Enforcement Actions

The CFTC Division of Enforcement investigates and prosecutes alleged violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and Commission regulations. The CFTC takes enforcement actions against individuals and firms registered with the Commission, those who are engaged in commodity futures and option trading on designated domestic exchanges, and those who improperly market futures and options contracts.

View Dispositions
View Opinions and Adjudicatory Orders

Enforcement Advisory: Updated Advisory on Self Reporting and Full Cooperation

Enforcement Advisory: Cooperation Factors in Enforcement Division Sanction Recommendations for Individuals

Enforcement Advisory: Cooperation Factors in Enforcement Division Sanction Recommendations for Companies

Enforcement Advisory: Advisory on Self Reporting and Cooperation for CEA Violations Involving Foreign Corrupt Practices

See CFTC Press Release 7518-17 (January 19, 2017) and
Speech of James McDonald, Director of the Division of Enforcement Commodity Futures Trading Commission Regarding Perspectives on Enforcement: Self-Reporting and Cooperation at the CFTC (September 25, 2017)

Date ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS
CFTC CHARGES FLORIDA FOREIGN CURRENCY (FOREX) OPTIONS FIRM WITH DEFRAUDING CUSTOMERS; Gibraltar Monetary Corporation, Inc. and Employees Jayson Kline, Charles Fremer, Thomas Clancy, and Edward Johnson Allegedly Lied When Pitching Foreign Currency Options to Customers; Forex Capital Markets, LLC Also Charged
CFTC SETTLES TRADING FRAUD CASE WITH INDIVIDUALS FOUND TO HAVE DEFRAUDED THE FORMER COASTAL CORPORATION
FEDERAL COURT ORDERS TWO FLORIDA MEN TO REPAY $300,000 EACH TO CUSTOMERS THEY DEFRAUDED IN A FOREIGN CURRENCY SCAM; Defendants to Repay $300,000 to Defrauded Customers, Among Other Sanctions
FEDERAL COURT ORDERS OHIO RESIDENT KEITH ELSESSER TO REPAY CUSTOMERS IN FRAUDULENT FOREIGN CURRENCY OPTIONS SCHEME; Elsesser Also Required to Pay Civil Penalty of $120,000
CFTC IMPOSES A TOTAL OF $50 MILLION IN CIVIL PENALTIES ON SIX ENERGY TRADING FIRMS; Subsidiaries of Energy Companies Aquila, Inc. and Xcel Energy Inc. Pay $26.5 Million and $16 Million, Respectively, To Settle Charges of False Reporting and Attempted Manipulation; Also Settling Charges Of False Reporting Are Entergy Koch Trading, L.P., Oneok, Inc. and Its Trading Subsidiary and Calpine Energy Services, L.P.
CFTC FINES FLOOR BROKER FOR UNLAWFULLY TRADING CRUDE OIL FUTURES CONTRACTS; Robert Benjamin Harmon, Jr. Settles Charges that He Engaged in Wash Sales, Reported Non-Bona Fide Prices, and Executed Non-competitive Trades
CFTC FINDS THAT NORMAN EISLER MANIPULATED SETTLEMENT PRICES; Norman Eisler and First West Trading, Inc. to Pay Civil Penalty of $4.9 Million
FLORIDA FEDERAL COURT ORDERS HUSBAND AND WIFE THOMAS CHILCOTT AND LEONA WESTBROOK TO REPAY MORE THAN $2.1 MILLION TO CUSTOMERS INJURED IN COMMODITY FRAUD SCHEME; Court Also Orders Couple and Another Defendant To Pay $2.42 Million in Civil Penalties
TEXAS MAN CHARGED WITH FOREIGN CURRENCY FRAUD; CFTC Charges Ross Erskine with Fraudulently Soliciting Foreign Currency Futures Customers by Making Misleading Profit Claims
New Jersey Foreign Currency Futures Firm Charged with Defauding Commodities Customers; Clearview Capital Management, Inc. and Fort Lee Resident James I. Weiss Allegedly Misrepresented Their Trading Profitability and Experience, and Charged Undisclosed Fees