Enforcement Actions

The CFTC Division of Enforcement investigates and prosecutes alleged violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and Commission regulations. The CFTC takes enforcement actions against individuals and firms registered with the Commission, those who are engaged in commodity futures and option trading on designated domestic exchanges, and those who improperly market futures and options contracts.

View Dispositions
View Opinions and Adjudicatory Orders

Enforcement Advisory: Updated Advisory on Self Reporting and Full Cooperation

Enforcement Advisory: Cooperation Factors in Enforcement Division Sanction Recommendations for Individuals

Enforcement Advisory: Cooperation Factors in Enforcement Division Sanction Recommendations for Companies

Enforcement Advisory: Advisory on Self Reporting and Cooperation for CEA Violations Involving Foreign Corrupt Practices

See CFTC Press Release 7518-17 (January 19, 2017) and
Speech of James McDonald, Director of the Division of Enforcement Commodity Futures Trading Commission Regarding Perspectives on Enforcement: Self-Reporting and Cooperation at the CFTC (September 25, 2017)

Date ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS
CFTC SUES NATURAL GAS TRADER FOR FRAUD; Christopher Chapman Ordered to Pay $240,000 in Penalties, Among Other Sanctions
EL PASO TRADING UNIT AGREES TO PAY $20 MILLION TO SETTLE CFTC CHARGES OF ATTEMPTED MANIPULATION AND FALSE REPORTING; El Paso Merchant Energy, L.P. Settles Claims Under the Commodity Exchange Act That It Intentionally Reported False Natural Gas Price and Volume Information to Energy Reporting Firms in an Attempt to Affect Prices of Natural Gas Contracts
MICHIGAN MAN ORDERED TO PAY $6.3 MILLION TO CUSTOMERS DEFRAUDED IN COMMODITY FUTURES INTERNET SCAM; Federal Court Orders Defendants to Refund Investments to 900 Customers
CFTC CHARGES ENRON WITH PRICE MANIPULATION AND OTHER ILLEGAL ACTS; Enron and Former Enron Vice President Charged With Manipulating Prices in Natural Gas Market; Enron Charged Further With Operating an Illegal, Undesignated Futures Exchange and Offering Illegal Lumber Futures Contracts Through Its Internet Trading Platform
FRAUDULENT PRECIOUS METALS DEALERS INDICTED AND ARRESTED IN COMMODITY SCHEME; CFTC Lends Assistance to the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey in Criminal Action for Defrauding Investors
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOREIGN CURRENCY (FOREX) OPERATORS CHARGED WITH FRAUD; Local Foreign-Language Newspapers and Internet Used to Advertise Scam
CFTC & FEDERAL CRIMINAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS GATHER FOR COOPERATIVE ENFORCEMENT MEETING FOCUSED ON THE ENERGY MARKETS; CFTC's Division of Enforcement Shares Investigative Experiences with Colleagues from the President's Corporate Fraud Task Force
CALIFORNIA FIRM AND ITS TWO PRINCIPALS CHARGED WITH FOREIGN CURRENCY (FOREX) SWINDLE; Government Files Lawsuit Against EuroBancorp, Inc., Paris DeLesseppes, and John Lassen for Fraud; Further Charges are Brought Against EuroBancorp and Global Interbank, Inc. for Offering and Selling Illegal, Off-Exchange Foreign Currency Futures Contracts
FLORIDA FOREIGN CURRENCY FIRM AND OTHERS CHARGED WITH FRAUD; CFTC Obtains Federal Court Order Freezing Assets of Defendants InterTrade Forex, Inc., Stanley Craig Wakefield and Pritesh Patel
TEXAS RESIDENT CHARGED WITH SWINDLING MILLIONS FROM INVESTORS AND SPENDING MONEY ON GAMBLING, JEWELRY, AND AUTOMOBILES; CFTC Charges John A. Wheeler and His Companies with Fraudulent Solicitation and Misappropriation in Connection with Purported Foreign Currency Trading; Court Enters Preliminary Injunction Against Defendants, Freezing Their Assets, Among other Sanctions