Ex-Im Bank Conference, A 20-year Fraud At Molex, and Halted Boiler Rooms

A quick recap of salient events and announcements from financial regulatory agencies on Thursday, April 9:

• The Export-Import Bank announced the agenda for the Ex-Im 2015 Annual Conference to be held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., on April 23^rd and 24th.  Speakers at the event will include: Ambassador Susan Rice, US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker; Doug Oberhelman, chairman and CEO of Caterpillar Inc.; W. James McNerney, Jr., chairman and CEO of The Boeing Company; Steven Rattner, chairman of Willett Advisors LLC; Joe Kaeser, president and CEO of Siemens AG; Stephen S. Poloz, governor of the Bank of Canada; Jacqueline Hinman, chairman and CEO of CH2M Hill; U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Yousef Al Otaiba; and Dr. Mo Ibrahim. To register for the event or learn more click the link above.

• The SEC issued an order against ex- Molex senior finance executive Katsuichi Fusamae for perpetuating a 20 year fraud. For more than 20 years Fusamae invested company funds in risky securities. As Controller he was supposed to be investing them in conservative investments and commercial paper. He suffered massive losses and tried to make up for it by taking out $222 million in unauthorized loans. Molex, based in the suburbs of Chicago, was unaware of the fraud, however, the SEC believes that the company was lacking in proper controls at the time. Penalties have yet to be determined. To read more about the case click the link above.

• The SEC halted operations and froze all assets for a microcap stock scheme in South Florida. The scheme includes three boiler room brokers that concealed the fact that they had been barred from the industry by the SEC in an earlier case. $11 million in funds were allegedly raised from more than 400 investors for the duration of the scheme. The boiler room was spearheaded by Dean A. Esposito of Boca Raton, Fla., Joseph DeVito of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Frederick Birks of Orlando, Fla. They were hired by Joseph J. Azzata of Boca Raton, Fla., CEO of eCareer Holdings, Inc. A temporary asset freeze has been issued against the defendants and Azzata's wife has been named as a relief defendant in order to recover investor funds. To read more about the case click the link above.

Events On Friday, April 10, 2015

10 a.m.

David Grim, Acting Director, Division of Investment Management, will be a featured speaker at the Mutual Fund Directors Forum’s Annual Policy Conference.

Location: Loews Madison Hotel, 1177 15th St. N.W., Washington, D.C.

Contact: Chris Sullivan, 212-473-4442