California Based RIA Charged in Ponzi Scheme

Posted on March 19th, 2015 at 4:57 PM

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law LLC:

The SEC has barred a California-based RIA from the industry after the firm was charged with misleading investors - including falsely claiming that its fund was "SEC approved."

According to the SEC, GLR Advisors raised over $60 million by inflating the performance and misrepresenting the strategy of a private investment fund.

Between 2005 and 2011, the firm advertised its "SEC approved" GLR Growth Fund as having returns of 17%-25% during every year of its operation.

GLR's marketing materials claimed the fund was "tied to well-known stock indices such as the S&P 500, Nasdaq and Dow Jones, as well as in oil, natural gas and technology-related companies.”

 But since mid-2009, the fund did not invest in any publicly-traded securities. Instead, funds were placed in "illiquid investments" (two private startups) and also were used to pay back other investors.

The attorneys of Eccleston Law LLC represent investors and advisers nationwide in securities and employment matters. Our attorneys draw on a combined experience of nearly 65 years in delivering the highest quality legal services.

Related Attorneys: James J. Eccleston

Tags: FINRA, SEC, RIA, James Eccleston, Eccleston Law

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

This was the best of all possible outcomes and I cannot thank you and the team enough.

Michael S.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

March 13, 2025
Congress Considers Expanding the Accredited Investor Definition

A recent congressional hearing examined potential reforms to the accredited investor definition, a critical threshold determining who can participate in private market investments.

March 12, 2025
GPB Capital Investors May Receive Some Compensation Under Proposed Distribution Plan

GPB Capital Holdings investors have not received returns on their investments since 2018. According to InvestmentNews, after years of litigation, a court-appointed receiver has submitted a plan to return funds to the 17,000 investors who purchased $1.8 billion in GPB limited partnerships.

March 11, 2025
Former CNBC Analyst Pleads Guilty to $2.7 Million Securities Fraud Scheme

James Arthur McDonald Jr., a former financial advisor and frequent CNBC guest analyst, has agreed to plead guilty to securities fraud, admitting to defrauding investors out of at least $2.7 million, as reported by ThinkAdvisor. The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.