SEC Wins Bench Trial Against Advisory Firm and Its Co-Owners for Cherry-Picking Scheme and Misrepresentations to Clients
SEC v. World Tree Financial, LLC, et al., Case No. 6:18-cv-01229-MJJ-CBW (W.D. La., filed Sept. 18, 2018)
On January 15, 2021, following a week-long, live bench trial, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana entered final judgment in favor of the SEC against investment advisory firm, World Tree Financial, LLC and its co-owners Wesley Kyle Perkins and Priscilla Perkins. The SEC charged Wesley Perkins and World Tree on September 18, 2018 with perpetrating a fraudulent cherry-picking scheme. The SEC also charged Wesley Perkins, World Tree, and Priscilla Perkins for misrepresentations to investors regarding the firm s trading policies.