News Releases

Jun 15
2021

Securities Commissioner Stops Fraudulent Offering Tied to Downtown Austin Venue Bull & Bowl

Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles entered an Emergency Cease and Desist Order to stop a fraudulent securities offering tied to Bull & Bowl, a nightclub located in downtown Austin, Texas. The action names Austin resident David Wesley Goodnight and his businesses, Valiant Holdings, LLC, and...
May 19
2021

Out of Options: Commissioner Revokes Adviser’s Registration for Breach of Fiduciary Duties tied to Aggressive Options Trading

Randall Fields of San Antonio, Texas consented to the revocation of his registration as an investment adviser representative of his own state-registered investment advisory firm with the Securities Commissioner. The revocation is part of a consent order that Texas Securities Commissioner, Travis J...
Apr 30
2021

Always Look Before You Leap: Securities Commissioner Warns Investors About Deceptive Firm Names

Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles is warning the public about sham investment firms using deceptive and misleading names to recruit new victims. Their names may be the same as or similar to the names of well-known, licensed or established firms. They adopt these names to confuse investors –...
Apr 30
2021

Securities Commissioner Accuses Crypto Investment Platform of Covid-19 Securities Fraud

Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles announces the entry of an emergency cease and desist order against EscoCapital, an online cryptocurrency investment firm accused of illegally targeting persons adversely impacted by COVID-19. According to the order, EscoCapital and Anthony Jerome aka Anthony...
Apr 28
2021

Avoid These “Investment Plans” When Planning Your Investments

The Texas State Securities Board is warning investors about unregistered online platforms defrauding the public through the sale of so-called “investment plans.” These investment plans often sound appealing – they tend to be tied to blockchain technology, artificial intelligence or foreign currency...
Apr 16
2021

Securities Commissioner Issues Order Stopping Fraudulent Cryptocurrency Trading Program

Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles entered an emergency cease and desist order to stop offers of a fraudulent cryptocurrency trading program in Texas. The action names Bitles Limited and Janis Lacis, its principal, and C3 Data Services and Edward Carter, its principal. Bitles and Lacis are...
Apr 15
2021

Dennis Keith Sanders: Guilty Pleas

On February 24, 2021, Dennis Keith Sanders, from Brenham, Texas, pleaded guilty to first degree securities fraud , theft , and money laundering . He was ordered to serve ten years of deferred adjudication community supervision, conditioned on his payment of more than $400,000 in restitution. The...
Apr 1
2021

Firm Agrees to a Refund and Fine for Unreasonable Supervisory System

Independent Financial Group, LLC, as part of a Consent Order that Texas Securities Commissioner, Travis J. Iles entered on April 1, 2021, agreed to refund $276,398.42 to the customers of a former Texas-based representative who implemented a high-risk trading strategy in leveraged exchange-traded...
Mar 18
2021

Commissioner Stops Illegal, Fraudulent and “Dirty” Securities Offering

Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles entered an emergency cease and desist order against Larry Scott Rogers, from Montgomery and Conroe, Texas. The order accuses him of illegally and fraudulently offering securities to Texans. The order also names D&S Recruiting DBA Legacy Leads, a business...
Mar 17
2021

Securities Commissioner Stops Another Online Forex and Cryptocurrency Scam

Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles entered an emergency cease and desist order against DailyForex247, an online investment platform, and Ghulam Wardag, its senior account manager. The order accuses the parties of perpetrating an online scam tied to forex trading and cryptocurrency mining...