Article: Gary Gensler has a full agenda as he gets set to take over the SEC

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Gary Gensler has a full agenda as he gets set to take over the SEC

Bob Pisani, 14 April 2021

(The Senate is expected to confirm Gary Gensler as the new chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday, and crypto assets — including bitcoin — are likely high on his agenda.

With Democrats in control of all three major branches of government, and the SEC commissioners now with a 3-2 Democratic majority, Gensler is likely to face calls from progressives to act on several fronts, including ESG, the Gamestop fallout, the Archegos fiasco, payment for order flow, fiduciary obligations, and especially regulations around securities in the crypto space, including a bitcoin ETF.

A Senate vote on Gensler’s nomination is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. ET. Continue reading “Article: Gary Gensler has a full agenda as he gets set to take over the SEC”

Article: Jack Ma’s Double-Whammy Marks End of China Tech’s Golden Age

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Jack Ma’s Double-Whammy Marks End of China Tech’s Golden Age

Bloomberg, 14 April 2021

(Bloomberg) — The full implications of Beijing’s rapid-fire moves against Jack Ma’s internet empire in recent days won’t be apparent for weeks, but one lesson is already clear: The glory days for China’s technology giants are over.

The country’s government imprinted its authority indelibly on the country’s technology industry in the span of a few days. In landmark announcements, it slapped a record $2.8 billion fine on Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. for abusing its market dominance, then ordered an overhaul of Ant Group Co. On Tuesday, regulators summoned 34 of the country’s largest companies from Tencent Holdings Ltd. to TikTok owner ByteDance Ltd., warning them “the red line of laws cannot be touched.” Continue reading “Article: Jack Ma’s Double-Whammy Marks End of China Tech’s Golden Age”

Article: ‘Does the punishment fit the crime?’

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‘Does the punishment fit the crime?’

Tatiana Walk-Morris, 14 April 2021

In 2018, William Thomas C. was caught with 18 pounds of cannabis a few days after returning home from vacation with his grandchildren. He was charged with cannabis trafficking and manufacturing or delivering more than 5,000 grams of cannabis, according to court records. Before then, William, better known as Tom, ran a family farm and a lawn care business in Bloomington, Illinois. Since Tom has been serving a nine-year sentence at Centralia Correctional Center, his sister Tara C. has managed his businesses and talks with him several times a week.

Tara, who asked for her last name to be withheld to preserve her career, said Tom suffered a terrible motorcycle accident several years ago and turned to marijuana to help with his pain management as an alternative to prescription medications. During Tom’s trial, his family had to sell assets to pay for his attorney’s fees. But following his conviction, Tara reached out to the Last Prisoner Project, a Denver-based nonprofit which advocates for the freedom and welfare of people imprisoned for cannabis convictions, to help free Tom. Continue reading “Article: ‘Does the punishment fit the crime?’”

Article: JPMorgan Traders Fired in Spoofing Probes Sue Bank in N.Y., U.K.

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JPMorgan Traders Fired in Spoofing Probes Sue Bank in N.Y., U.K.

Jonathan Browning, 14 April 2021

Ex-JPMorgan Chase & Co. traders who were fired in connection with recent U.S. Justice Department inquiries into market manipulation have a message for their former employers: give us our jobs back.

In separate lawsuits in London and New York, two of the bank’s former traders are saying they were unfairly dismissed and are asking to be reinstated. Both men had proximity to spoofing tactics that wound up being prosecuted by U.S. authorities but neither was charged. They both maintain they did not engage in the manipulative conduct themselves.

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Article: Five Individuals Charged in Offering Fraud, Stock Manipulation and Money Laundering Schemes

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Five Individuals Charged in Offering Fraud, Stock Manipulation and Money Laundering Schemes

Department of Justice, 14 April 2021

A five-count indictment was filed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Richard Dale Sterritt, Jr., Michael Greer, Robert Magness, Mark Ross and Robyn Straza with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud and money laundering, among other offenses. The charged crimes arise out of a series of securities fraud schemes, including an offering fraud targeted at investors and potential investors in an oil and gas company in Texas and the attempted manipulation of the publicly traded stock of a cannabis company. The defendants were arrested today. Sterritt, Greer and Straza will make their initial appearance in federal court in Dallas, Texas; Magness and Ross will make their initial appearance in Brooklyn. Continue reading “Article: Five Individuals Charged in Offering Fraud, Stock Manipulation and Money Laundering Schemes”

Article: Ex-Deutsche Traders Urge 2nd Circ. To Nix Libor Convictions

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Ex-Deutsche Traders Urge 2nd Circ. To Nix Libor Convictions

Stewart Bishop, 14 April 2021

Two former Deutsche Bank traders on Wednesday argued that the Second Circuit should reverse their convictions for Libor-rigging, saying the government failed to prove they violated any of the applicable rules governing the benchmark interest rate.

Matthew Connolly and Gavin Black in 2018 were convicted at trial of wire fraud and conspiracy for their roles in a purported scheme to tweak lending estimates included in Libor to benefit the bank’s derivatives trading positions. Continue reading “Article: Ex-Deutsche Traders Urge 2nd Circ. To Nix Libor Convictions”

Article: Authorities Investigating Fraudulent Oil and Gas Leases

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Authorities Investigating Fraudulent Oil and Gas Leases

SONIA RAMIREZ-MUÑOZ, 14 April 2021

MIDLAND, TX — The Midland Police Department confirmed it is investigating the National Royalty Group for possible fraud involving oil and gas leases.

According to the company, they were “established in 2000 to provide a liquid market for the purchase and sale of royalty interests in producing oil and gas properties.”

According to MPD, the Financial Crimes Unit looking into “criminal wrongdoing in connection with claims of fraud that have been alleged against NRG.” Continue reading “Article: Authorities Investigating Fraudulent Oil and Gas Leases”

Article: Where Are They Now: Key Players In The Madoff Case

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Where Are They Now: Key Players In The Madoff Case

Jack Queen, 14 April 2021

Law360 (April 14, 2021, 9:05 PM EDT) — Ponzi king Bernie Madoff’s jailhouse death was all but guaranteed the moment he was sentenced. Before a packed federal courtroom in Manhattan — after the lawyers, victims and Madoff himself had spoken — Judge Denny Chin decided what punishment fit the financial crime of the century: 150 years, the maximum sentence available.

The decision prompted an outburst of cheers from the dozens of victims present. But it was the only joyful moment of a proceeding marked by anguished testimonials from victims, calls for justice from prosecutors, and pleas for mercy by Madoff’s defense team, which had asked for 12 years. Continue reading “Article: Where Are They Now: Key Players In The Madoff Case”

Article: Digital art frenzy raises questions for tax, law enforcement

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Digital art frenzy raises questions for tax, law enforcement

Caitlin Reilly, 13 April 2021

The sale last month of a digital piece of art for a near-record price raises new questions about a technology that the financial sector sees as offering great opportunity.

Christie’s auctioned the artwork for $69 million and recorded the transaction on a public blockchain as a “non-fungible token,” or NFT. The digital collage incorporating 5,000 separate digital images was created by Beeple, whose real name is Mike Winkelmann, and can be seen on the auction house website. Continue reading “Article: Digital art frenzy raises questions for tax, law enforcement”

Article: VIDEO — Ed Steer: Silver Market on a Knife’s Edge

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VIDEO — Ed Steer: Silver Market on a Knife’s Edge

Charlotte McLeod , 13 April 2021

The silver squeeze first started making headlines more than two months ago, but the movement continues today, led by retail investors who continue to snap up physical metal.

Ed Steer of Ed Steer’s Gold and Silver Digest said that while he commends those who have been buying physical silver, there’s a reason their efforts haven’t led to a sustained silver price increase.

“They’re certainly having an impact … as far as the physical market is concerned, but as far as the short position that exists in the COMEX futures market, it doesn’t make any difference at all,” he said. Continue reading “Article: VIDEO — Ed Steer: Silver Market on a Knife’s Edge”

Article: The Reddit revolt: GameStop and the impact of social media on institutional investors

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The Reddit revolt: GameStop and the impact of social media on institutional investors

Annabel Smith, 13 April 2021

The Reddit revolution in the US has drawn attention to the potential power that a growing force of retail investors can wield in stock markets when equipped by social media.

Amateur investors have increasingly engaged with retail platforms in the last year, partly due to the pandemic leaving them idol at home, but also due to the newfound onslaught of information through social media and access to the market through retail brokerages and platforms such as Robinhood. Continue reading “Article: The Reddit revolt: GameStop and the impact of social media on institutional investors”

Article: Wall Street Is Donating to This D.A. Candidate. Is That a Problem?

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Wall Street Is Donating to This D.A. Candidate. Is That a Problem?

Jonah E. Bromwich, 13 April 2021

Even had she not raised more money than her rivals, Tali Farhadian Weinstein would be a formidable candidate in the nine-way race to become the Manhattan district attorney, perhaps the most high-profile local prosecutor’s office in the country.

She was a Rhodes scholar, has an elite legal résumé and is the only candidate who has worked for both the Justice Department and a city prosecutor’s office. And while most of the candidates are campaigning as reformers intent on reducing incarceration, Ms. Farhadian Weinstein, 45, has staked out a slightly more conservative position, expressing concerns about guns and gangs. Continue reading “Article: Wall Street Is Donating to This D.A. Candidate. Is That a Problem?”

Article: BoJo Launches Investigation Into Cameron’s Lobbying On Behalf Of Greensill

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BoJo Launches Investigation Into Cameron’s Lobbying On Behalf Of Greensill

TYLER DURDEN, 13 April 2021

For British PM Boris Johnson, the fallout from the collapse of Greensill has been akin to being gifted a golden saucer filled with excrement. At the time, BoJo apparently didn’t see anything wrong with facilitating the lobbying objectives of one of his predecessors, former PM David Cameron. But now that the British tabloid press has sicced the hounds on the PM, he has apparently realized it’s time for some damage control.

To wit, the FT reports that Downing Street and the Cabinet Office have launched a wide-ranging investigation after acknowledging that there was “significant interest in this matter.” Continue reading “Article: BoJo Launches Investigation Into Cameron’s Lobbying On Behalf Of Greensill”

Article: The Number One Threat To Global Finance? Cyber Attacks

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The Number One Threat To Global Finance? Cyber Attacks

PYMNTS, 13 April 2021

Cyberattacks are the greatest threat to the world’s financial system, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said in an interview with CBS News this week. Speaking to “60 Minutes” on Sunday (April 11), Powell said the risks posed by cybercriminals are greater than the lending and liquidity troubles that triggered the 2008 financial crisis.

“There are scenarios in which a large financial institution would lose the ability to track the payments that it’s making, where you would have a part of the financial system come to a halt, or perhaps even a broad part,” he said. “And so, we spend so much time and energy and money guarding against these things. There are cyberattacks every day on all major institutions now. That’s a big part of the threat picture in today’s world.” Continue reading “Article: The Number One Threat To Global Finance? Cyber Attacks”

Article: Tech and Crime Series: Has the FCA bitten off more than it can chew with its NatWest Prosecution?

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Tech and Crime Series: Has the FCA bitten off more than it can chew with its NatWest Prosecution?

Thomas Cattee, 13 April 2021

News broke on Tuesday 16 March 2021 that the Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”) has started criminal proceedings against NatWest Bank (“NatWest”) for alleged offences relating to the adequacy of procedures in place to prevent money laundering.

These proceedings are in respect of offences under the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 (the “2007 Regulations”). It is alleged that between 11 November 2011 and 19 October 2016 NatWest failed to adhere to the requirements of regulations 8(1), 8(3) and 14(1) of the 2007 Regulations. Continue reading “Article: Tech and Crime Series: Has the FCA bitten off more than it can chew with its NatWest Prosecution?”