Seven people, including the ex-husband of a star from the Sopranos, were arrested Thursday on securities fraud charges stemming from market manipulation of penny stocks. Two of the seven, Craig L. Josephberg and Matthew A. Bell, were registered representatives with independent broker-dealers. Another charged was the CEO of OmniView Capital Advisors LLC, who was married to Sopranos star Jamie-Lynn Sigler in 2003.

From October 2012 to July 2014, the seven and others allegedly decided to scam investors and potential investors in CodeSmart Holdings Inc., Cubed Inc., StarStream Entertainment Inc. and The Staffing Group Ltd. The group engaged in a “pump-and-dump” scheme, using untrue press releases and filing with the SEC to control the price and volume of shares in those companies. Additionally, they fraudulently hid their ownership interest, created price movements and trading volume in the stocks and made unauthorized purchases of stock in accounts of unwitting clients.

The 10-count indictment includes charges of securities fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud in connection with the manipulation of the companies.

If you or someone you know has lost money as a result of an investment, please contact Richard Frankowski at 888-741-7503 to discuss your potential legal remedies.