SEC Final Consent Judgment Against Christopher Joseph Bongiorno for Securities Fraud and Unregistered Broker Activity
Summary
The SEC obtained a final consent judgment against Christopher Joseph Bongiorno in the Northern District of Ohio on April 7, 2026. Bongiorno was found liable for defrauding investors through cold-calling solicitations for US Lighting Group and Petroteq Energy securities between September 2015 and November 2018, receiving over $2.3 million in gross commissions and misappropriating $30,000 from two investors. The judgment permanently enjoins Bongiorno from securities violations and acting as a broker, with a five-year prohibition on soliciting investors to purchase securities.
What changed
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio entered a final judgment by consent against Christopher Joseph Bongiorno on April 7, 2026, permanently enjoining him from violating Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Sections 10(b) and 15(a)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The judgment also permanently enjoins Bongiorno from acting as or associating with any broker or dealer and prohibits him from soliciting any person to purchase or sell securities for five years.
This enforcement action concludes the SEC's civil litigation against Bongiorno, who previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud in a parallel criminal case. The substantial disgorgement amount and permanent injunction signal continued SEC enforcement focus on unregistered broker activity and securities fraud targeting retail investors through cold-calling schemes.
What to do next
- Broker-dealers should review internal controls for cold-calling and solicitation activities to ensure compliance with registration requirements
- Investors should be alert to unsolicited investment offers, particularly those from individuals using fictitious identities
- Legal professionals advising securities clients should verify broker-dealer registration status before recommending investments
Penalties
Disgorgement of $2,370,987.43 plus prejudgment interest of $551,924.45 (offset by $929,729.38 criminal restitution order)
Archived snapshot
Apr 11, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
More in this Section
Christopher Joseph Bongiorno and Jason Allan Arthur
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Litigation Release No. 26526 / April 10, 2026
Securities and Exchange Commission v. Christopher Joseph Bongiorno et. al., No. 1:20-cv-00469-JPC (N.D. Ohio filed Feb. 28, 2020)
SEC Obtains Final Consent Judgment as to Defendant Charged with Fraud and Acting as an Unregistered Broker
On April 7, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio entered a final judgment by consent as to Christopher Joseph Bongiorno in connection with the SEC’s civil enforcement action against him. Bongiorno previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud in a parallel criminal action, United States v. Bongiorno, Case No. 1:21-CR-00491-JPC(9) (N.D. Ohio).
According to the SEC’s complaint, filed on February 28, 2020, from September 2015 through November 2018, Bongiorno solicited individuals throughout the United States to purchase securities issued by US Lighting Group, Inc. and Petroteq Energy, Inc. As alleged, Bongiorno, using a fictitious name to make it appear he was a licensed broker, cold called prospective investors and hired others to work below him to solicit investors to purchase US Lighting or Petroteq securities. The complaint further alleges that Bongiorno received gross commissions of more than $2.3 million and also misappropriated $30,000 from two investors.
The final judgment permanently enjoins Bongiorno from violating Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Sections 10(b) and 15(a)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The final judgment also enjoins Bongiorno, for a period of five years, from soliciting any person to purchase or sell any security, and permanently enjoins him from acting as or associating with any broker or dealer. The final judgment also orders Bongiorno to pay disgorgement of $2,370,987.43 plus prejudgment interest of $551,924.45, which is offset by the $929,729.38 order of restitution entered against Bongiorno in the parallel criminal action.
The SEC previously obtained summary judgment against Bongiorno and a final judgment as to his codefendant, Jason Allan Arthur. The final judgment as to Bongiorno concludes the SEC’s litigation.
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