Regulatory & Compliance
Wells Real Estate's $56 Million Ponzi Scheme Shows What Unregistered Broker-Dealers Actually Cost You
TL;DR: In August 2026, a federal judge sentenced Joseph Wells to 20 years in prison after the SEC and federal prosecutors alleged that Wells Real
Jeff Barnes, MBA··10 min read
Startups
The $13.3 Million Wake-Up Call: What the ComplYant Fraud Teaches Angel Investors About Due Diligence
The ComplYant case shows why revenue must be verified via bank statements and credentials via licensing boards before any angel investment is made.
Jeff Barnes, MBA··10 min read
Regulatory & Compliance
The Spaventa Playbook: How Pre-IPO Access Funds Became the SEC's Top Fraud Priority
The SEC charged Andrew Spaventa for a $74M pre-IPO fund fraud built on hidden markups averaging 46% above cost and 100-plus unregistered cold-callers.
Jeff Barnes, MBA··10 min read
Regulatory & Compliance
SEC Charges Spaventa and TSG Entities Over $74 Million Pre-IPO Markup Scheme: What Investors Should Learn
The SEC charged Andrew Spaventa and three companies he controlled, The Spaventa Group LLC, TSG Capital Advisors LLC, and TSG Alpha Partners LLC, with fraud on August 14, 2026, alleging a scheme that...
Jeff Barnes, MBA··12 min read