RQN lawyers Mark Pugsley and Aaron Hinton, together with their co-counsel Kevin Simon of Strachan Strachan & Simon, P.C, won a significant victory after a 5-day trial in Utah State Court. In a detailed opinion issued last week Judge Matthew Bates awarded their clients compensatory damages in excess of $3 million, $2 million in punitive damages, and attorney’s fees. … Read more »
Editor’s note: I was interviewed on KSL’s Sunday Edition with Doug Wright last week. The discussion about Ponzi Schemes and affinity fraud in Utah happens at 8:18. I appreciate KSL Television’s willingness to engage in a frank discussion about why affinity fraud is a particularly vexing problem here in Utah, and to help get the… Read more »
Editor’s Note: This is an interview I did yesterday for the “Trib Talk” podcast from the The Salt Lake Tribune. The sentencing of convicted fraudster Rick Koerber was delayed — again — this week, adding another chapter to a 10-year legal saga for one of Utah’s most notable Ponzi schemes. But while the Koerber case is… Read more »
I frequently speak to groups about investment fraud and one of the questions I often get asked is whether it’s true that Utah has the highest rate of Ponzi schemes and affinity fraud in the country. In the past I haven’t been able to say for sure. There aren’t any good studies that have reached… Read more »
Recently I have been busy working to recover losses for a large number of investors who lost money in unregistered investments offered by Woodbridge and Future Income Payments or FIP. In many cases these investments were recommended by insurance agents who were not licensed to sell securities, and did not perform adequate due-diligence on these… Read more »
Val Southwick, who was convicted of defrauding more than $140 million from hundreds of Utah residents, was quietly paroled last month after serving just ten years, according to KSL News. He pleaded guilty to nine counts of securities fraud, each second-degree felonies, and was sentenced to serve anywhere from 9 to 135 years in Utah… Read more »
Whether you’re a first-time investor or have been investing for many years, there are some basic questions you should always ask before you commit your hard-earned money to an investment. Question 1: Is The Seller Licensed? Research shows that con-artists are experts at the art of persuasion, often using a variety of influence tactics tailored… Read more »
Editor’s note: This is re-post of an investor alert that recently appeared on FINRA’s website. This is a good reminder of the need to “trust but verify” the credentials of your investment professional. FINRA recently issued an investor alert on fraudsters impersonating FINRA executives, offering bogus investment “guarantees” to investors as part of an advance-fee scam. But… Read more »
This is actually the third post I have written about a guy named Zane Jeppeson of Garland, Utah. My prior posts can be found here and here. Today’s update comes to us courtesy of The Leader out of Tremonton, Utah. Apparently Mr. Jeppeson is having a hard time getting his restitution paid and may go… Read more »
Every week Utah residents lose money by investing with friends, family or neighbors – people they knew and trusted. Investment fraud is a big problem here in Utah, largely because our close-knit communities are a prime target for “affinity fraud.” Our state has a long history of financial scams and Ponzi schemes, many of which have… Read more »