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 FINDS THAT MISSISSIPPI RESIDENT ARTHUR ROWELL FRAUDULENTLY SOLICITED CUSTOMERS TO INVEST IN FOREX CONTRACTS
NEW YORK FOREX FIRM CHARGED WITH DEFRAUDING OVER 300 INVESTORS IN $10 MILLION COMMODITY SCAM
CFTC FINDS LAS VEGAS MAN USED WEBSITE TO MISLEAD PUBLIC ABOUT PROFITABILITY OF HIS COMMODITY TRADING SYSTEM; Steven Matrix Settles Charges He Made False Claims About His <em>CounterPoint Method</em> Trading System
CFTC FINDS FORMER AVISTA ENERGY VICE-PRESIDENT MANIPULATED ELECTRICITY FUTURES ON NYMEX; William H. Taylor of Houston, Texas, Agrees to Settlement Terms, Including a Civil Monetary Penalty and Trading Ban
TEXAS COMMODITY TRADER AND FIRM CHARGED WITH DEFRAUDING CUSTOMERS OF APPROXIMATELY $1 MILLION; CFTC Charges Richard A. Hale and Allegheny Gulf Investments, Inc., with Misuse of Investor Funds
CFTC SUES AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, INC. AND ITS SUBSIDIARY, CHARGING FALSE REPORTING AND ATTEMPTED MANIPULATION OF NATURAL GAS PRICES; AEP and its Subsidiary Charged with Routinely Reporting Thousands of False Natural Gas Trades to Publications
CFTC CHARGES CHICAGO MAN WITH BILKING COMMODITY INVESTORS IN FRAUDULENT SCHEME; Cameron Ownbey Allegedly Misrepresented His Past Trading Success by Falsely Claiming Annual Returns of 250 to 350 Percent; Court Enters Consent Order of Preliminary Injunction Against Ownbey, Freezing His Assets
NEW YORK FOREIGN CURRENCY (FOREX) FIRM CHARGED WITH DEFRAUDING 378 INVESTORS OF MORE THAN $7 MILLION IN COMMODITY SCAM; CFTC Charges Sun Platinum Group LLC and Eduard Dmanskiy With Commodity Scam Involving Offshore Entities; Federal District Court Judge Orders Defendants' Assets Frozen
U.S. COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION CHARGES PHOENIX MAN AND HIS COMPANIES WITH DEFRAUDING INVESTORS IN $25 MILLION SCAM; Ronald Holt, International Funding Association, Global Management Group, Inc., and Cambridge Global Group Charged with Misappropriation, Solicitation Fraud, and Offer of Illegal Off-Exchange Futures Contracts
DUKE ENERGY TRADING AND MARKETING, L.L.C., AN AFFILIATE OF DUKE ENERGY CORPORATION, PAYS $28 MILLION TO SETTLE CFTC CHARGES OF ATTEMPTED MANIPULATION; Duke Energy Trading and Marketing Charged With False Reporting and Attempted Manipulation in Violation of the Commodity Exchange Act