Illinois Investment Firm Owner Sentenced to Five Years for Ponzi-Scheme

Posted on November 14th, 2016 at 9:59 AM
Illinois Investment Firm Owner Sentenced to Five Years for Ponzi-Scheme

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law LLC:

Stephen C. Browere, 57, of Geneva, Illinois, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for using client money to purchase luxury items and to trade his own stock. The court also ordered Browere to pay $3.7 million in restitution to the victims.

Browere owned Stephens Capital Management Inc., in Geneva, Illinois. The fraud stems from Browere’s promise to his clients that they would receive high returns by purchasing $1.66 million in promissory notes in Douglas Capital Corp., located in Lisle, Illinois. Browere misled his investors by not informing them that his relative was the president of Douglas Capital and that he ran Douglas Capital's day-to-day operations.

Browere’s scheme began around 2007 and ended in 2014. Browere deceived his clients by hiding the fraud and using principal payments from some investors to make interest payments to others in a Ponzi-like fashion. 

The attorneys of Eccleston Law LLC represent investors and advisers nationwide in securities and employment matters. The securities lawyers at Eccleston Law also practice a variety of other areas of securities for financial advisors including breakaway broker servicesemployment mattersstrategic consulting and counselingbroker litigation and arbitration,whistleblower actions, and much more. Our attorneys draw on a combined experience of nearly 65 years in delivering the highest quality legal services. If you are in need of legal services, contact us to schedule a one-on-one consultation today.  

 

Related Attorneys: James J. Eccleston

Tags: Eccleston, James Eccleston, Financial Counsel, Eccleston Law, Eccleston Law LLC, ponzi-scheme, Stephen C. Browere, stock, Stephens Capital Management Inc., fraud, Douglas Capital Corp., investors,

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

I want to extend a tremendous thank you for your dedication, professionalism, hard work and patient demeanor through this challenging time. It was enjoyable interacting with everyone on your team, this certainly helped while dealing with the situation and working towards resolution.

Dan M.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

April 25, 2024
B. Riley Financial Clears Air Amid Allegations, Stock Surges

Amidst swirling speculation regarding its connections with a client linked to the Prophecy Asset Management collapse, B. Riley Financial Inc. has conducted an internal
review, concluding no affiliations with the defunct hedge fund.

April 24, 2024
RIA Insurance Claims Skyrocket

A recent analysis by Golsan Scruggs reveals a staggering 231 percent increase in errors-and-omissions (E&O) liability claims among registered investment advisor (RIA)
insurers.

April 23, 2024
Surge Predicted in Regulation Best Interest Cases

According to a recent analysis, Reg BI-related actions quickly have ascended to the top five issues for FINRA, with fines totaling $6 million in 2023.