Former Advisor Receives 20-Year Prison Sentence Over Ponzi Scheme Involving Purchase of Advisors’ Books of Business

Posted on November 14th, 2022 at 1:04 PM
Former Advisor Receives 20-Year Prison Sentence Over Ponzi Scheme Involving Purchase of Advisors’ Books of Business

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law.

A former financial advisor who was sentenced earlier this year to 17.5 years in prison for his role in operating a Ponzi scheme now has received a 20-year prison sentence for mail fraud related to the same scheme, according to court documents.

The former New York-based advisor, Perry Santillo, received sentencing in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The 20-year sentence will run concurrently with his earlier sentence in New York. Santillo will be on supervised release for three years upon the conclusion of his sentence, while Santillo was ordered to pay $1.3 million in restitution. As part of his plea, Santillo admitted that the scheme misappropriated nearly $115 million and resulted in $70.7 million in losses for investors.

Santillo and others perpetrated the scheme by purchasing books of business from numerous investment professionals and financial advisors across the U.S. Then, Santillo and others regularly solicited investors within the books of business to withdraw funds from traditional investments and reinvest the money in issuers controlled by Santillo without disclosing the potential conflict of interest, according to court documents.

Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, regulatory and disciplinary matters.

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, advisors, law

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

Jim, Stephany and the whole team were a God send.  We felt like we were put into a situation where we had no advocate. Jim’s team came in with a strong, well laid out strategy on how to get our story heard. Where our outside compliance company had no ability to help, our Broker Dealer was impenitent, and the regulators were aggressive pursuing vague rules, Jim came like a barricade against an assault we did not understand. Though you pay member dues to be affiliated with FINRA and a B/D, you have no voice. The only thing that is truly heard in this un-level playing field is a bulldog’s bark like Jim’s. I would encourage anyone to call Jim and his team to find a real ally in the tough and complicated world of securities regulation. They are truly the best.

Greg P.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

April 19, 2024
WealthFeed Raises Funds for AI-Driven Lead Generation Tool

WealthFeed leverages proprietary AI technology to collect nine real-time financial data points, including business sales, capital raises, inheritances, and job changes.

April 18, 2024
SEC Fines Target Off-Channel Communications

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is ramping up its enforcement efforts targeting off-channel communications, particularly text messages, among investment advisory firms.

April 17, 2024
B. Riley Financial Again Delays Filing Audited Results

B. Riley Financial Inc. has encountered a setback in filing its audited results within an extended timeframe, adding to existing pressure amid concerns raised by short sellers regarding its association with a former business partner.