Aug 7
2018

Emergency Action Taken Under Vulnerable Adult Financial Exploitation Law

Texas Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles entered an Emergency Cease and Desist Order August 6 against a computer repairman who transferred nearly $28,000 from a financial account of an 88-year-old resident of Del Rio.

The cease and desist order is the first action taken by the...

Jul 19
2018

Perpetrator of Real Estate Fraud Sentenced in Nueces County to 20 Years

Everett Craig Williams was sentenced to 20 years in state prison on July 18 and ordered to pay $189,000 in restitution to investors in a fraudulent real estate program with victims in Nueces, Collin, and Harris counties.

Judge Bobby Galvan of the 94th State District Court of Nueces...

Jul 12
2018

Emergency Action Targets Promoters of Crypto-Mining Investments

Texas Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles took emergency action July 11 to stop a network of companies from fraudulently offering cryptocurrency-related investments to Texas residents.

The companies named in the Emergency Cease and Desist Order are controlled by Darren Olayan of Lehi...

Jul 5
2018

Bob Guess, Author of 'Robbed With A Pen Again,' Sentenced to 12 Years

Bobby Eugene Guess, who at one time touted his investment skills through a radio show called “Dollars & Sense” and with in-person financial seminars, was sentenced to 12 years in prison on July 3 for fraud in the sale of millions of dollars in securities in a worthless internet company....

Jun 30
2018

Administrative Action Report April-June 2018

The following are summaries of administrative actions the Texas State Securities Board took from April 1 through June 30, 2018:

Estrada Trucking, Capital Cash, Financial Freedom Club, Mark J. Moncher, 911MoneyStore Inc., and Frank Dalotto: Emergency Cease and Desist

Texas Securities...

Jun 8
2018

How Did You Ever Hold a Family Reunion Without the 'Texas Investor Guide'?

The Texas State Securities Board distributes thousands of copies of its Texas Investor Guide each year to individuals, associations, community organizations, and families. A few dozen of the nearly 4,000 copies we've distributed so far in 2018 have gone to families who plan to hand them out...

Jun 5
2018

Perpetrator of Oil and Gas Fraud Sentenced to 8 Years in Harris County

James Dean French was sentenced to eight years in state prison on June 4 after pleading guilty to first-degree felony securities fraud in connection with the sale of investments in a purported West Texas oil and gas project.

French was sentenced in the 230th State District Court of...

May 24
2018

Former McKinney Pastor Sentenced to 68 Years for $23 Million Fraud

Timothy Lloyd Booth, a former pastor in McKinney, was sentenced to 68 years in state prison on May 23 after his conviction in the 296th District Court of Collin County on first-degree felony charges of theft and securities fraud.

Booth, 60, stole approximately $23 million from mostly...

May 21
2018

Texas Spearheads US-Canada Probe of Cryptocurrency Investments

The Texas State Securities Board, a leader in policing cryptocurrency-related investments, has joined more than 40 U.S. state and Canadian regulators in a coordinated investigation of fraudulent cryptocurrency-related investment products.

The North American Securities Administrators...

May 15
2018

Houston Firm Ordered to Stop Fraudulent Crypto Offering

Texas Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles entered an Emergency Cease and Desist Order on May 15 to stop Wind Wide Coin Inc. , an entity that says it is based in Houston, from fraudulently offering investments in a cryptocurrency trading program.

The order alleges that Wind Wide Coin...

May 11
2018

One Day After Order, Crypto-Mining Firm Stops U.S. Sales

The cryptocurrency mining company Bitcoin Trading & Cloud Mining Ltd. said it is no longer accepting investments from the United States. The company’s statement came less than one day after the Texas Securities Commissioner entered an Emergency Cease and Desist Order against the company....

May 8
2018

Two Cryptocurrency Firms Hit With Emergency Orders

Texas Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles on May 8 entered two emergency actions against unregistered promoters who are fraudulently offering high-return investments in programs tied to cryptocurrencies.

According to the orders, Bitcoin Trading & Cloud Mining Ltd. also known as...

Apr 10
2018

Enforcement Report: Widespread Fraud Found in Cryptocurrency Offerings

The Enforcement Division of the Texas State Securities Board found widespread fraud in cryptocurrency offerings during a four-week investigation of investment offerings that were tied to virtual currencies.

The full results are in the 14-page report Enforcement Report: Widespread Fraud...

Apr 5
2018

Order Entered to Stop Cryptocurrency, Marijuana Investments

Texas Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles on April 5 entered an Emergency Cease and Desist Order against a convicted felon who is offering investments in two things that usually don’t go together: a cryptocurrency trading program and a marijuana growing operation.

According to the...

Mar 31
2018

Administrative Action Report: Jan.-March 2018

The Texas State Securities Board took the following administrative actions from Jan. 1 through March 31, 2018: Bitconnect: Cease and Desist

The Texas Securities Commissioner on Jan. 4 entered an Emergency Cease and Desist Order to halt the multiple investment programs operated by BitConnect, an...

Mar 5
2018

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Did Not Approve This Message

The Texas Securities Commissioner last week brought an emergency action against cryptocurrency firm LeadInvest , an offshore entity that claims it is advised by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and three former U.S. Solicitors General.

Commissioner Travis J. Iles entered the...

Feb 15
2018

Austin Crypto-Investing Firm Signs Compliance Order

The chief executive officer of an Austin-area cryptocurrency investment firm has agreed to stop offering for sale any security in Texas until the firm complies with state registration requirements.

Texas Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles on Feb. 15 entered an Order in which Daniel...

Feb 14
2018

Do You Know the 'Core Four' of Investing?

Learning about investing starts with the Core Four.

Core what?

Hey, good question.

The answer is found in four new printable PDFs from the Texas State Securities Board. They explain the core principles of smart investing — whether you invest on your own or want to hire a...

Feb 12
2018

Dallas Promoters Ordered to Stop $4M Oil and Gas Offering

Texas Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles on Feb. 9 entered an Emergency Cease and Desist Order against two Dallas men who are soliciting $4.4 million for an oil and gas project without disclosing their history of unpaid tax liens and allegations of fraud.

The order names Jason A....

Feb 3
2018

DavorCoin Latest Cryptocurrency Platform Hit With Order

Texas Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles on Feb. 2 entered an Emergency Cease and Desist Order against DavorCoin , an entity offering investments in a cryptocurrency lending program in Texas.

The emergency order found that DavorCoin is telling investors they can earn lucrative...

Jan 31
2018

Enforcement in 2017: From Oil-Drilling to Crypto-Mining

In 2017, the Texas State Securities Board took enforcement actions in cases ranging from millions of dollars in oil-and-gas fraud to an emergency order that led a cryptocurrency promoter to shutter its sales operations in North America.

In criminal actions, the State Securities Board...

Jan 30
2018

Beaumont Adviser Suspended for Charging High Fees

Texas Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles entered a Disciplinary Order on Jan. 30 that suspended Jason N. Anderson , a Beaumont investment adviser representative, for charging unreasonable fees to clients.

The order suspended Anderson for 90 days. It also granted the registration...

Jan 24
2018

Emergency Order Entered Against Cryptocurrency Firm

Texas Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles entered an Emergency Cease and Desist Order Jan. 24 against R2B Coin , a Hong Kong-based company selling investments tied to a cryptocurrency called r2b coin, promising investors that the digital currency will soon be one of the world’s most valuable...

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