SEC Files Case Against Woodbridge Group of Companies
Have you lost money investing in the Woodbridge Group of Companies? The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a complaint against the Woodbridge Group of Companies, alleging that this amounted to a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme. The complaint also named Robert H. Shapiro, the founder of Woodbridge, alleging that he diverted $21 million for his own benefit.
The SEC previously initiated an investigation into whether the Woodbridge Group of Companies violated the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities statutes. The SEC initially filed papers with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami, seeking to gather information and documents regarding investments issued by Woodbridge.
The SEC is concerned that Woodbridge may have sold unregistered securities and may have made material misrepresentations in connection with selling its investments to investors. The SEC alleged that Woodbridge raised over $1 billion from investors in various investments, including:
Woodbridge Mortgage Investment Fund 1
Woodbridge Mortgage Investment Fund 2
Woodbridge Mortgage Investment Fund 3
Woodbridge Mortgage Investment Fund 3A
Woodbridge Mortgage Investment Fund 4
Woodbridge Group of Companies, LLC
Woodbridge Wealth
Woodbridge Commercial Bridge Loan Fund 1
Woodbridge Commercial Bridge Loan Fund 2
A few regulators like FINRA have also looked into whether advisors were selling these investments to clients. Some of these advisors have included William Holliday of AIO Financial in Tucson, Arizona, and Frank Capuano, formerly of Royal Alliance Associates in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
Investors may be able to sue their financial advisor for any losses in the Woodbridge investments. Investors can sue if their advisor misrepresented the risks of Woodbridge to them, and if the investments in Woodbridge were not suitable for the investor.
Israels & Neuman is an investment fraud law firm with offices in Denver, Colorado; Seattle, Washington; and Ann Arbor, Michigan. Our attorneys have represented over 1,000 investors throughout the country, including in FINRA arbitration.
Click to view: Woodbridge SEC Complaint
Click to view: Woodbridge SEC Application (1)
If your financial advisor recommended that you invest in any of these Woodbridge investments, please CONTACT US for a free consultation.
Israels & Neuman, PLC is a private law firm and is not affiliated with any government or law enforcement agency. Any investigation referenced in this blog is independent in nature and is being conducted by our law firm privately, not in conjunction with any government or law enforcement agency. All information contained in this blog should be deemed statements of opinion derived from the author’s review of public records, not statements of fact. This blog is advertising material and does not create an attorney client relationship, nor does it constitute legal advice. Everyone’s situation is different and the question of whether or not you have a claim will vary on a case-by-case basis. In contingent representation, clients may still be liable for costs.