News & Publications

News Releases

Nov 16
2023

GS Partners And Josip Heit’s Fraud Exposed by U.S. and Canadian Regulators

Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles filed an emergency enforcement action to stop an ongoing international investment scheme threatening immediate and irreparable public harm.

Nov 15
2023

Securities Board Continues Protecting Texans from A.I. Fraud

Commissioner Travis J. Iles Announces Actions to Stop Two Artificial Intelligence Schemes An action was filed against 9xProfits Limited, Lucas Morris and others that allegedly offered investments that purportedly paid fixed, lucrative returns – in some cases, as high as 1.5% per day. According to...
Oct 5
2023

Commissioner Stops Crypto Fraud Purportedly Linked to Russian Government Assets

BigWhale.Io Allegedly Promised Significant Profits but Now Claims Hack Led to Loss of Investor Assets Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles entered an Emergency Cease and Desist Order to stop sales of securities tied to a decentralized lending pool deployed on the Binance blockchain. BigWhale.io...
All News Releases

Enforcement Actions: Administrative

Nov 16
2023

Order No. ENF-23-CDO-1879

In the Matter of GSB Gold Standard Bank Ltd dba GS Smart Finance, Gold Standard Partners, GSPartners, GS Partners and GSP; GSB Gold Standard Banking Corporation PLC; GSB Gold Standard Corporation AG; GSB Gold Standard Pay Kommanditbolag aka GSB Gold Standard Pay; GSB Gold Standard Pay Ltd acting under the brand name GSDEFI; GSB Gold Standard Trade; Swiss Valorem Bank Ltd; Josip Dortmund Heit; Bruce Innes Wylde Hughes; Aline Lima and Dirc Zahlmann: Emergency Cease and Desist Order

Nov 14
2023

Order No. ENF-23-CDO-1878

In the Matter of 9XProfits Ltd; Alastair Prescott; Esme Ravenscroft; Hamza Karim; Joshua Gleeson; Shirley Atwood; and Lucas Morris: Emergency Cease and Desist Order

Nov 9
2023

Order No. ENF-23-CDO-1877

In the Matter of BitSports.ai, Berman Investment Group dba B.I.G., Hugo Rodriguez Salgado aka Hugo Rodriguez, Carlos Sarmiento, Denisse Salas, Josh Berman & Sean Kelly : Emergency Cease and Desist Order

All administrative actions

Enforcement Actions: Criminal & Civil

Oct 29
2021

Former Registered Securities Professional Entered a Plea to Securities Fraud and other Crimes

On October 29, 2021, Derrick R. Trussell (CRD No. 5197550) entered a plea of no contest to securities fraud, securing execution of a document by deception and misapplication of fiduciary property in Cause No. 2019-CR-5767B, in the 175th Judicial District Court of Bexar County, Texas. Trussell was...
Oct 28
2021

Warning to Victims of Rare Earth Exploration LLC, Bradley Sherman Haycraft and Timothy Taylor

The Texas State Securities Board is warning investors in Rare Earth Exploration LLC about a fake financial settlement scam involving the Gordon Black & Associates Law Firm and International Corporate Entity Inc. Scammers claiming to be employees of Gordon Black & Associates are contacting investors...
Oct 15
2021

Larry Steve Bassett - Indicted

On October 15, 2021, a grand jury sitting in Lee County, Texas, indicted Larry Steve Bassett for first-degree securities fraud, theft and money laundering. The charges relate to his alleged unlawful sale of investments in a trading program to 15 victims for approximately $1.5M. Bassett is accused of...
All civil & criminal actions

Publications

Texas Investor Guide Cover

Texas Investor Guide

Strategies for Investing Wisely and Avoiding Financial Fraud

Nest Egg, IRA, 401k, Money

Everyone's Investment Guide

A six-part online presentation covering Making Investments, the Principles of Investing, Investing for a Secure Retirement, Planning Withdrawals, and Avoiding Scams.

Cover

Financial Field Manual

A Personal Finance Guide for Military Families

All publications