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 ISSUES ORDER ACCEPTING OFFERS OF SETTLEMENT FROM FRANK BARBARINO AND FRANK D'AMATO, FINDING THAT BARBARINO AND D’AMATO ARE SUBJECT TO STATUTORY DISQUALIFICATION AND RESTRICTING THEIR REGISTRATIONS AS FLOOR BROKERS AT THE NYMEX
Florida District Court Orders $2.29 Million in Disgorgement from Marc Stephen Wuensch for Commodity Options Fraud
CFTC FILES ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINT AGAINST CARL DEAN DIXON, CHARGING THAT HE COMMITTED COMMODITY FRAUD AND FAILED TO REGISTER AS A COMMODITY TRADING ADVISOR; CFTC Alleges that Dixon Made Misrepresentations and Deceptive Statements and Provided False Reports in Connection With His Fraudulent Solicitation of, and Advice to, Students of His Futures Trading Course
CFTC FILES AND SETTLES ACTION AGAINST GEORGE W. VELISSARIS FOR COMMODITY POOL FRAUD; CFTC Finds that Velissaris Defrauded Investors by Misappropriating Commodity Pool Funds and Misrepresenting the Profitability of the Commodity Pools, and Orders Restitution to Defrauded Investors, Among Other Sanctions
FLORIDA FEDERAL COURT GRANTS FINAL JUDGMENT BY DEFAULT AGAINST HARTFORD FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.; KERI L. STEWART; AND JOSEPH J. MARCHIANO IN CFTC ACTION CHARGING REGISTRATION, DISCLOSURE, AND REPORTING VIOLATIONS; Order Imposes Permanent Injunctions And Requires Defendants To Pay Civil Monetary Penalties
CFTC ACCEPTS SETTLEMENT OFFER FROM EMMETT J. WHEALAN IN CASE INVOLVING TRADE PRACTICE FRAUD; Settlement Agreement Revokes Whealan’s Registration, Prohibits Him From Trading For Five Years, And Imposes A $125,000 Civil Monetary Penalty, Among Other Sanctions
FLORIDA COURT ENTERS ORDER OF DEFAULT AND PERMANENT INJUNCTION AGAINST EUROPACIFIC EQUITY AND CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LTD.; TORTOLA CORPORATION COMPANY, LTD.; INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT GROUP, LTD.; AND RICHARD TICHY IN CFTC ENFORCEMENT ACTION CHARGING COMMODITY POOL FRAUD;  Order Requires Defendants to Pay in Excess of $10 Million in Restitution and Civil Monetary Penalties
CFTC FILES CIVIL ENFORCEMENT ACTION AND OBTAINS RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST FRED MONTE, JEANNE H. MONTE, AND COMP TECH LTD. INC., ALL OF BOCA RATON, FLORIDA, IN CONNECTION WITH THE ALLEGEDLY FRAUDULENT SALE OF A TRADING SYSTEM FOR FOREIGN CURRENCY FUTURES CONTRACTS
CFTC FILES CIVIL INJUNCTIVE COMPLAINT IN FEDERAL COURT IN LOS ANGELES AGAINST S. JAY GOLDINGER AND CAPITAL INSIGHT BROKERAGE, INC., CHARGING A FRAUDULENT TRADE ALLOCATION SCHEME; DEFENDANTS AGREE TO ENTRY OF PERMANENT INJUNCTION AND $6 MILLION DISGORGEMENT ORDER
CFTC ACCEPTS SETTLEMENT OFFERS OF TODD ALAN THOMAS AND WELLINGTON FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. IN CONNECTION WITH THE FRAUDULENT SOLICITATION OF CUSTOMERS; CFTC Order Accepting Settlement Offers Finds That Thomas and Wellington Committed Fraud In Soliciting Customers To Trade Commodity Future Options, Revokes Their Registrations, and Prohibits Them From Trading; Thomas Is Required to Pay $1.9 Million in Restitution to Defrauded Customers