<p><span>The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced that the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas entered an order granting the CFTC’s motion for default judgment against defendant James Frederick Walsh of Boca Raton, Florida. The order finds that Walsh failed to answer the CFTC’s complaint charging him with fraud and failure to register with the CFTC. Walsh’s fraudulent solicitations include falsely claiming to generate increased forex trading profits as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first enforcement action brought by the CFTC alleging misconduct tied directly to the COVID-19 pandemic.</span></p>
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Commodity Futures Trading Commission CFTC Whistleblower Program is confronting a funding crisis that could require it to furlough staff. Fund from which it pays whistleblowers could be depleted with payment of a large whistleblower award for violations of the Commodity Exchange Act.
<p><span>The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced filing charges in federal court against Chicago commodity pool operators (CPOs) LJM Partners Ltd and LJM Funds Management Ltd, (collectively LJM), their Chairman, owner and registered associated person (AP) Anthony J. Caine of Colorado and Chief Portfolio Manager Anish Parvataneni of Illinois with commodity pool fraud and fraud in connection with options on futures contracts for false or misleading statements about worst-case losses, risk management, and LJM’s risk profile.</span></p>
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Federal Court Orders Virginia Resident To Pay More Than $5 Million For Futures And Options Fraud Date
14/05/2021
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced today that Judge John A. Gibney, Jr., of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia entered a Consent Order for Permanent Injunction, Restitution and Ancillary Equitable Relief against defendant Leonard J. Cipolla finding, among other things, that Cipolla fraudulently solicited individuals to place funds in a commodity pool to trade futures and options while misappropriating more than $5 million of the money he was given to trade. The order requires that Cipolla pay restitution of $5,102,283.51 and imposes permanent trading and registration bans.
CFTC: Federal Court Orders Oregon Owner Of Precious Metals Firm To Pay $1.3 Million To Victims Of Fraudulent Precious Metals Scheme Date
27/04/2021
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced that the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington entered a consent order against Aaron Michael Scott of Portland, Oregon for fraud and misappropriation in connection with a precious metals scheme run by Scott and his now defunct company, BMC Worldwide, Inc. (d/b/a Blue Moon Coins). The order requires Scott to pay $1,381,461.86 in restitution to defrauded customers. Additionally, the order prohibits Scott from further violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC Regulations and permanently bans him from registering with the CFTC and trading in any commodity interests.