Former Senior Executives of Global Financial Services Company Charged in Scheme to Defraud Clients through Secret Trading Commissions

Former Senior Executives of Global Financial Services Company

Charged in Scheme to Defraud Clients through Secret Trading Commissions

 

BOSTON – Two former high-ranking executives of a Boston-based financial services company, which is one of the world’s largest asset managers and custody banks, have been charged with engaging in a scheme to defraud at least six of the bank’s clients through secret commissions applied to billions of dollars of securities trades. 

 

Ross McLellan, 44, of Hingham, Mass. and Edward Pennings, 45, who is believed to be living abroad, were charged in a five-count indictment with conspiring to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, as well as two counts each of securities fraud and wire fraud.  McLellan, a former executive vice president of the bank who served as president of its U.S. broker-dealer unit, was arrested this morning in Hingham and will appear in U.S. District Court in Boston later today.   

 

U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz of the District of Massachusetts, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Harold M. Shaw of the Boston Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

 

“The secret conversations and backroom plotting laid bare in today’s charges paint a vivid picture of a brazen fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Ortiz.  “The defendants never thought anyone would hear those conversations – conversations in which they plotted to overcharge their clients by millions of dollars, and to hide their tracks.  With each trade, they chipped away at the savings of thousands of retirees whose pensions they were charged with safeguarding.  Bankers who abuse their clients’ trust in this way must be held accountable.  And we will work hard to ensure that they are.”

 

“The defendants are charged with reaping millions of dollars of illicit profits by abusing their clients' trust and secretly setting their own inflated compensation," said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell.  "The charges announced today reflect our continued commitment to hold individuals accountable for toying with the integrity of our financial system."

 

"As alleged, Ross McLellan and Edward Pennings cheated and lied to investors so that the bank could line its pockets. Actions like theirs undermine investor confidence. This case demonstrates the FBI's commitment to unraveling elaborate and complex schemes, motivated by sheer greed, that ultimately undermine our financial markets," said Special Agent in Charge Shaw. 

 

        The Indictment alleges that, between February 2010 and September 2011, McLellan and Pennings, together with others, conspired to add secret commissions to fixed income and equity trades performed for at least six clients of the bank’s “transition management” business, which helps institutional clients move their investments between and among asset managers or liquidate large investment portfolios.  The commissions were charged on top of fees the clients had agreed to pay the bank, and despite written instructions to the bank’s traders that generally reflected that the clients were not to be charged trading commissions.  McLellan and Pennings then allegedly took steps to hide the commissions from the clients and others within the bank, including by directing that the commissions not be broken out in post-trade reports. 

 

        For example, the Indictment alleges, among other things, that:

 

• In a telephone call in March 2010, Pennings instructed an unidentified co-conspirator in the transition management unit not to talk about the plans to charge hidden commissions on one transaction “with anyone . . . because it’s not going to help our story.  Don’t even share it with the rest of the team, to be honest.”
• In June 2010, McLellan and the unidentified co-conspirator requested that the bank’s traders provide them with the reported daily high and low prices of securities the bank had traded for the client so that they could determine the amount of the commissions to be applied to each security without attracting the client’s attention by exceeding the bounds of reported prices. 
• In March 2011, McLellan instructed a U.S. fixed income trader to charge a one basis point (0.01%) commission to each trade conducted for another client – notwithstanding that the written trading instructions for the transaction said to charge zero commissions – and subsequently instructed the trader to delete any reference to the commissions from the trading results he sent to the transition manager assigned to the project.

In June 2011, when one of the affected clients inquired about whether it had, in fact, been charged commissions in breach of its agreement with the bank, it is alleged that Pennings initially denied that any commissions had been charged.  Later – at McLellan’s direction – Pennings acknowledged only that some commissions had been “inadvertently” charged on securities traded in the United States, but did not disclose that they had, in fact, been intentionally charged, in the United States and in Europe.  McLellan and Pennings then allegedly sought to mislead the bank’s compliance staff into believing that the commissions had been charged in error and that the amount of the overcharges was limited to the commissions applied on U.S. securities.

       

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The United States Attorney’s Office and the Fraud Section have also received valuable assistance from the Securities & Exchange Commission as well as from authorities in the United Kingdom, including the City of London Police.  The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Frank, Deputy Chief of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit and Trial Attorney Aisling O’Shea of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. 

 

波士頓公校增加200幼稚園學位 東波士頓兩校增開學前班

 BPS Adds 216 New Pre-kindergarten Seats, Expands Early-Education Opportunities For Boston Families

BOSTON — April 5, 2016 — The Boston Public Schools (BPS) announced today that two East Boston schools will be offering pre-kindergarten classes for the first time, including one that is a dual-language program, as part of a commitment by Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Boston School Committee, and Superintendent Tommy Chang to expand early-education opportunities for Boston families.

“Boston families deserve expanded access to high-quality, early-educational experiences,” said Mayor Walsh. “This is about strengthening the foundation of learning for our children. The experiences they have before entering kindergarten will shape their ability to learn, and I’m proud that we’ll be able to give more children the strong start they need to succeed within Boston Public Schools and beyond.”

The new pre-K seats at the Donald McKay K-8 School and the Mario Umana Academy are among the more than 200 additional K1 seats created as strategic investments in the BPS FY17 budget that was approved on March 23 by the Boston School Committee.

K1 classes are available to children who turn four years old by Sept. 1 of a school year.

The McKay’s new K1 program will have 22 seats, and the Umana will have 20 seats in its English-Spanish dual-language program. They are among a group of five schools that were recently selected for the expansion of K1 seats for the 2016-17 school year.

In addition to the McKay and Umana, the other three schools, which already have existing K1 programs, are: Baldwin Early Learning Pilot Academy in Brighton; Young Achievers Science and Math K-8 in Mattapan; and Mildred Avenue K-8 in Mattapan. Each of these classes is expected to have a full capacity of 22 seats.

These five schools are now available to families interested in registering for a K1 seat as part of the enrollment process for the coming school year. Families interested in these schools and others should visit one of the BPS Welcome Centers between now and the April 15 registration deadline.

Altogether, BPS will be expanding K1 classes next year school to a total of ten schools, including five other schools that were previously included in an earlier round of school enrollment. These schools are: the West Zone Early Learning Center; Curley K-8; Harvard/Kent Elementary; Josiah Quincy Elementary; and Charles Sumner Elementary.

With the expansion of new seats, BPS next school year will be providing K1 education of some form to a total of approximately 2,800 students at 96 percent, or 76 of the district’s 79 elementary schools in the district.

Noting that Boston Public Schools is considered a national leader in early childhood education, Boston School Committee Chairperson Michael O’Neill said participation in the BPS K1 program has consistently shown that it helps to reduce achievement gaps in later grades.

According to national and district research, Black and Hispanic/Latino students who participate in BPS K1 outperform white students who do not participate in K1. Meanwhile, students who participated in the BPS K1 program were also 50 percent more likely to be “ready for kindergarten” than students who did not participate and they outperformed their peers in math and literacy tests by 20 percent.

“Closing the achievement gap is one of the School Committee’s and the district’s top priorities,” said O’Neill, citing the creation of the School Committee’s Achievement and Opportunity Gaps Task force. “It is critical that we begin doing this as early possible in a child’s life in order to give our students a jump start on succeeding in school.”

Recently, a Harvard study published by the Society for Research in Child Development found the academic gains achieved by students in the BPS early-childhood programs are the “largest found to date in evaluations of large-scale public pre-kindergarten programs.”

 “At an early age, our​ students are learning valuable foundational skills, including the ability to work with peers, count and solve complex problems. ​This expanded access to pre-kindergarten programming will improve our children's math and literacy readiness, and we're confident that this opportunity will put them on a pathway to continued success," Dr. Chang said.

Claudia Gutierrez, principal of the Umana, said the new dual-language K1 class will strengthen her school’s dual language program for the upper grades by helping students who enter kindergarten be prepared for the academic rigor.

"The Mario Umana Academy is excited to offer East Boston families the first dual language K1 class in our community. These students will be the first to complete a full K1 through grade 8 dual-language program in East Boston. Biliteracy in both English and Spanish gives Umana students an edge in an increasingly globalized world,” Gutierrez said. "The younger you are when you learn a language, the easier it is to attain fluency.”

Jordan Weymer, principal of the Donald McKay School, said his school is excited to be expanding educational opportunities for young children and their families in East Boston.

“The addition of a new K1 classroom will be an essential element in increasing the academic outcomes of our children by providing them with a solid foundation for future success,” Weymer said.

摩頓市Forestdale學生學習反霸凌 為關注自閉症籌款

Forestdale School Students Work to Make a Difference

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Forestdale School Students have been working hard to make a difference. One a month, the entire fifth grade comes together as a group for “Connections” and participates in team building exercises. These valuable lessons have become the foundation for an anti-bullying curriculum, encouraging working with others, respecting one another’s differences, and advocating for students to come together for a common goal. The experience has carried over into the students’ daily work in and outside of school and has inspired them to give back to the community. Assisted by Grade 5 teacher Ms. Susan Horvitz, the fifth graders decided to collaborate to raise money for Autism Awareness and made pins and ribbons, sold them during the school day and raised $1,000!  The money raised will be donated entirely to the ten ILP (Individualized Learning Program) classrooms at the Forestdale School. Way to go!

波士頓市長請民眾舉報道路坑洞

MAYOR WALSH ASKS RESIDENTS TO REPORT POTHOLES, DISPATCHES CREWS TO REPAIR

BOSTON - Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced he is dispatching 15 Public Works Department (PWD) trucks to repair potholes across the City.  The combination of freezing temperatures, a thaw and precipitation make roads especially susceptible to defects. The Mayor is encouraging residents to report potholes through any of the City's several different platforms, including:  Mobile: Download the free BOS:311 app on iOS or Android (previously known as Citizens Connect) Online: Boston.gov/311 Social Media: Tweet @BOS311 Phone: Dial 3-1-1 (previously the Mayor's 24-hour hotline 617-635-4500. For those with VoIP and for calls from outside Boston, callers should continue to dial 617-635-4500.)

OVC is Awarding Funding to Enhance Specialized Services for Victims of Human Trafficking

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is now accepting applications under the FY 2016 Specialized Services for Victims of Human Trafficking Solicitation.

OVC will make awards of up to $600,000 to enhance the quality and quantity of specialized services available to assist all victims of human trafficking, including services for underserved or unserved populations such as men and boys, American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN), African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Latinos, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, or individuals who identify as straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ). Funding will also support efforts to increase the capacity of communities to respond to human trafficking victims through the development of interagency partnerships, professional training, and public awareness activities.

Applications must be submitted by May 12, 2016 through Grants.gov. Applicants are encouraged to begin the application process well in advance of the deadline. For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800–518–4726 or 606–545–5035, or via e-mail tosupport@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Support Hotline hours of operation are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays.

For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, applicants can contact Ivette Estrada, Victim Justice Program Specialist, by telephone at 202-307-0932, or by email at ivette.estrada@usdoj.gov.

UNITED STATES TO AUCTION JAMES “WHITEY” BULGER POSSESSIONS

UNITED STATES TO AUCTION JAMES “WHITEY” BULGER POSSESSIONS

Auction to be held at Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in June

BOSTON – The U.S. Marshals Service will auction items belonging to James “Whitey” Bulger and Catherine Greig on June 24-26th at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.  U.S. Marshal John Gibbons and U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz made the announcement today.

“The U.S. Marshals Service will execute the order signed by Judge Casper.  Our goal is to maximize the proceeds of the auction to compensate the victims of Bulger’s brutal crimes,” said Marshal Gibbons. 

           

“We are pleased that we will soon be auctioning a significant portion of Bulger's and Greig's personal possessions, which will mark another milestone in the course of their successful prosecutions,” said U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz.  “Although the proceeds we obtain will never be enough to make up for the harm the victims and their families have suffered, it is our hope that this process and the restitution we will be able to distribute as a result of the auction will give some relief to the victims and families in this case."

Pursuant to a court order signed today by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper, the U.S. Marshals Service will be conducting a sale of the forfeited items of James Bulger and Catherine Greig. 

The U.S. Marshals entered into an agreement with the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center to host the auction, which will include items seized from the couple’s Santa Monica apartment, and other possessions in the government’s custody.  The auction will be open to the public and the items will be available simultaneously through an online auction.  A list of auction items will be made available at a later date.

Marshal Gibbons, U.S. Attorney Ortiz and the U.S. Marshals Service Asset Forfeiture Division made the announcement today.

GE 承諾撥款五千萬元做慈善 波士頓公校系統佔50%

GE COMMITS $50M TO EMPOWER BOSTON’S STUDENTS, BUILD CAPABILITIES & CAREERS, AND IMPROVE HEALTH

·         GE will invest $25M in Boston Public Schools, including the development of GE Brilliant Career Labs

·         $10M will be donated to building a diverse workforce population in STEM and health care fields in Boston and surrounding areas

·         $15M devoted to expanding capacity at community health centers and increasing training for specialty care

·         Economic study shows HQ relocation will also add 4,000 temporary and permanent jobs across the Boston region

·         800 GE employees to expand GE Volunteer network and contribute an additional $1 million in charitable contributions annually

BOSTON – April 4, 2016 – GE announced $50 million in philanthropic commitments, to be donated over the next five years to the Boston community. GE’s commitment includes $25 million to Boston Public Schools, $10 million to building out a diverse workforce population and $15 million to developing the next generation health care workforce and increasing training for specialty care. The donation is from the GE Foundation, the company’s philanthropic arm.

“Together GE and Boston will lead the digital transformation of industry. To build a global digital company and community, we must invest to further educate our children in science and math and improve health care in underserved communities. GE’s investments will create thousands of new jobs and support Boston’s regional and economic activities,” said GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt.

GE’s philanthropic commitments include:

·         Boston Public Schools (BPS): GE will reach 100 percent of Boston Public Schools high school students each year through our career labs, computer science courses, and high school design experience to prepare tomorrow’s workforce, by committing $25 million. The donation will provide students the opportunity to explore college and career possibilities, and to understand the skills necessary for future employment.  GE will also create “GE Brilliant Career Labs” with both physical and virtual locations to allow students a unique hands-on experience with advanced manufacturing technology and software to assist them through career planning and internships. GE will also assist 100 percent of STEM high school teachers, to better prepare students for college and their future careers

·         Boston Community Health Centers (CHC): GE will commit an additional $15 million to developing, and expanding the skills of health care providers at critical Community Health Centers in underserved communities. This will include training in the use of technology, leadership skills, and increased access to specialty care, in order to deliver better treatment for common, complex medical conditions like cardiovascular disease and addiction. The Developing Health Boston program will initially support 22 Boston area CHCs and will provide skills training to more than 75 percent of CHC leaders, health care providers, and staff. As well, GE Foundation partners will help to develop next generation health care workers.

·         Building the Diversity Pipeline: GE has also pledged $10 million to increase the capabilities and outcomes for our diverse students.  GE will leverage its employees and leaders to provide training, access to manufacturing labs at GE Garages, and externships for underserved populations outside of the Boston Metro area, including Lynn and Fall River.

GE announced in January it selected Boston for its corporate headquarters. The new site, located in Boston’s Seaport District, will be home to 800 GE employees; 200 from corporate leadership and 600 digital industrial product managers, designers and developers split between GE Digital, Current, robotics and Life Sciences. A GE Digital Foundry will be created for co-creation, incubation and product development with customers, startups and partners – and GE will invest in Boston’s Industrial Internet ecosystem. The remainder of administration will be placed in shared service operations throughout the Company.

GE already has a significant existing presence in Massachusetts, with nearly 5,000 employees across the state in businesses including Aviation, Oil & Gas and Energy Management. In 2014, GE moved its Life Sciences headquarters to Marlborough, and in 2015 GE announced its energy services start-up, Current, would also be headquartered in Boston.

According to an economic impact study conducted by Oxford Analytic, GE’s move adds 4,000 new jobs in the Boston area, between temporary construction jobs and permanent GE employees and vendors; $776 million in new real estate demand; $260 million in new income (GE salary and indirect); and $28 million to local vendors.

Employees will move to a temporary location in Boston starting in the summer of 2016, with a full move completed in several steps by 2018.

陳方安生稱港人無意獨立但要求民主自由

         曾任香港特首的陳方安生，四月三日在塔芙茨大學出席會議表示，香港人很實際，並無意獨立，但要求保存香港原有的核心價值及生活形式。

          塔芙茨（Tufts）大學本科生於四月二、三兩日，在該校Baunum 及Baker廳舉辦第九屆中美關係研討會，邀得陳方安生作主題演講。

       陳方安生在主題為“在動盪世界中維持核心價值”的演講中，綜論香港近況，直言1997年香港回歸以來，境況大不如前，現有18%人口生活在接近貧窮線之中，年輕人的未來前景很慘淡，才會有持續長達80天的“佔中”，“雨傘運動”出現。

           陳方安生在回答問題時坦言，台灣的民主選舉，人們可以自由投票選總統，很讓香港人羨慕，也密切關注台灣民主制度的發展。

         她認為香港若能保持自由，平等，容忍，尊重大自然等全球標準，切實獲得基本法所保障的權利，免於完全受控於北京中央政府，未來就有希望。

         她也認為，中國領導層終將改變想要控制所有人民的做法，但這種改變必須由人民自己推動產生。

中國清潔空氣論壇 （圖片）

哈佛冰山來客音樂會（圖片）

专题音乐会：“冰山上的来客” 

主办：哈佛大学中国学生学者联合会 

内容介绍：“冰山上的来客”是中国电影的经典，而它最吸引人的是其中塔吉克族的民歌和音乐。一位来自塔吉克斯坦的世界知名演奏家，西若吉定  祖拉耶夫（Sirojiddin Juraev），目前正作为特邀音乐家在哈佛大学访问教学。非常荣幸地，我们邀请到这位大师作为本次音乐会的主演 -- 他将用都它尔，冬不拉，和萨托三种乐器，演奏若干经典的塔吉克乐曲。同台演出的，还有来自哈萨克斯坦的一位青年钢琴家，她把传统的中亚音乐与爵士乐相结合，将别有一番风格。音乐会上，还将演唱“冰山上的来客”中的几首歌曲，包括“花儿为什么这样红”，“冰山上的雪莲”，“高原之歌”，“戈壁滩上”；另外还有人人喜爱的小提琴独奏“新疆之春”。

时间：4月2日星期六，晚上7:30 - 9:00 pm
地点：哈佛大学Lehman Hall，Common Room（Lehman Hall是正在哈佛广场又在哈佛园内的那一栋建筑，从哈佛广场地铁站横过马路即是。Common-Room在二楼左端。）

本次活动免费对公众开放，但谢绝未经邀请的媒体。

WELLESLEY EXECUTIVE SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR MILLION-DOLLAR EMBEZZLEMENT

WELLESLEY EXECUTIVE SENTENCED TO PRISON

FOR MILLION-DOLLAR EMBEZZLEMENT

BOSTON – The former controller of a Cambridge-based technology company was sentenced in U.S. District Court today for embezzling $1 million from the company. 

Andy Kim, 44, of Wellesley, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV to 18 months in prison and year of supervised release.  In December 2015, Kim pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud.

Kim worked at the company as the controller from 2004 until he was fired in July 2015 after the discovery of the theft.  Kim stole $500,000 from the company on two separate occasions, once in July 2014 and again in June 2015.  On both occasions, Kim had access to the company’s checking account.  He disguised the transactions as transfers of capital to the company’s owner, fabricated records that purported to document legitimate capital transfers, and then planted those records in the company’s files. 

On both occasions, Kim wired the money to a bank account belonging to a Massachusetts real-estate investment company.  After the July 2014 transfer, the real estate company forwarded the funds to Kim’s personal bank account.  In the second fraudulent transfer, Kim arranged for the money to be wired to the real estate company, and then invested the funds on his behalf.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Pérez-Daple of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit.

ITT TECH SUED FOR DECEIVING STUDENTS ABOUT ITS COMPUTER NETWORK SYSTEMS PROGRAM AND SUCCESS IN FINDING JOBS

ITT TECH SUED FOR DECEIVING STUDENTS ABOUT ITS COMPUTER NETWORK SYSTEMS PROGRAM AND SUCCESS IN FINDING JOBSAG Healey Seeking Restitution for Students and Penalties against For-Profit School

            BOSTON – A for-profit school with locations in Norwood and Wilmington has been sued for engaging in unfair and harassing sales tactics and misleading students about the quality of its Computer Network Systems program, and the success of the program’s graduates in finding jobs, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

The complaint, filed Thursday against ITT Educational Services, Inc. in Norfolk Superior Court, alleges that from 2010 through at least May 2013, ITT aggressively enrolled students in the Computer Network Systems program based on misleading information.

            “These students were exploited and pressured to enroll with the promise of great careers and high salaries, but were instead left unable to repay their loans and support their families,” AG Healey said. “Our office has a history of going after predatory for-profit schools and will not stand for students in Massachusetts being treated simply as a source of income. We will continue to investigate and act against these deceptive practices and work hard to get the relief these students deserve.”

ITT’s two campuses in Massachusetts offer a variety of technology-related associate degree and bachelor degree programs. The Computer Network Systems program is the largest program at each campus, with enrollments exceeding 100 students per campus annually.

ITT’s admissions representatives allegedly told prospective students that anywhere from 80 percent to 100 percent of graduates obtained jobs in or related to their field of study. Real placement rates were actually 50 percent or less at each campus. ITT did not disclose that its placement rates included graduates with jobs outside their field of study and graduates with internships or short-term, unsustainable jobs who never received permanent, sustainable employment – including any job that somehow involved the use of a computer. ITT claimed that jobs simply selling computers at big box stores counted as placements, and even counted a graduate as placed who provided customer service for an airline checking travelers into their flights.

ITT’s recruitment strategy included soliciting prospective students in Massachusetts through advertisements, its website, direct phone calls and in-person communications. Former admissions representatives were allegedly expected to call up to 100 prospective students per day and were publicly shamed or fired if they failed to meet their quotas. Students were allegedly persuaded to visit a campus as soon as possible, where they were encouraged to apply, take an admissions exam, and complete a financial aid pre-appointment that same day. Admissions representatives pressured prospective students to enroll regardless of whether they were likely to succeed in the program.

ITT also advertised and promoted hands-on training and personalized attention through its program, but students said their experience involved the use of outdated technology, absent teachers, or being told to “Google” the answers to questions.

According to the complaint, federal loans accounted for most of the students’ debt, but ITT also extended short-term loans to students. When student borrowers were unable to repay, ITT steered them to expensive, private loans that they were unable to afford. The loans had high interest rates and high default rates.

The AG’s complaint seeks civil penalties, injunctive relief and restitution, including the return of tuition and fees to eligible students targeted by ITT’s unfair or deceptive acts or practices to enroll in the Computer Network Systems program.

The case against ITT is the most recent in a series of actions that AG Healey has taken against predatory for-profit schools. The AG’s Office is currently in litigation with for-profit schools Corinthian Colleges and American Career Institute for alleged unfair and deceptive practices. The AG’s Office reached settlements worth more than $6 million with four additional for-profit schools in Massachusetts – Kaplan Career Institute, Lincoln Tech, Sullivan & Cogliano and Salter College. In February, the AG’s Office sued an unlicensed for-profit nursing school operating in the Boston area for misrepresenting its training program and targeting students from the Haitian community in Massachusetts.

In November, AG Healey announced action against student debt relief companies and the launch of a Student Loan Assistance Unit to assist borrowers who are having trouble paying their student loans. Students looking for more information or assistance should visit the AG’s Student Lending Assistance page or call the Student Loan Assistance Unit Hotline at 1-888-830-6277.

            This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Lydia French, Division Chief Glenn Kaplan, Legal Analysts Diana Hooley, David Lim, John-Michael Partesotti, and Jenna Snow, and Division staff member Michael Beaulieu, all of the Attorney General’s Insurance and Financial Services Division, as well as Investigator Kristen Salera.