Joe’s Investigations
The SEC matters Joe worked on, with the public filings to read.
SEC v. Gallagher
Gallagher tweeted buy alerts for 60+ penny stocks to 70,000 followers while selling his own shares into the buying, making at least $3.39 million.
SEC v. Muller
Muller and an associate traded EMS Find stock in coordinated patterns to raise its price and create the appearance of liquidity during the broader EMSF scheme.
SEC v. Lisser
Cold-callers pitched no-fee 'pre-IPO' funds that actually carried 14% to 62% hidden markups. Of $2.1 million raised, about $900,000 went to Lisser.
SEC v. Ciapala, et al.
Geneva firm Blacklight SA sold millions of unregistered EMS Find shares for hidden control persons while the stock's price was artificially inflated, part of a $35 million network.
SEC v. Debo
Debo secretly bought a dormant shell, installed a nominal CEO, and hired a marketer for a promotional campaign. The SEC filed before the promotion could begin.
SEC v. Lawler, et al.
A securities lawyer's false opinion letters let control persons sell millions of restricted shell-company shares to the public as 'freely trading' stock.
SEC v. Chan, et al.
Five traders across Asia ran 180+ matched trades in a shell with zero assets, 45% of its entire volume, receiving over $370,000 before an emergency freeze.
SEC v. Ortiz
Ortiz promised a retiree a minimum 50% return, took control of $570,000, spent $224,500 of it, lost $290,000 trading, and concealed it with a fabricated statement.
SEC v. River North Equity, et al.
Foley converted notes into more than a billion shares of two NanoTech penny stocks and sold them through an unregistered dealer, running part of the scheme from prison.
SEC v. Honig, et al.
An investor group led by Barry Honig secretly took control of three companies, promoted their stocks through paid articles, and sold for over $27 million.
SEC v. Beaufort Securities, et al.
A London brokerage opened nominee accounts and entered matched trades for an undercover FBI agent. One matched trade nearly doubled HD View's stock price.
SEC v. Perlstein, et al.
Three defendants in Israel created at least 15 public companies with no real business, using fabricated business plans and straw shareholders, and sold them for over $1.8 million.
SEC v. Almagarby, et al.
Almagarby's Microcap Equity Group converted penny-stock companies' aged debt into discounted shares and sold them without registering as a dealer.
SEC v. Farinella, et al.
Farinella controlled 98% of Pazoo's tradable shares before it ever traded, then used coordinated trading and paid promotions to sell 8 million shares.
SEC v. Lin, et al.
Lin and Chen bought 8.4 million shell-company shares for about $31,000 and sold into a promotion for over $1.8 million, with no registration statement.
SEC v. Contrarian Press, et al.
EMPO's own CEO secretly wrote and paid for the newsletters recommending his stock, using an alias and a publishing company he owned.
SEC v. St. Julien, et al.
ForceField's chairman secretly paid brokers and promoters kickbacks of 10% or more to promote the stock, concealing the payments with burner phones and offshore accounts.
SEC v. Kueber
Kueber hid his control of Cynk Technology behind straw shareholders and offshore shells as the stock ran from under $0.10 to $21. The SEC halted it first.
SEC v. Ling
A day trader marked the close in Cyberdefender stock to hold it above the $4.00 Nasdaq listing minimum, making over $650,000 through below-market warrants.
SEC v. Bandfield, et al.
An offshore firm in Belize built pyramids of shell companies so U.S. clients could hide microcap stock ownership and stay under SEC reporting thresholds.
SEC v. Galas, et al.
Four traders used wash trades and matched orders to inflate six microcap stocks, timing their sales to online promotions for over $2.5 million in profits.
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