May 19, 2010

CFTC Files Anti-Fraud Action against Jeffrey Shalhoub and Jeff Shalhoub Investments for Operating a Futures Ponzi Scheme

Washington, DC – The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) charged Jeffrey Shalhoub of Staten Island, N.Y., and his company, Jeff Shalhoub Investments (JSI) of Long Island City, N.Y., with operating a commodity futures Ponzi scheme.

According to the CFTC complaint, filed on May 17, 2010, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Shalhoub solicited approximately $300,000 from at least 12 of his ex-wife’s friends and family to trade futures. The complaint further charges that Shalhoub and JSI commingled customer money with Shalhoub’s personal funds and that Shalhoub misappropriated at least $154,500 of customer funds for his personal use.

Specifically, the complaint charges that Shalhoub promised customers monthly returns ranging from 10 to 36 percent, while representing that customers’ original investment could be returned at any time. Shalhoub further claimed that the return was produced by his successful trading. However, any purported “profits” paid to customers came from existing customers’ original principal and/or from money invested by subsequent customers, similar to a Ponzi scheme.

Finally, the complaint alleges that, to conceal and perpetuate the fraud, Shalhoub provided false account statements to customers, misrepresenting that their accounts were increasing by as much as 5.2 percent per week when, in fact, the accounts were losing money every month.

In its continuing litigation, the CFTC seeks disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, restitution to defrauded customers, civil monetary penalties and trading and registration bans.

The following CFTC Division of Enforcement staff members are responsible for this case: Elizabeth Davis, Jennifer Best, Jessica Harris, Michael Loconte, Erica Bodin, Kenneth W. McCracken, Rick Glaser and Richard Wagner.

Media Contacts
Scott Schneider
202-418-5174

Dennis Holden
202-418-5088

Last Updated: May 19, 2010