SEC charges $54 million Louisiana RIA and owners for cherry-picking scheme

SEC charges $54 million Louisiana RIA and owners for cherry-picking scheme
Wesley Kyle Perkins and Priscilla Gilmore Perkins, husband and wife owners of World Tree Financial, allegedly benefited themselves by handpicking the most profitable trades.
SEP 20, 2018

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday charged a Louisiana-based advisory firm and its two owners — a husband and wife — for defrauding clients via a cherry-picking scheme perpetuated over several years. World Tree Financial and its owners — Wesley Kyle Perkins, the CEO and CIO, and Priscilla Gilmore Perkins, the firm's head of compliance, operations and finance — allegedly cherry-picked trades over a four-year span. The scheme — under which advisers allocated winning trades to themselves or favored clients and allocated the losing trades to other clients — generated in-house profits for World Tree and a select number of clients while causing "substantial losses" for other clients, the SEC claimed. (More: Regulators use big data to turn up enforcement heat) The alleged fraud also misled clients who received better trades into thinking the firm managed money better than was true in reality, according to the SEC. Neither Mr. or Ms. Perkins had returned a call seeking comment on the allegations by press time. World Tree, based in Lafayette, Louisiana, had $54 million and 161 individual clients as of March 2018, according to the SEC's civil complaint, which was filed Sep. 18 in the U.S. District court for the Western District of Louisiana. The firm withdrew its SEC registration in June 2012, and is currently registered as investment adviser with the state of Louisiana. (More: Shorthanded SEC may have to decide investment advice proposal on its own)

Latest News

Married retirees could be in for an $18,100 Social Security cut by 2032, CRFB says
Married retirees could be in for an $18,100 Social Security cut by 2032, CRFB says

A new analysis finds long-running fiscal woes coupled with impacts from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act stand to erode the major pillar for retirement income planning.

SEC bars New Jersey advisor after $9.9M fraud against Gold Star families
SEC bars New Jersey advisor after $9.9M fraud against Gold Star families

Caz Craffy, whom the Department of Justice hit with a 12-year prison term last year for defrauding grieving military families, has been officially exiled from the securities agency.

Navigating the great wealth transfer: Are advisors ready for both waves?
Navigating the great wealth transfer: Are advisors ready for both waves?

After years or decades spent building deep relationships with clients, experienced advisors' attention and intention must turn toward their spouses, children, and future generations.

UBS Financial loses another investor lawsuit involving Tesla stock
UBS Financial loses another investor lawsuit involving Tesla stock

The customer’s UBS financial advisor allegedly mishandled an options strategy called a collar, according to the client’s attorney.

Trump's one big beautiful bill reshapes charitable giving for donors and advisors
Trump's one big beautiful bill reshapes charitable giving for donors and advisors

An expansion to a 2017 TCJA provision, a permanent increase to the standard deduction, and additional incentives for non-itemizers add new twists to the donate-or-wait decision.

SPONSORED How advisors can build for high-net-worth complexity

Orion's Tom Wilson on delivering coordinated, high-touch service in a world where returns alone no longer set you apart.

SPONSORED RILAs bring stability, growth during volatile markets

Barely a decade old, registered index-linked annuities have quickly surged in popularity, thanks to their unique blend of protection and growth potential—an appealing option for investors looking to chart a steadier course through today's choppy market waters, says Myles Lambert, Brighthouse Financial.