Arabica beans, the mild-tasting variety preferred by Starbucks Corp., have gained about 13% from a mid-March low, partially on concerns over low supply out of Brazil. Any delays in harvesting that compromise bean quality could push prices higher. Rabobank International analyst Carlos Mera, in a report today, called the migrant labor shortage in Brazil the "main risk" to the supply side.

The April 2 briefing warns that the task force had completed an analysis and there could be "commodity impacts if current PPE inventory is exhausted." There would be shortages of milk within 24 hours and of fresh fruits and vegetables "within several days." The document estimates that "meat, poultry, seafood, and processed eggs" would become scarce within a period of two to four weeks, while "dry goods and processed foods inventories" - that is, the non-perishables that are pantry staples - could become scarce "as soon as four weeks after face masks and gloves run out across the food supply chain.

According to the order, Walsh claims that the investments in his trading program are "basically risk free." He is telling potential investors that he is paying 60% of the profits from trading international currencies to investors and keeping 40% of profits for himself.

Walsh is violating the Texas Securities Act because neither the investments nor Walsh are registered in Texas, according to the order.

Walsh initially agreed to stop offering investments in the trading program until he became compliant with the Securities Act. But he continued to illegally and fraudulently offer the securities, according to the order, threatening immediate financial harm to Texas residents.

According to the order, Walsh recently told potential investors he was earning greater profits because of the volatility the threat of COVID-19 has engendered in the markets.

Walsh claimed that in a recent 10-day period he earned $46,000 in profit on an account worth $100,000, according to the order.

Walsh is not, however, telling investors of the numerous risks in trading the currencies of other countries. These include fluctuations in a country's interest rates, the impact of stock, bond, and commodity markets on currency exchange rates, and the possibility that technical problems can stall trades.

engaged in a scheme to conduct voluminous unauthorized trading in over 360 retail customer accounts as Global Arena Capital Corp., the New York broker dealer they were associated with at the time, was going out of business. This unauthorized trading allegedly generated over $2.4 million in unlawful markups, markdowns, and commissions for their firm and resulted in over $4 million in net losses for their customers. The complaint alleges that Engler, who indirectly owned and controlled Global, orchestrated the scheme, and Turney and Perez, who were registered representatives at Global, carried it out with the assistance of Desiderio, Global's President, CCO and supervisor.

[M]uraca established two pharmaceutical development companies and raised nearly $1.2 million by representing that investor money would be used to develop products to detect cancer and other diseases. The SEC traced the flow of investor funds into Muraca's personal bank account and alleged that at least $400,000 had been used to pay rent for the restaurants and fund other purchases by Muraca, including payments to a casino, automotive shop, and cigar shop. The SEC's complaint alleged that investors were never informed of the alternative uses of their investments in NanoMolecularDX, LLC and MetaboRX, LLC.

[T]he Leonards and two companies they control, Teshuater, LLC and Teshua Business Group, LLC, targeted investors in the African-American community with three separate fraudulent offerings, raising nearly $500,000 from over 500 investors across the United States. According to the complaint, the Leonards first sold bogus stock certificates in Teshuater, a company that bottled and sold alkaline water. Larry Leonard then allegedly tried to raise $20 million by selling a valueless cryptocurrency called TeshuaCoin, which he falsely claimed was backed by Teshuater's water products. Finally, the complaint alleges that Larry Leonard raised funds for a non-existent bitcoin mining investment, promising exorbitant returns, and then used the funds to make speculative options trades.

[F]rom 2011 through the present, OwnZones, a Beverly Hills entertainment technology company, its CEO and president Dan Goman of California, and its stock sales agent Joe Goman of Arizona, who is Dan Goman's brother, conducted an unregistered securities offering in which they raised $45 million from more than one thousand investors. According to the SEC's complaint, Dan Goman and other OwnZones representatives made false and misleading statements to investors about OwnZones' potential IPO and the status of investment discussions with major companies. The complaint further alleges that Joe Goman made misstatements to investors, including claims that Mark Cuban and MGM had purchased OwnZones stock for $5 per share, that Google had offered to buy OwnZones for $500 million, and that OwnZones was about to go public and its IPO price would be many multiples higher than what investors were paying.

[M]anaging Partner of a limited liability company (the "LLC") he formed during 2016 with two individuals who were not associated with a member firm. Respondent did not disclose to the Firm that he had formed the LLC. Beginning in September 2017, the LLC performed business consulting services that resulted in $7,000 in consulting fees. 

During June 2018, through the LLC, Respondent also contracted with an individual, LM, to market the mineral rights associated with a Colorado property that LM owned. According to the contract, LM was obligated to pay a fee to the extent that Respondent solicited a purchase offer of at least a certain amount. Respondent then solicited several offers to purchase LM's mineral rights from energy and mineral companies. 

Respondent did not disclose that he played any role in the LLC to the Firm before the LLC conducted business. On July 11, 2018, after he had been conducting business through the LLC for approximately 10 months and he had been soliciting offers for LM's mineral rights for approximately one month, Respondent submitted an outside business activity disclosure form to the Firm. Respondent stated on the form that he would buy and sell real estate, including water and mineral rights. However, Respondent did not 2 disclose the existence of the LLC or his role in it, that he had entered into a contract with LM through the LLC or that he had marketed LM's mineral rights. 

Subsequently, in July 2018, LM accepted one of the purchase offers Respondent solicited. During October 2018, LM paid Respondent $12,000, through the LLC, pursuant to the terms of the contract. 

In December 2018, the Firm located a copy of the LLC's contract with LM and marketing materials for the sale of mineral rights in Respondent's Firm email account. In response to subsequent inquiries from the Firm about these documents, Respondent submitted a written statement to the Firm stating, inaccurately, that LM had not paid any fee or compensation for his work. Respondent later acknowledged that LM had paid a fee of $12,000.  

In January 2013, James and two other individuals, who were not associated with any member firms, formed and incorporated a company that charged users a monthly subscription fee for access to a website that subscribers could use to seek funding for various projects or ventures (the "Company"). During the relevant period, James helped run the day-to-day operations of the Company and assisted in business development and marketing. For his work, James was paid a total of $16,000. 

Throughout the relevant period, the Firm's written supervisory policies required registered representatives, in advance of engaging in any outside business activity, to provide a written request to and receive written approval from the Firm. James failed to provide written notice to Voya of the above-described business activity. Additionally, James falsely stated on the Firm's annual compliance questionnaires, dated 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, that he had reported all outside business activities to the Firm. 

[(i)] Claimant provided significant new information during the course of an ongoing investigation that would have been;difficult for the staff to obtain in the absence of the Claimant's tip; (ii) Claimant expeditiously reported the information to the Commission despite certain obstacles to reporting and provided valuable assistance to the investigative staff; (iii) Claimant assisted with the Commission's investigation despite implied threats made to Claimant; (iv) Claimant suffered hardships as a result of Claimant's whistleblowing; and (v) the law-enforcement interests here are high.