The Securities & Exchange Commission announced 3 whistleblowers would be receiving approximately $125,000 for providing information about a hedge fund scam. The 3 provided helped the SEC shut down Locust Offshore Management and its CEO, Andrey Hicks. Hicks was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison on related criminal fraud charges. Although it did not […]
Whistleblower Law Used To Prosecute Section 8 Housing Fraud
Over 3 million households rely on HUD’s Section 8 rent subsidy program. The law was designed to insure that low income families have access to safe, decent and sanitary housing. Landlords receive a subsidy from the the government and agree to charge those eligible for the program a below market rental rate. Unfortunately, some landlords […]
It’s TIC Season And The Government Is Biting Back
by Brian Mahany We represent dozens of tenants in common – TICs – across the United States. While TICs and like kind exchanges are a legitimate way of investing in real estate, several large TIC promoters have marred the reputation of the industry. This week the government responded with several indictments against the top executives […]
Feds Fine Mortgage Insurers – New Opportunity For Whistleblowers
by Brian Mahany and Anthony Dietz The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – CFPB for short – was formed less than 2 years ago but has proven itself to have some muscle. Although Congress failed to give the agency the power to toss bad bankers and fraudster in jail, it has proven itself quite adept at […]
Massachusetts To Check Criminal Records Of Stockbrokers
by Brian Mahany Now that’s a novel idea… check the criminal record of people seeking jobs as stockbrokers. The Massachusetts Securities Division is proposing to require applicants seeking to be licensed as stockbrokers and investment advisers to consent to a criminal background check. While the idea isn’t foolproof, its a good plan. Federal and state […]
David vs Goliath (Bank Fraud Post)
by Brian Mahany The following post is an email from a client. It is reposted with permission. For privacy reasons, we have changed her name to “Jane” and redacted identifying information. Brian, I spent some time this AM reading your blog posts on my case and “Legal Abuse Syndrome”. Well done, and thank you. I […]
BONY To Pay $114 Million To Defrauded Investors – Fraud Recovery Blog
by Brian Mahany Our firm concentrates in fraud recovery. Frequently the frauds we handle involve Ponzi schemes. By the time the fraud comes to light, there are very few assets to recover. Some victims rely on court appointed receivers. Sometimes that works but often the result is a recovery of just pennies on the dollar. […]
More News On Phone Subsidy Mess – Whistleblower Opportunity
by Brian Mahany Just one week ago we posted an article about the developing controversy with the federal cellphone Lifeline program. A report first published in the Wall Street Journal said that as many as 41% of the 6 million participants in the program may not meet federal eligibility guidelines. This number was based on […]
FINRA Arbitration Panel Slams Oppenheimer For Churning Customer's Account
by Brian Mahany Although the stock market has been doing relatively well in recent months, not everyone makes money. For every winner there is a loser. For retired Texan Lloyd Gillespie, he was the big loser while Oppenheimer and his brokers were the winners. An arbitration panel from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) agreed […]
Choices In A Modern Day World – Fraud Recovery Blog
by Brian Mahany Some say that prostitution is the world’s oldest profession. Leaving aside whether the sex trade even qualifies as a “profession,” we believe that prostitution certainly wasn’t a crime until relatively recently. There were no “ladies of the night” roaming around during the stone age but fraud was around back then and can […]