Stockbroker Pleads Guilty in Securities Fraud

Posted on November 12th, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Stockbroker Pleads Guilty in Securities Fraud

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law LLC:

A Boca Raton, Florida stockbroker named Gerald Cocuzzo who worked at Newbridge Securities Corporation, has pled guilty to participating in a $131 million securities fraud and could face up to 20 years in prison.

Cocuzzo, 38, was charged with defrauding investors in a publicly traded company called ForceField Energy, Inc. Cucuzzo received kickbacks from the company’s executive for purchasing the company's stock in his clients' brokerage accounts. In 2015, Cucuzzo and his co-conspirators used cash payments, prepaid cell phones and encrypted, self-erasing messaging apps to hide the scheme.

Cocuzzo and his co-conspirators also traded the stock to make investors think the trading volume was much larger and in turn cause investors to think there was a genuine interest in the stock. 

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, stockbroker, securities fraud, Gerald Cocuzzo, Newbridge Securities Corporation, defrauding investors, ForceField Energy, Inc., brokerage accounts, stock, investors,

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