Investor Lawyers Blog
Investment fraud lawyers are currently investigating claims on behalf of individuals who invested with Stephen B. Blankenship and were, as a result of Blankenship’s actions, victims of securities fraud. A recent announcement by the Securities and Exchange Commission stated that it has charged Blankenship and his company with stealing from customers. These customers, who were persuaded by Blankenship to make withdrawals from their brokerage accounts to invest directly with him, lost at least $600,000 to his fraud. The accounts from which they withdrew these funds were managed by Blankenship but were held at other firms.
According to the SEC’s allegations, Blankenship lured customers in with assurances of greater rates of return if they would transfer their money to Deer Hill Financial Group, Blankenship’s firm. Furthermore, he claimed to be investing in publicly-traded mutual funds and other established securities but, instead, made no such investments and transferred his customer’s money to his personal bank account. The money was then allegedly used to pay various personal expenses, including travel, grocery bills and mortgage payments.
“Blankenship took advantage of fellow churchgoers and senior citizens who relied on their savings for retirement and placed their trust in him,” says David P. Bergers, director of the SEC’s Boston Regional Office. “He betrayed that trust by using their money to make personal credit card payments and home improvements.”