SEC: Meyers Associates, L.P. Ignored Pump-And-Dump Scheme
The SEC announced administrative proceedings against John D. Telfer, who worked for Meyers Associates, L.P. as the firm's former anti-money laundering officer. The commission alleges that the firm failed to file Suspicious Activity Reports for $24.8 million worth of suspect transactions, which includes transactions in accounts controlled by Raymond H. Barton and William G. Goode who the SEC charged individually with operating a pump-and-dump scheme. In pump-and-dump schemes, people holdings stock try to inflate the price of that stock, many times via false or misleading statements or other announcements. After investors hurry to purchase the stock because on this misinformation, the operators of the scheme dump the stock. This causes the stock’s price to drop, and investors who bought the stock during the rush end up losing money. The SEC claims that Telfer and his firm should have been aware of the suspect circumstances underlying a number of transactions within client accounts. The commission further claims clients, such as Barton and Goode, [...]