SEC Charges Ponzi Scheme Targetted to African-American Community in Los Angeles

The SEC filed securities fraud charges against the promoters of an $18 million real estate investment scheme targeting the African-American community in the Los Angeles area and other locations in Nevada and Georgia.  The SEC's complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, charges Jeanetta M. Standefor and Accelerated Funding Group (AFG) with operating a fraudulent "foreclosure reinstatement" scheme that attracted more than 600 investors between 2005 and 2007. The scheme purported to use investors' funds to cure defaults on distressed properties owned by others. The SEC alleges that while soliciting investor money and promising returns of up to 50 percent within 30 to 45 days, Standefor and AFG were instead operating a Ponzi-like scheme that used money from new investors to pay previous investors. Standefor also used more than $1.9 million of investor funds for personal expenses such as her lavish wedding and honeymoon, cars, jewelry, tickets to entertainment events, and home renovations. Standefor and AFG also misused investor funds to pay $121,000 in "consulting fees" to Standefor's husband, Darrell R. Dansby.