SEC Charges Bongiorno for $2.37M Unregistered Broker Fraud

The SEC obtained a final consent judgment against Christopher Joseph Bongiorno, ordering $2.37 million in disgorgement for defrauding investors through a cold-calling scheme while operating as an unregistered broker. The judgment in the Northern District of Ohio permanently enjoins Bongiorno from future securities violations.

The enforcement action follows a wave of SEC fraud charges over the past week that also included a $515,000 fee fraud case against a Florida investment adviser and a $4.2 million disgorgement against a stockbroker involved in a penny stock pump-and-dump scheme.

Retail investors should verify broker registration through FINRA's BrokerCheck before committing funds. The SEC has filed securities fraud charges totaling over $11 million across five enforcement actions in recent days.