Joseph Darragh, CFE

About Joseph Darragh, CFE

Microcap Securities Specialist.

Joe spent nine years inside the SEC taking pump and dumps apart, trade by trade and wire by wire. If your matter touches the microcap space, he’s already seen how it works.

Joe’s CV

Joe Darragh, microcap fraud subject matter expert and Certified Fraud Examiner

Investigator. Developer.
Certified Fraud Examiner.

A securities investigator who builds the tools to find the truth.

Joe Darragh combines three disciplines rarely found in one practitioner. He pairs hands-on investigative experience from inside the SEC with the skills of a developer and data scientist and deep subject-matter expertise in microcap fraud.

The investigations Joe worked on followed these schemes wherever they went, across markets and borders, often alongside criminal matters and in coordination with the United States Department of Justice, the FBI, the IRS, and other securities regulators around the world. Now, in private practice, Joe brings that experience to your matter.

Clear Evidence. Credible Analysis.
Defensible Conclusions.

When your matter requires an investigator who combines field experience, data science, and purpose-built technology, the result is analysis that holds up.

13

years at the IRS & SEC

$700 Million+

aggregate fraud

20+

civil complaints

10+

parallel criminal matters

Contributing expert on the SEC’s landmark study of OTC investor outcomes.

Joe served as contributor and microcap subject-matter expert for Outcomes of Investing in OTC Stocks, a white paper by the SEC’s Division of Economic and Risk Analysis analyzing retail-investor harm in the OTC markets. Authored by Joshua White, the study established the empirical foundation for understanding how retail investors are harmed in OTC markets, with findings that directly informed regulatory policy and market reform.

View White Paper (PDF) Read on SEC.gov
Cover page of Outcomes of Investing in OTC Stocks, SEC DERA white paper with Joe Darragh as contributor

Qualifications & Experience

Here’s more about Joe’s qualifications and experience so you can decide whether he’s the right fit for your matter.

Joe’s CV
Experience
2022 – Present
Independent Fraud Investigator & ConsultantSecurities investigations, litigation support, and expert work in the microcap space.
2013 – 2022
Investigator, Microcap Fraud Task Force (MFTF), U.S. Securities & Exchange CommissionMFTF’s principal investigator and data scientist, working on complex, cross-border microcap fraud investigations, and developing the analytical systems used to detect and investigate pump and dumps, market manipulations, unregistered distributions, and other matters concerning microcap companies with thinly traded shares.
2009 – 2013
Revenue Officer, Small Business / Self-Employed, Internal Revenue ServiceField collection and enforcement work, Bridgeport, CT.
Recognition
2020
SEC Director’s AwardSEC v. Honig, et al.SEC v. Lawler & Bannister
2019
SEC Chairman’s AwardIn recognition of NYRO’s Community-Based Fraud Conference serving the interests of main street investors.
2019
SEC Analytics Innovation Award NomineeNYRO Director’s nomination for systems-level innovation in microcap fraud detection.
2018
SEC NYRO Charles O. LeRoux AwardIn recognition of extraordinary contributions to the New York Regional Office and the SEC as a whole.
2018
SEC Director’s AwardSEC v. Beaufort Securities Ltd.
2017
SEC Director’s AwardSEC v. LinSEC v. Contrarian Press et al.
2016
SEC Director’s AwardFor outstanding contribution to the Microcap Fraud Task Force.
FBI
FBI Recognition for Outstanding AssistanceUnited States v. Robert Bandfield, et al.
Leadership & Advisory Roles
  • Principal Investigator, SEC Microcap Fraud Task Force (2013–2022)
  • Co-Chair, Microcap Fraud Working Group (2019–2022)
  • Founding Member, Alberta Securities Commission Cross-Border Microcap Fraud Initiative (2017–2022)
  • Founding Member, Dark Web Working Group (2016–2022)
  • Microcap Fraud Subject Matter Expert, DARPA Memex Project (2015–2016)
  • SEC Specialist, Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT) and Rule 15c2-11 amendments
  • Speaker, FINRA National Cause Financial Crimes Threat Intelligence Panel (2020)
  • Panelist, Data Coalition & Thomson Reuters Regulator Panel on RegTech (2018)
  • Panelist, The Microcap Conference: “Let the Investor Beware!” (2024)
  • Contributor & Microcap SME, “Outcomes of Investing in OTC Stocks,” SEC DERA Staff Paper (2016)
Credentials & Education

Credentials

  • Certified Fraud Examiner, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (2013–present)
    Verify on Credly

Education

  • Master’s in Accountancy, University of Phoenix (2010)
  • Bachelor’s in Finance, minor in Economics, Pace University Lubin School of Business, graduated with honors (2009)
  • Associate’s in Marketing, Westchester Community College (2006)
Cases & Public Filings

Joe’s SEC matters, the public complaints, and the sworn declarations he filed are catalogued on this site.

Review the Case Record

The Microcap Conference · 2024

Let the Investor Beware! Fraud Detection & Red Flags

Joe Darragh speaking on a panel about microcap fraud at The Microcap Conference, Caesars Atlantic City, January 31, 2024.

Ready to discuss your matter?

Share a few details about your matter, and Joe will be in touch within 1-2 business days. If it might make sense to work together, the next step is a complimentary consultation.

Request Consultation