FOREX TRADER TO PAY $819,000 IN COMMODITY POOL FRAUD AND MISAPPROPRIATION CASE

FROM:  COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION 

CFTC Orders Pennsylvania Resident Christopher A. Engel and Pinnacle Forex Group LLC to Pay Restitution and a Civil Monetary Penalty Totaling More than $819,000 for Engaging in Commodity Pool Fraud and Misappropriation

Washington, DC – The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today entered an Order requiring Respondents Christopher A. Engel and Pinnacle Forex Group LLC (Pinnacle), both of Glen Rock, Pennsylvania, jointly to pay a $414,000 civil monetary penalty and restitution totaling $405,378 to defrauded customers for committing fraud and misappropriation in connection with operating a commodity pool that traded leveraged or margined off-exchange foreign currency contracts (forex).

The Order also requires Engel and Pinnacle to cease and desist from further violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations, as charged, and permanently bans them from registering, trading, and engaging in other CFTC-regulated activities. Engel owned and operated Pinnacle, and neither Engel nor Pinnacle has ever been registered with the CFTC.

Specifically, according to the Order, from approximately June 2011 to October 2012, Engel falsely told prospective pool participants that Pinnacle managed client accounts worth tens of millions of dollars and that Pinnacle was registered with the CFTC. Also, the Respondents solicited and obtained approximately $414,000 from at least 21 pool participants to participate in a commodity pool to trade leveraged or margined off-exchange forex. However, according to the Order, Engel only deposited approximately $137,000 into forex trading accounts, which he later withdrew and misappropriated. Engel fabricated profits and commissions in statements and emails sent to pool participants to conceal his misappropriation of their funds. Engel used the misappropriated funds to purchase automobiles, a natural foods store, and other personal items, the Order finds. The total loss to pool participants was approximately $405,378, according to the Order.

Additionally, the Order finds that between approximately July 2011 and October 2012, Engel and Pinnacle illegally operated as a Commodity Pool Operator without being registered as such with the CFTC.

The CFTC cautions victims that restitution orders may not result in the recovery of money lost because the wrongdoers may not have sufficient funds or assets. The CFTC will continue to fight vigorously for the protection of customers and to ensure the wrongdoers are held accountable.

The CFTC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Futures Association in this matter.

CFTC Division of Enforcement staff members responsible for this case are Patrick Daly, Michael C. McLaughlin, Patryk J. Chudy, David W. MacGregor, Lenel Hickson, Jr., and Manal M. Sultan.

CFTC FILES NOTICE OF INTENT TO REVOKE REGISTRATIONS OF COMMODITY POOL OPERATOR

FROM:  U.S. COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION 
November 25, 2014

CFTC Seeks to Revoke the Registrations of John G. Wilkins and His Company, Altamont Global Partners LLC, Based on Court’s Permanent Injunction Order Prohibiting Them from Committing Further Fraud and on Wilkins’ Related Criminal Conviction

Washington, DC—The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today filed a Notice of Intent (Notice) to revoke the registrations of Altamont Global Partners LLC (Altamont), a registered Commodity Pool Operator with its principal place of business in Longwood, Florida, and its registered Associated Person, John G. Wilkins, formerly of Chuluota, Florida. Wilkins is a principal, managing member and approximate one-third owner of Altamont.

The Notice alleges that Altamont and Wilkins are subject to statutory disqualification from CFTC registration based on an Order for entry of default judgment and an amended Order of permanent injunction (together, Orders) entered by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on February 20, 2014 (see CFTC Press Release 6869-14) and July 8, 2014, respectively. The Orders include findings that Altamont and Wilkins misappropriated commodity pool funds and issued false quarterly statements to pool participants. Among other sanctions, the Orders permanently enjoined Altamont and Wilkins from further violations of the anti-fraud provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act and a CFTC regulation, as charged, and from applying for registration with the CFTC.

In addition, the Notice alleges that Wilkins is subject to statutory disqualification from CFTC registration based on his conviction for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud in connection with these same activities, as entered by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on January 23, 2014. The District Court sentenced Wilkins to 108 months in federal prison.

CFTC Division of Enforcement staff members responsible for this registration action are Rachel Hayes, Peter Riggs, and Charles Marvine.

KOREAN COMPANY AGREES TO PLEAD GUILTY AND PAY $4 MILLION IN BID RIGGING CASE

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Monday, November 24, 2014

Continental Automotive Electronics and Continental Automotive Korea Agree to Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging on Instrument Panel Clusters

Continental Automotive Electronics LLC and Continental Automotive Korea Ltd. both have agreed to plead guilty and to pay a single criminal fine of $4 million for their roles in a conspiracy to rig bids of instrument panel clusters installed in vehicles manufactured and sold in the United States, the Department of Justice announced today.

According to a one-count felony charge filed today in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Newnan Division, Continental Automotive Electronics LLC, based in Cheongwon, South Korea, and Continental Automotive Korea Ltd., based in Seongnam-si, South Korea, conspired to rig bids for instrument panel clusters sold to Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Motors Corp. and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia in the United States and elsewhere.  In addition to the criminal fine, the companies have agreed to cooperate in the department’s ongoing investigation.  The plea agreement is subject to court approval.

“As the Antitrust Division’s prosecution of auto parts matters like this one demonstrates, we will prosecute those who participate in international cartels targeting U.S. businesses and consumers,” said Brent Snyder, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division’s criminal enforcement program.  “The Antitrust Division is working closely with competition enforcers around the world to ensure that companies and executives that engage in international cartel crimes find no refuge.”

The charged companies have acknowledged that they and their co-conspirators held meetings and conversations to discuss and agree upon allocation of sales of instrument panel clusters, and the bids and price quotations each would submit.  The charged companies’ involvement in the conspiracy began as early as March 2004 and continued until May 2012.

Instrument panel clusters are a set of instruments located on the dashboard of a vehicle that contain gauges such as a speedometer, tachometer, odometer, and fuel gauge, as well as warning indicators for gearshift position, seat belt, parking-brake engagement, engine malfunction, low fuel, low oil pressure and low tire pressure.

Including Continental Automotive Electronics LLC and Continental Automotive Korea Ltd., 32 companies and 46 executives have been charged in the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation into the automotive parts industry.  Each of the charged companies have either pleaded guilty or have agreed to plead guilty and have agreed to pay more than $2.4 billion in criminal fines.  Of the 46 individuals, 26 have been sentenced to serve time in U.S. prisons.

Continental Automotive Electronics LLC and Continental Automotive Korea Ltd. are charged with bid rigging in violation of the Sherman Act, which carries maximum penalties of a $100 million criminal fine for corporations.  The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine.

The charges are the result of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the automotive parts industry, which is being conducted by each of the Antitrust Division’s criminal enforcement sections and the FBI.  Today’s charges were brought by the Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office and the FBI’s Montgomery, Alabama Field Office, with the assistance of the FBI headquarters’ International Corruption Unit.