CFTC Files Complaint Against Peregrine Financial Group, Inc. and Russell R. Wasendorf, Sr.

[PoliticAverse]

Source: U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)

Alleging Fraud, Misappropriation of Customer Funds, Violation of Customer Fund Segregation Laws, and Making False Statements .

Commission Seeks an Order Freezing Assets and Restitution of Customer Funds.

Washington, DC – The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced today that it filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Peregrine Financial Group Inc. (PFG), a registered futures commission merchant, and its owner, Russell R. Wasendorf, Sr. (Wasendorf). The Complaint alleges that PFG and Wasendorf committed fraud by misappropriating customer funds, violated customer fund segregation laws, and made false statements in financial statements filed with the Commission.

The National Futures Association (NFA) is PFG’s Designated Self-Regulatory Organization and is responsible for monitoring and auditing PFG for compliance with the minimum financial and related reporting requirements. According to the Complaint, in July 2012 during an NFA audit, PFG falsely represented that it held in excess of $220 million of customer funds when in fact it held approximately $5.1 million.

The Commission’s action alleges that from at least February 2010 through the present, PFG and Wasendorf failed to maintain adequate customer funds in segregated accounts as required by the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC Regulations. The Complaint further alleges that defendants made false statements in filings required by the Commission regarding funds held in segregation for customers trading on U.S. Exchanges.

According to the Complaint, Wasendorf attempted to commit suicide yesterday, July 9, 2012. In the aftermath of that incident, the staff of the NFA received information that Wasendorf may have falsified certain bank records.

In the litigation, the CFTC seeks a restraining order to freeze assets, appoint a receiver and preserve records. Further, the litigation seeks restitution, disgorgement, and civil monetary penalties among other appropriate relief.

The following CFTC Division of Enforcement staff members are responsible for this case: William Janulis, Jon Kramer, Thaddeus Glotfelty, Melissa Glasbrenner, Rosemary Hollinger, Scott Williamson, Richard Wagner.

Media Contacts
Dennis Holden
202-418-5088

Note that this is a US Government agency (CFTC) press release included in its entirety.


Read more: http://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/pr6300-12

[PoliticAverse]

1. Fox Business story with more details/background...

http://www.foxbusiness.com/government/2012/07/10/cftc-files-complaint-against-peregrine-financial-group/

[rfranklin]

2. Guess I will never get my money out of that outfit...

Fortunately not that much.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. Strange story.

It's been showing up at Google news throughout the day. Sort of trumps Obama's visit to town today.

Waterloo-Cedar Rapids Courier

[denbot]

4. LOL, these guys took over a firm I used to work for..

denbot was my original DU user name, but for years I posted as Puerco-bellies, a nod to my old profession, a series three broker (commodity's).

[PoliticAverse]

5. Exclusive: Iowa futures broker forged bank records for years - source

(Reuters) - Russell Wasendorf Sr., the sole owner and chairman of stricken futures broker Peregrine Financial Group, Inc., intercepted and forged bank documents for more than two years to cover up hundreds of millions of dollars in missing money, a person close to the situation told Reuters.

Read the rest at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/10/us-broker-pfgbest-document-idUSBRE8691F520120710