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 AWARDED FINAL JUDGMENT IN FRAUD ACTION AGAINST INTERTRADE FOREX, INC. AND UK RESIDENT PRITESH PATEL; Defendants Ordered to Pay More Than $650,000 in Civil Penalty and Customer Restitution
Federal Court Orders New Jersey Resident James I. Weiss and Clearview Capital Management, Inc. to Pay Sanctions of $800,000 in Foreign Currency Fraud Case
CFTC LAUNCHES MULTIPLE FEDERAL ACTIONS AGAINST A TOTAL OF 15 ENERGY TRADERS, CHARGING THEM WITH FALSE REPORTING AND ATTEMPTED MANIPULATION; CFTC Names Former Traders of Enserco Energy, Inc., Mirant Americas Energy Marketing, Cinergy Corp., Duke Energy Trading and Marketing, CMS Field Services Inc., and Coral Energy Resources, LLP
CFTC SEEKS TO REVOKE REGISTRATIONS OF ILLINOIS RESIDENT LESLIE JEAN WNUKOWSKI;
CFTC SETTLES LAWSUIT WITH AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY AND AEP ENERGY SERVICES, INC. FOR FALSE REPORTING AND ATTEMPTED MANIPULATION IN NATURAL GAS MARKETS; Federal Government Collects $81 Million: Defendants Ordered to Pay $30 Million Civil Monetary Penalty to CFTC; AEP Energy Services, Inc. to Pay an Additional $30 Million to U.S.Department of Justice to Avoid Federal Criminal Prosecution, and $21 Million to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
CFTC FINDS THAT PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY, COMMODITY TRADING ADVISOR ROYAL BERG, INC. AND ITS PRINCIPAL, GARY BERG, VIOLATED DISCLOSURE OBLIGATIONS
U.S. DISTRICT COURT ENJOINS SOUTH CAROLINA RESIDENT GEORGE HEFFERNAN FROM ENGAGING IN COMMODITIES FRAUD; FREEZES ASSETS; Order Arises From Complaint By CFTC Charging Heffernan, Also Known As "George W. Marshall," With Fraud for the Third Time in Four Years,
TEXAS FEDERAL COURT ORDERS DEFENDANTS RICHARD HALE AND ALLEGHENY GULF INVESTMENTS, INC. TO PAY $440,000 IN CIVIL PENALTIES FOR MISAPPROPRIATING CUSTOMER FUNDS; Defendants Also Prohibited From Handling Commodity Interest Accounts
FEDERAL COURT FREEZES ASSETS OF FLORIDA FIRM AND FIVE INDIVIDUALS CHARGED WITH DEFRAUDING CUSTOMERS OF OVER $6 MILLION; CFTC Alleges that United Investors Group, Inc., Former Director Andrew D. Ross, CEO Paul F. Plunkett, and Traders Greg P. Allotta, Jay M. Levy, and Michael H. Savitsky III, Made False Claims that Customers Would Make Large Profits with Little Risk
CALIFORNIA FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS ARREST OF JIAN ZHUANG, PRESIDENT OF LOS ANGELES-AREA FOREIGN CURRENCY FIRM EMERALD WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS, INC., IN LAWSUIT CHARGING A COMMODITIES SCAM; Zhuang Failed to Pay Money Sanctions Arising Out of Earlier Contempt Order in CFTC Case Charging Zhuang and Others With Defrauding More than 300 Customers of Over $5 Million