SEC Obtains TRO and Asset Freeze against Alleged Perpetrators of nearly $450 Million Ponzi Scheme

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges and an asset freeze against several Las Vegas-area individuals and companies allegedly behind a nearly half-billion dollar Ponzi scheme involving purported personal injury settlements. The SEC charged certain defendants with violations of the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws, certain individual defendants with acting as unregistered brokers, and all defendants with engaging in an unregistered securities offering.

According to the SEC’s complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, attorney Matthew Beasley and cohorts Jeffrey Judd and Christopher Humphries falsely told hundreds of investors, including many in their own church community, that they would earn 12.5 percent quarterly returns by making purportedly risk-free investments in J&J Consulting Services. Beasley and Judd created the company to supposedly advance funds to tort plaintiffs who had reached settlements with insurance companies. But according to the complaint, none of the $449 million raised from investors over a five-year period was used for this purpose. The alleged perpetrators instead used investor money to purchase luxury homes, cars, boats, and a private jet for themselves, and paid fictitious returns to investors in Ponzi-like fashion to keep the scheme going.

“As alleged in our complaint, Beasley, Judd, and others enriched themselves through lies and deception, using their religious and community networks to fleece investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars after promising them a nearly 50 percent annual increase on their initial investment,” said Tanya Beard, Acting Director of the SEC’s Salt Lake Regional Office.

The entities charged with fraud in this action are J&J Consulting Services, Inc. (Nevada), J&J Consulting Services Inc. (Alaska), J and J Purchasing LLC, and Beasley Law Group PC, whereas the affiliated individuals are Judd, Beasley, and Humphries. Individuals charged with acting as unregistered brokers are Judd, Humphries, Shane Jager, Jason Jongeward, Denny Seybert, and Roland Tanner. Finally, the entities and individuals named as relief defendants in this action are The Judd Irrevocable Trust, PAJ Consulting Inc, BJ Holdings LLC, Stirling Consulting L.L.C., CJ Investments, LLC, Rocking Horse Properties LLC, Triple Threat Basketball, LLC, ACAC LLC, Anthony Michael Alberto, Jr., and Monty Crew LLC.

The asset freeze obtained by the SEC against Beasley and the other defendants prevents any further dissipation of investor funds. The SEC is seeking permanent injunctions and disgorgement of ill-gotten gains plus interest and penalties.

The SEC’s continuing investigation is being conducted by Joni Ostler, Laurie Abbott, and Pasha Salimi of the Salt Lake Regional Office, and supervised by Tanya Beard. The litigation will be led by Tracy Combs and Casey Fronk.