SEC Obtains Asset Freeze in Minnesota-Based Foreign Currency Trading Scheme
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2009-253

Washington, D.C., Nov. 24, 2009 — The Securities and Exchange Commission has obtained an emergency court order freezing the assets of a self-proclaimed Minneapolis-based money manager, a nationally syndicated radio personality and four companies they controlled in a foreign currency trading scheme that raised at least $190 million from more than 1,000 investors.

The SEC alleges that Trevor G. Cook and Patrick J. "Pat" Kiley sold unregistered investments through shell companies by misrepresenting that they would deposit each investor's funds into a separate account in the investor's name to trade in foreign currencies and generate annual returns of 10 percent to 12 percent. They also misrepresented that their foreign currency trading program involved little or no risk and that investors' principal would be safe and could be withdrawn at any time. Kiley pitched the investments on his financially themed "Follow the Money" show that he hosted on radio stations nationwide.

Alleged Minneapolis-Based Fraudster Trevor Cook Jailed for Failing to Surrender Assets in SEC Case
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2010-12

Washington, D.C., Jan. 25, 2010 — A federal judge today ordered Minneapolis-area resident Trevor G. Cook jailed for failing to surrender more than $35 million in assets as a result of the Securities and Exchange Commission's fraud charges and asset freeze against him.

The SEC filed a motion last month in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, alleging that Cook had violated the court's order freezing all of his assets. In a court hearing that concluded today, Chief Judge Michael J. Davis found Cook in civil contempt and U.S. Marshals escorted Cook from the courtroom to jail. Chief Judge Davis ordered that Cook remain in jail until he is in compliance with the court's orders.

"Mr. Cook has elected to disregard the court's orders and will now be a guest of the federal correctional system until he mends his ways," said Merri Jo Gillette, Director of the SEC's Chicago Regional Office.

Chief Judge Davis ordered Cook incarcerated until he, among other things, surrenders $27 million located in offshore accounts, a BMW and two Lexus automobiles, a submarine, a houseboat, a collection of expensive watches, a collection of Faberge eggs, Bon Jovi concert tickets, and $670,000 in cash.

The SEC obtained the asset freeze on Nov. 23, 2009, when the Commission charged Cook, nationally syndicated radio host Patrick J. "Pat" Kiley, and four companies they controlled in an alleged $190 million foreign currency trading scheme. According to the SEC's complaint in the case, Cook and Kiley pooled investors' funds in bank and trading accounts in the names of entities they controlled. The foreign currency trading they did conduct resulted in millions of dollars in losses, and they misused approximately half of investor funds to make Ponzi-like payments to earlier investors and pay for Cook's gambling losses and the purchase of the historic Van Dusen Mansion in Minneapolis.

Cook and Kiley told investors that their money would be invested safely and profitably," said Merri Jo Gillette, Director of the SEC's Chicago Regional Office. "Instead, they went on a $40 million-plus spending spree with investors' money and lost another $40 million in risky foreign currency trading."

In addition to Cook and Kiley, the SEC charged their unregistered companies UBS Diversified Growth LLC, Universal Brokerage FX Management LLC, Oxford Global Advisors LLC, and Oxford Global Partners LLC.

The SEC alleges that Cook and Kiley misappropriated $42.8 million of investors' money, including $18 million that Cook used to buy ownership interests in two trading firms; $12.8 million that Cook and Kiley transferred to Panama to purportedly finance the construction of a casino; $2.8 million that Cook used to acquire the Van Dusen Mansion and $4.8 million that Cook lost through gambling. Cook and Kiley also misspent approximately $51 million to make Ponzi-like payments to earlier investors. The SEC further alleges that Cook and Kiley placed $108 million of investors' funds into banking and trading accounts in the names of their various shell companies and used some of this money to trade foreign currencies, resulting in losses of at least $48 million.