Cosmo Ponzi Scheme Took in $370 Million, U.S. Says

Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Nicholas Cosmo, founder of Agape World Inc. in Hauppauge, New York, swindled investors out of more than $370 million and used the money to pay for limousines, fund a baseball league and pay off a restitution order from an earlier fraud, U.S. authorities said.

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Frank Cuenca and Monarch Retirement Sued For Misappropriation of Trade Secrets

Jan. 28 -- FRANK CUENCA, an individual; MONARCH RETIREMENT AND INVESTMENTS, LLC, a California limited liability company; JAMES GALANTE, an individual; MICHAEL LAMBRIX, an individual; TIMOTHY SULLIVAN, an individual; SHAWN McELDERRY, an individual; JEREMY LAUB, an individual; NATASHA RIDLEY, an individual; and JERRICA LEE, an individual; and DOES 1 through 100, inclusive,

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Investor Information - Auction Rate Securities (ARS) Settlements by FINRA and SEC

As of the end of 2008, FINRA had announced agreements in principle with 8 firms to settle ARS violations that provided for the repurchase of approximately $2 billion in such securities from investors affected by the developments leading to multiple auction failures earlier in the year. The firms also agreed to pay several million dollars in fines. FINRA is continuing investigations of numerous other firms.

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Finra enforcement sweep targets RIA referrals

"The enforcement division of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. is looking into how brokerage firms refer investors to money managers.

A Jan. 15 letter from the enforcement department, sent to an unknown number of firms, also asks specific questions about referrals made to Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC of New York or any investment service offered by the Madoff firm.

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US bill aims to boost FBI, SEC fraud investigators

WASHINGTON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Legislation to target Wall Street fraud and white-collar crime by hiring hundreds more FBI agents, federal prosecutors and securities enforcement lawyers was introduced by two senior senators on Thursday.

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Hedge Fund Run by Ex-Bondsman Is Ponzi Scam, SEC Says

Jan. 21 (Bloomberg) -- A former Texas bail bondsman who told investors he ran a $45 million hedge fund and installed a swimming pool at his office was sued by U.S. regulators for allegedly operating a Ponzi scheme.

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Cohmad, Jaffe Draw Closer Look

Regulators probing aspects of Bernard Madoff's alleged fraud are intensifying pressure on Robert Jaffe, a Cohmad Securities official who helped recruit investors for Mr. Madoff, after he failed to testify before Massachusetts officials.

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