State Securities Examiners Recognized by the U.S. Attorney's Office
April 23, 2013
Connecticut Banking Commissioner Howard F. Pitkin is pleased to announce that five employees in the State Department of Banking’s Securities and Business Investments Division were honored by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.
The awards were presented on March 8, 2013, at the United States Attorney’s Office Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony, held at the City of New Haven’s aldermanic chambers. This annual ceremony recognizes individuals for their investigative efforts in significant federal criminal prosecutions and civil cases in Connecticut over the past year. The following are the award recipients from the Department of Banking Securities and Business Investments Division:
Principal Examiner Klemes M. Klementon
Banking Department Manager Cesar Garcia
Assistant Director Cynthia Antanaitis
Associate Financial Examiner Sylvia Morgan
Associate Financial Examiner Jon Petrucci
Mr. Klementon, Mr. Garcia and Ms. Antanaitis were recognized for their investigative efforts in the investor fraud case of U.S. v. Stephen Blankenship. Blankenship, an investment advisor, pleaded guilty to defrauding investors of approximately $600,000. He was sentenced to 41 months incarceration and ordered to make restitution to his victims.
Ms. Morgan, Mr. Petrucci, Mr. Klementon and Mr. Garcia received their award in recognition of their investigative efforts in the case of U.S. v. Robin Brass. The Connecticut Department of Banking initiated this investigation based on a complaint from one of Brass’s victims. Brass was found guilty of stealing nearly $2 million from her victims, many elderly and infirm, in a classic Ponzi scheme and was sentenced to a term of 96 months imprisonment.
“I am extremely proud of these five individuals and want to thank U.S. Attorney David Fein for this recognition from the Connecticut United States Attorney’s Office,” stated Commissioner Pitkin. “The Securities Division at the Department of Banking regularly conducts examinations and investigations of investment advisers and broker-dealers. Their mission is to enforce the state’s securities and business opportunity laws, and they do this on a daily basis with professionalism and pride.”
The Department of Banking is a participant (member) of the U.S. Attorney’s Connecticut Securities, Commodities and Investor Fraud Task Force.