singh, Chris Prentice, Hannah Lang, Bill Berkrot, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Coinbase, Coinbase Global Inc, U.S, Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Thomson

☆ SEC issues largest ever whistleblower award of $279 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued its largest ever award of nearly $279 million to a whistleblower whose information helped the regulator's enforcement action, it said on Friday. The award is more than double the $114 million that it had issued in October 2020. Payments to whistleblowers are made out of an investor protection fund that was established by Congress and financed entirely through monetary sanctions paid to the SEC by securities law violators. Awards to whistleblowers can range from 10% to 30% of the money collected when the monetary sanctions exceed $1 million. Reporting by Manya Saini in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul and other celebrities charged $400,000 for violating crypto rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( David Goldman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday charged Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul and several other celebrities with failing to disclose that they were paid to promote crypto. The celebrities agreed to pay $400,000, including fines, and return what they were paid for the promotion. For their violations, Lohan agreed to pay $30,000 in fines in addition to the $10,000 she earned for the promotion. Paul agreed to pay $75,000 in fines on top of the $25,000 he earned. “At the same time, Sun paid celebrities with millions of social media followers to tout the unregistered offerings, while specifically directing that they not disclose their compensation.”

Lindsay Lohan attends/performs during a photocall for "Speed The Plow" at Playhouse Theatre on September 30, 2014 in London, England. The Securities and Exchange Commission has unveiled fraud and unregistered securities charges against crypto founder and Grenadian diplomat Justin Sun, alongside separate violations against the celebrity backers of his Tronix and BitTorrent crypto assets, which included Jake Paul, Lindsay Lohan and Soulja Boy. The unregistered offer and sale charges, on the other hand, are similar to charges the SEC has unveiled against other crypto offerings and exchanges, including Genesis, Gemini and Do Kwon's Terraform Labs. “This case demonstrates again the high risk investors face when crypto asset securities are offered and sold without proper disclosure,” said SEC Chair Gary Gensler. Tron and his backers' alleged behavior was part of an "age-old playbook to mislead and harm investors," SEC enforcement chief Gurbir Grewal said in a statement.

[1/5] Guo Wengui (also known as Miles Kwok) holds a news conference with Steve Bannon in New York, New York, U.S., November 20, 2018. Guo, 52, was charged with 11 criminal counts including securities fraud, wire fraud and concealment of money laundering, after "lining his pockets with the money he stole," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in Manhattan said in a statement. They will propose a "robust bail package," according to Tamara Giwa, a federal public defender who represented Guo at Wednesday's hearing. Bannon is not accused of wrongdoing in Guo's criminal case. It said it also seized assets purchased with proceeds from Guo's alleged fraud, including a Lamborghini Aventador, and wants Guo to forfeit the yacht.

☆ DOJ charges Chinese businessman Guo Wengui, associate of Steve Bannon, in $1 billion fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon greets fugitive Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui before introducing him at a news conference on November 20, 2018 in New York. The controversial exiled Chinese billionaire businessman Guo Wengui — an associate of former Trump White House advisor Steve Bannon — was arrested in New York on Wednesday for orchestrating what federal prosecutors called a more than $1 billion fraud conspiracy that duped online followers with promises of outsized investment returns. Former President Donald Trump months later pardoned Bannon in that case, shortly before Trump left the White House. IThe defendants are charged with wire fraud, securities fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering in the criminal case. Both Guo and Je face ossible sentences of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

In a statement, U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite called the charges a "groundbreaking" effort to prevent the misuse of so-called 10b5-1 trading plans. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission also announced civil insider trading charges against Peizer in a parallel action. Executives can use trading plans under rule 10b5-1 as a defense against insider trading charges by planning to sell shares in advance at predetermined times. In a recent case, the SEC in September charged Cheetah Mobile Inc's (0C9y.F) CEO and its former president with insider trading in connection with a trading plan. The SEC in December voted to make changes to the insider trading programs to address concerns over abuse.

☆ Mormon church, affiliated nonprofit to pay $5 million to settle SEC charges alleging disclosure failures
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The forms were filed in the name of the shell companies, instead of Ensign Peak Advisers. Ensign Peak Advisers agreed to pay a $4 million penalty to the SEC, while the church agreed to pay $1 million, the agency said. "Since 2000, Ensign Peak received and relied upon legal counsel regarding how to comply with its reporting obligations while attempting to maintain the privacy of the portfolio. As a result, Ensign Peak established separate companies (LLCs) that each filed Forms 13F instead of a single aggregated filing. Ensign Peak and the Church have cooperated with the government over a period of time as we sought resolution," Moore added.

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