The CFTC Division of Enforcement staff members responsible for this action are Steve Turley, Clemon Ashley, Jeff Le Riche, Christopher Reed, and Charles Marvine; in partnership with enforcement authorities from NASAA member agencies, led by the Alabama Securities Commission and the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. ON SALE. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court alleges that Safeguard Metals violated the federal Commodity Exchange Act by advising elderly "investors" to cash out their savings and. Unfortunately, this case reflects just one of the many epidemic-level investment scams targeting senior and vulnerable populations,, When it comes to protecting the public, we will not hesitate to do everything in our power to vigorously investigate and protect their retirement savings from fraud in commodities markets,, We are committed to holding those accountable who undermine the investing publics trust in our commodities markets through illegal conduct., Todays action demonstrates the commitment of state and federal regulators to work together to prevent investment fraud,, Given the complexity of investment products, our jobs have never been more important, or more demanding., Submissions Accepted for ANA Young Numismatist Literary Awards, PMG Announces Seven Million Notes Certified, First 2023 Collector Coins From Italian Mint Honor Art of Vantivelli, Heritage Offering Special Collection of World Coins, Part II, Perth Mint Issues 2023 Australian Koala Silver Bullion Coins, US Mint Releases U.S. Army 2.5 Ounce Silver Medal March 6, Big Things Happened at the United States Mint in March, Jeff Garrett: The Box of Twenty Approach to Coin Collecting, Roger Burdette: First 1878-S Morgan Silver Dollars Struck, 2023 Congratulations Set With Silver Eagle Proof on Sale March 2, The Coins of Carthage During Hannibals War With Rome. The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Safeguard Metals LLC, and its owner, Jeffrey Santulan, for engaging in an alleged multi-million dollar fraud involving hundreds of investors who were at or near retirement age. Com his name is Robert Slattery from Metals.com chase.com and he lives now in Seattle Washington and now he owns a real estate company first thing he said that they were huge supporters of Sean Hannity and . The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a separate civil enforcement action against the same defendants alleging violations of federal securities laws. Safeguard Metals, LLC shall pay a civil penalty in the amount of $10,000.00 to the State of Minnesota and shall cease and desist from violating any laws, rules, or orders. Help us improve the DFPI website! Questions? Doug has written a book to help investors understand how gold and silver fit into a diversified portfolio, how to buy gold and silver, and what metals to buy. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Sonn Law Group is currently investigating allegations surrounding Safeguard Metals, LLC and Jeffrey Santulan. Safeguard and Santulan also allegedly misled investors about Safeguard's commissions and markups on the coins, charging average markups of approximately 64% on its sales of silver coins, instead of the 4% to 33% markups that they disclosed to investors. 06:39 PM. Accounting and Auditing Enforcement Releases. Thurston, Teply and a third Idaho Safeguard distributor, Craig Empey, of Idaho Falls, who was not involved in the lawsuit, had combined annual sales of $1.82 million. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. There are two types of toxic food lawsuits that parents most commonly face: negligence in manufacturing and negligence in creating instructions for use. This action to stop a large-scale precious metals scheme is the latest in an ongoing effort by state and federal regulators working cooperatively to protect investors. We represent investors in claims against negligent brokers and brokerage firms. As alleged, Safeguard fraudulently marketed itself as a full-service investment firm with offices in London, New York City, and Beverly Hills that employed prominent individuals in the securities industry and had $11 billion in assets under management. In response to the complaint received from Ms. ****** ****, Safeguard Properties Management LLC ("Safeguard") is a property preservation company. His demeanor was professional and pleasant and I would not hesitate to use him in future matters. The CFTC and NASAA thanks and acknowledges the assistance of the SEC. Your email address will not be published. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. According to the SEC's complaint, from December 2017 through at least July 2021, Safeguard and Santulan acted as investment advisers and persuaded investors to sell their existing securities, transfer the proceeds into self-directed Individual Retirement Accounts, and invest the proceeds into gold and silver coins by making false and misleading statements about the safety and liquidity of the investors' securities investments, Safeguard's business, and its compensation. DEFENDANTS 11. City, State. Invoices show that Chase Metals sold Matteo 8,050 Polar Bear & Cub coins, each of which contained 1.5 ounces of silver. on February 2, 2022 announcing charges against Safeguard Metals, LLC and its owner, Jeffrey Santulan. Safeguard Metals continued charging customers a markup on Silver Coins that still exceeded the maximum possible markup disclosed to customers by nearly 10% on average. He is the only member of . 165 Broadway 23rd Floor New York City NY, 10006 *by appointment only. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and state regulators that are members of the North American Securities Administrators Association. The Idaho Department of Finance encourages investors to come forward if they suspect they have been targeted by similar precious metals investment schemes. Are silver ETFs listed on any stock exchanges? The complaint alleges the defendants targeted seniors with little experience in investing in precious metals and used scare tactics, half-truths, and other misrepresentations to entice them to purchase grossly over-priced silver coins with their retirement savings. The complaint seeks a permanent injunction to stop the deceptive and fraudulent practices, disgorgement, full restitution, rescission, and civil monetary penalties. Investors are advised to be particularly cautious when purchasing precious metals and to check for outrageously high commissions and markups, which weve seen as high as 30 to 70 percent, Idaho Department of Finance director Patricia R. Perkins. As alleged, Safeguard fraudulently marketed itself as a full-service investment firm with offices in London, New York City, and Beverly Hills that employed prominent individuals in the securities industry and had $11 billion in assets under management. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and 27 state securities regulatory agencies that are members of the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) announced the filing of a joint civil enforcement action in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against a precious metals dealer and its owner for orchestrating a $68 million fraudulent scheme targeting elderly persons nationwide. We hope the message is coming across loud and clear to the precious metals industry: we will not tolerate deception and fraud in the commodities industry and are committed to holding bad actors accountable for their actions.. Brazen attempts to target senior citizens or other vulnerable populations will not be tolerated in California, DFPI Commissioner Clothilde Hewlett said. A Year of War in Ukraine. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Civil cases usually involve secret disputes between individuals or organizations. I will likely not live long enough to see this money ever recovered unless I can join a class action suit against Safeguard Metals. The lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and a bipartisan coalition of 27 states, alleges that Safeguard Metals deceived nearly 450 investors nationwide by fraudulently soliciting nearly $68 million for precious metals and misrepresenting its exorbitant fees charged to investors. Updated at 2:49 pm on February 2, 2022 Attorney General Todd Rokita today filed a lawsuit with 26 other states and a federal agency against Safeguard Metals, a business that schemed to trick elderly victims into investing in wildly overvalued precious metals. Read more Contact. Self-directed IRAs should not be confused with traditional IRAs or other retirement vehicles. Thus, all the compensation awarded goes to the new plaintiff. As part of the fraudulent scheme, Defendants charged fees that were almost 50% higher than the maximum fees that were disclosed to investors who purchased silver coins from Safeguard Metals. The joint effort is the second nationwide fraud action against precious metals dealers by the CFTC with NASAA state securities regulators. At least 16 Indiana residents invested a total of more than $860,000 into silver coins and other products offered by Safeguard Metals. The defendants also deceived customers into purchasing silver coins at grossly inflated prices that bore no relationship to the ranges represented to customers. Produced by Will Reid , Rob Szypko . Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. The SEC also alleged that Safeguard and Santulan represented 4% to 33% markups, but actually charged average markups of approximately 64% on its sale of silver coins. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court alleges that Safeguard Metals violated the federal Commodity Exchange Act by advising elderly "investors" to cash out their savings and. . In a simultaneous filing, the SEC commenced a suit against Safeguard Metals LLC and Jeffrey Santulan for violations arising from the fraudulent precious metals scheme and exorbitantly priced silver coins and for rendering unlawful investment advice. BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. We hope the message is coming across loud and clear to the precious metals industry: We will not tolerate deception and fraud in the commodities industry and are committed to holding bad actors accountable for their actions.. If you have further questions or need more assistance, please call the DFPI's Consumer Services Office at: 1-866-275-2677. var allPs = document.getElementsByTagName("p"); Contact Us Now For a Free Consultation $25 MILLION Recovery Against National Brokerage Firm $9.1 MILLION FINRA Arbitration Award Against Brokerage Firm The company disclosed markups to consumers, which the company referred to as operating margins, of 23 percent and later up to 42 percent. February 24, 2023 36:53. The lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and a bipartisan coalition of 27 states, alleges that Safeguard Metals deceived nearly 450 investors nationwide by fraudulently soliciting nearly $68 million for precious metals and misrepresenting its exorbitant fees charged to investors. The alleged $68 million scheme, which includes $26 million in markups alone, took place from between October 2017 through at least July 2021. The lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and a bipartisan coalition of 27 states, alleges that Safeguard Metals deceived nearly 450 investors nationwide by . Case 2:22-cv-00691 Document 1 Filed 02/01/22 Page 4 of 38 Page ID #:4 - 5 - COMPLAINT FOR INJUNCTIVE RELIEF, CIVIL MONETARY PENALTIES, AND OTHER EQUITABLE RELIEF . text = text.replace("https://docqnet.dfpi.ca.gov/LicenseSearch","https://portal.dfpi.ca.gov/csp?id=ssp_license_search"); Jun 21 2021. The complaint further alleges that Safeguard's sales agents used prepared scripts, some written by Santulan, that were filled with false and misleading statements about how the market was going to crash and how their retirement accounts would be frozen under a new 'unpublicized' law. New York, New York Attorney General Letitia James TODAY filed suit against a precious metals company Safeguard Metals LLC and its owner and manager, Jeffrey Santulan, also known as Jeffrey Hill, for defrauding investors including several seniors in New York and across the country., The lawsuit, filed by the US . Help us improve the DFPI website! Well guide you through the process. The complaint further alleges that Safeguards sales agents used prepared scripts, some written by Santulan, that were filled with false and misleading statements about how the market was going to crash and how their retirement accounts would be frozen under a new unpublicized law. INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana is one of 27 states filing a lawsuit against a California company accused of bilking elderly investors throughout the country out of nearly $70 million. In the end, nearly every customer suffered an immediate loss of their investment on the purchase of precious metals from Safeguard Metals. 2023 2 oz Silver Rabbit Coin Perth Lunar Series. How BBB Processes Complaints and Reviews. The complaint alleges that from approximately October 2017 and continuing through at least July 2021, the defendants fraudulently solicited and received approximately $68 million in customer fundsthe majority of which was retirement savingsfrom at least 450 persons throughout the US for the purpose of purchasing precious metals, primarily consisting of gold and silver coins. Both actions arose out of the CFTCs information-sharing agreement with state securities regulators, through NASAA. Jeffrey S. Santulan, age 41 is a resident of Tarzana, California. Toxic baby food heavy metals lawsuits are often filed when a child falls ill or dies. Topics: New York Spellane was previously employed as a salesman by TMTE Inc., a Los Angeles gold dealer that was the subject of a 2020 lawsuit from the CFTC along with 30 states, . As the market continues to fluctuate, we anticipate more fraudsters using fear and uncertainty to manipulate good people out of their hard-earned money.. The SEC is seeking permanent injunctions, disgorgement of allegedly ill-gotten gains, plus interest, and civil penalties. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In reality, Santulan allegedly operated the company from a small leased space in a Woodland Hills, Calif. office building using sales agents. The complaint charges defendants Safeguard Metals LLC (Safeguard Metals) and its principal, Jeffrey Santulan a/k/a Jeffrey Hill with executing an ongoing nationwide fraud that solicited and received approximately $68 million in investor funds to purchase precious metals and fraudulently overpriced silver coins. The Supreme Court is reviewing a legal shield that tech companies have long relied on to avoid liability for content on their platforms. To send us an e-mail, simply complete and submit the online form below. text = allPs[i].innerHTML; Robert Slattery from Metals.com Anthony Bowers and Joseph something from Metals . . This joint investigative effort between the CFTC and 27 state regulators represents our mutual interest in protecting main street investors, said CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam. The Roundup class action lawsuit alleged that Monsanto mislabeled certain products on the grounds that Roundup Weed & Grass Killer only targets fermented plants and not just humans or pets. All News, Articles, Commentary and Opinions are contributed by the author(s), with or without compensation, who are solely responsible for the content, and do not represent CoinWeek Management. For contact information, visit the NASAA website here. Safeguard Properties Reviews, Complaints & Contacts | Complaints Board. The lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and a bipartisan coalition of 27 states, alleges that Safeguard Metals deceived nearly 450 investors nationwide by fraudulently soliciting nearly $68 million for precious metals and misrepresenting its exorbitant fees charged to investors. As the complaint alleges, to perpetuate their fraud, when questioned by customers about the value of the precious metals they purchased, the defendants claimed the silver coins were rare and carried a premium far above the base melt value to conceal their fraud and hide that customers significantly overpaid for their investments. STAY CONNECTED CRD & IARD Resources. The lawsuit alleges Metals.com and its parent company TMTE defrauded $185 million from at least 1,600 investors and most are elderly$140 million of the allegedly defrauded money came from. 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