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 Orders New York Resident Jacob N. Stein to Pay More than $344,000 in Restitution and Civil Monetary Penalty for Commodity Pool Fraud and Misappropriation
Federal Court in Florida Imposes over $35 Million in Sanctions against Florida Company AmeriFirst Management LLC and its Principals, John P. D’Onofrio, George E. Sarafianos, and Scott D. Piccininni, for Fraudulent Precious Metals Scheme
Federal Court Orders Florida Resident Lawrence Scott Spain and His Florida Company, Palm Beach Capital LLC, to Pay More than $520,000 in Restitution for Engaging in Illegal, Off-Exchange Precious Metals Transactions
CFTC Charges North Carolina Resident Edwin A. Vasquez and His Company Vasquez Global Investments, LLC with Commodity Pool Fraud
Federal Court Orders Former Citigroup Director, John Aaron Brooks, to Pay $500,000 for Defrauding Two Citigroup Companies by Mismarking and Inflating the Value of His Position in Ethanol Futures to Conceal His Trading Losses
Federal Court Orders $13 Million Fine in CFTC Crude Oil Manipulation Action against Parnon Energy Inc., Arcadia Petroleum Ltd., and Arcadia Energy (Suisse) SA, and Crude Oil Traders James Dyer and Nicholas Wildgoose
CFTC Charges Florida-Based Southern Trust Metals, Inc. and Robert Escobio, and His BVI-Based Entity Loreley Overseas Corp., with Operating an Illegal Precious Metals Scheme, among other Violations
CFTC Charges J.P. Morgan Securities LLC with Repeatedly Submitting Inaccurate Large Trader Reports and Imposes a $650,000 Civil Monetary Penalty
CFTC Charges Lloyds Banking Group and Lloyds Bank with Manipulation, Attempted Manipulation, and False Reporting of LIBOR
CFTC Files Amended Complaint against Daniel K. Steele and His Foreign Currency (Forex) Firm to Include Charges of Fraudulent Misrepresentation, False Statements, and Misappropriation of Approximately $1 Million in Pool Participant Funds