Safeguard Metals is believed to be an offshoot of another company that was shut down several years earlier in Texas, and a successful Safeguard Metals broker opened his own shop recently to. Oct 08 2022. 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 retirement accounts to purchase overpriced metals and coins, sold by the company, according to the document. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita's office says at least 16 Indiana residents are among the victims who were defrauded by Safeguard Metals. INVESTORS: The SEC charged Safeguard Metals, LLC and its owner Jeffrey Santulan for engaging in a multi-million dollar fraudulent scheme that reportedly targeted retirees. The lawsuit alleges that Safeguard Metals, LLC and Jeffery Santulan, aka Jeffery Hill, solicited investors by targeting seniors through social media platforms and websites linked to media personalities and financial gurus, also touting precious metals at grossly inflated prices that were not disclosed. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. Safeguard and Santulan reportedly used false and misleading statements about the safety and liquidity of the investments, Safeguards business practices, and its compensation structure. 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 . "We will take action when, as alleged, parties fraudulently induce investors to sell their securities through lies and deception.". Who are the top 5 gold producing countries. The stockbroker and investment fraud lawyers at Sonn Law Group dedicate their entire practice to protecting the interests of investors who have lost money as a result of the negligent or wrongful conduct of those entrusted with protecting and growing our money. On January 4, 2023, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California denied a motion to Dismiss for Lack of Personal Jurisdiction filed by the Defendant, a solicitor for Treasure Coast Bullion Group. The man that opened my account has been fired.Now I can't get anyone to return my calls.The only thing I get is a bill for services.Yesterday I left 7 voice mails.Last week 5 voice mails.Still no return call. A cross-agency approach enhances our ability to protect investors and the integrity of our markets.. Today roughly half of all U.S. households rely on the securities markets to plan and prepare for their . Safeguard Metals LLC is a Wyoming Limited Liability Company with an office located in Woodland Hills, California. $68.51. *In Canada, trademark(s) of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus, used under License. The SEC brings this lawsuit to protect the investing public and to hold defendants accountable for their misconduct. The Purpose Of Filing A Baby Food Heavy Metals Lawsuit The company disclosed markups to consumers, which the company referred to as operating margins, of 23 percent and later up to 42 percent. According to the complaint, the defendants deceived customers into purchasing precious metals through false and misleading statements, including about the risk and safety of their investments in traditional retirement accounts. Required fields are marked *. In this case, it was silver coins. allPs[i].innerHTML = text; Are silver ETFs listed on any stock exchanges? The CFTC and NASAA thanks and acknowledges the assistance of the SEC. . Help us improve the DFPI website! "The federal securities laws prohibit deceptive conduct and material misrepresentations in the purchase or sale of securities," said Kathryn A. Pyszka, an Associate Director in the SECs Chicago Regional Office. These are bullion coins made by the Royal Canadian Mint and contain metal . Breaking News Alert "-Sonn Law Group Client. The complaint alleges defendants operated a fraudulent precious metals investment scheme attracting more than 450 investors and $68 million nation-wide. The complaint alleges defendants operated a fraudulent precious metals investment scheme attracting more than 450 investors and $68 million nation-wide. In addition to regulating commodities, the DFPI licenses and regulates state-chartered banks and credit unions, money transmitters, the offer and sale of securities and franchises, broker-dealers and investment advisers, nonbank installment lenders, payday lenders, mortgage lenders and servicers, escrow companies, Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program administrators, debt collectors, credit repair and consumer credit reporting companies, debt-relief companies, and more. According to the complaint, Safeguard Metals charged an average markup of 71 percent and more recently 51 percent on the precious metals. 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. The markup that customers paid on silver coins, for example, averaged from 51 percent to over 70 percent. For a free consultation, please call us now at 866-827-3202 or complete our contact form. Recently a lawsuit was filed by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Attorneys General of 27 states against precious metals company Safeguard Metals LLC and its owner Jeffrey Santulan who also used the name Jeffrey Hill accusing the company of stealing 68 million dollars from unwary mostly elderly investors by misrepresenting the exorbitant markups it charged investors . The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against Safeguard Metals LLC, and its owner, Jeffrey Santulan, for engaging in a multimillion dollar fraudulent scheme involving hundreds of investors who were at or near retirement age. Contact our office today to discuss your case. Securities Arbitration Attorneys Our FINRA arbitration lawyers work with investors to recover losses caused by securities fraud, investment fraud, and other kinds of stockbroker misconduct. 11. There are two types of toxic food lawsuits that parents most commonly face: negligence in manufacturing and negligence in creating instructions for use. SACRAMENTO As part of a nationwide effort, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI), in partnership with the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and 26 other state regulators, filed a federal lawsuit in Los Angeles against a precious metals dealer and its owner for perpetrating a $68 million fraudulent scheme that targeted the elderly. Is this your business? Is nationwide coin and bullion reserve a scam? In reality, Santulan allegedly operated the company from a small leased space in a Woodland Hills, Calif. office building using sales agents. Thus, all the compensation awarded goes to the new plaintiff. 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. 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.. Shop Now. Securities litigation attorney Scott Silver, who is representing several of Safeguard Metals' alleged victims in arbitration proceedings, is calling for regulatory reform. Robert Slattery from Metals.com Anthony Bowers and Joseph something from Metals . February 23, 2023 31:39. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. This joint civil enforcement action against the precious metals dealer is understood to be the second of its kind, after the CFTC and state regulators filed an action in 2020 against Metals.com and its principals, Lucas Asher and Simon Batashvili. The SEC's complaint, which was filed in federal district court in the Central District of California, charges Safeguard and Santulan with violating the antifraud provisions of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and also charges Santulan with aiding and abetting Safeguard's violations and as a control person within the meaning of Section 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. If you or your loved one experienced investment losses, we are here to help. 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 . He is the only member of . Safeguard's website pitches the investments as a way to "hedge against uncontrolled government spending and dizzying money printing by the Federal Reserve." For more information, please read our full privacy policy. 01/23/2023. I will likely not live long enough to see this money ever recovered unless I can join a class action suit against Safeguard Metals. Contact the Idaho Department of Finance at securities@finance.idaho.gov. The SEC is seeking permanent injunctions, disgorgement of allegedly ill-gotten gains, plus prejudgment interest, and civil penalties. Contact Us Now For a Free Consultation $25 MILLION Recovery Against National Brokerage Firm $9.1 MILLION FINRA Arbitration Award Against Brokerage Firm document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); With FNG's Newsletter you'll get all the latest breaking FX Industry news stories - in a concise daily email, directly to your Inbox. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. 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. Division of Consumer Financial Protection, Division of Corporations and Financial Institutions, Licensee & Financial Service Provider Search, Actions, Order and Administrative Hearing Decisions, Central Locations for Service of Legal Process, Office of Financial Technology Innovation, Financial Services and Mortgage Lending Licensees Search, Licensees and Industries Regulated by the DFPI, Actions, Orders and Administrative Hearing Decisions. In the context of bodily injury legal claims, a class action is a cover where a large number of people who have actually suffered the same or similar harm form a legitimate group that you are simply bringing a civil action against, usually against someone or several different individuals. The lawsuit alleges the company and its owner misrepresented their credentials and advised customers that the precious metals were a safe and conservative investment, compared to traditional retirement accounts that sales associates acting at the direction of the company claimed individuals could be frozen out of if the stock market were to crash. The litigation will be led by Jonathan S. Polish. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles. I use this blog to bring attention to regulatory filings involving financial advisors, current events in securities and cases in the financial services industry, and to help investors understand their rights and options for financial recovery. Brazen attempts to target senior citizens or other vulnerable populations will not be tolerated in California, said DFPI Commissioner Clothilde V. Hewlett. The metals.com scheme affected 1600 seniors nation-wide and involved $185 million. 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. We provide detailed analysis for Gold IRAs and Silver IRAs. 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. Investors should also contact their state or provincial securities regulator with questions about any investment opportunity or the person offering it for sale before investing in the product. Idaho consumers invested approximately. The suit alleges that the company and its owner misrepresented their credentials and advised customers that the precious metals were a safe and conservative investment, compared to traditional retirement accounts that sales associates acting at the direction of the company claimed individuals could be frozen out of if the stock market were to crash. In many cases, the actual market value of the precious metals purchased was substantially lower than the value of the investors retirement savings liquidated to fund their purchase. Is Nationwide Gold and Bullion Reserve legitimate? 1 Twitter 2 Facebook 3RSS 4YouTube 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. 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