After 20 years in the hedge fund and private equity industry, Mark was sent to federal prison for securities fraud. Lost Generation writer F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “There are no second acts in American lives.” But while this may be a story of fraud and theft, it’s also a story of redemption—a story of second chances. In episode 25. A Study in Securities Fraud, I speak with Mark Varacchi.
Mark Varacchi has over 20 years of experience in the hedge fund and private equity industry. In 2017, he was charged with securities fraud. Mark took full responsibility and worked with the government to make restitution.
After 15 months in federal prison, he reevaluated his priorities. He has since founded the Federal Prison Consultancy, which prepares clients and their families for incarceration. He has a Bachelor of Science in finance and now speaks to compliance and financial professionals about fraud, compliance, and ethics.
NOTES: Transcripts of this episode are available here. All links are available at astudyincrime.com. Take a listener survey to help shape future episodes!
If you have any information about securities law violations, such as fraud, insider trading, and Ponzi schemes, you may submit a tip to the SEC’s whistleblower office at (202) 551-4790. Your identity and the information you share can remain confidential.
You can find Mark here http://www.markvaracchi.com, and here https://www.markvaracchi.com/public-speaking and at the Federal Prison Consultancy http://www.federalprisonconsultancy.com.
Sources for this episode include the following:
- Mark Varacchi’s LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-varacchi/
- SEC Litigation Release https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-23742
- Investment News, May 2, 2017 https://www.investmentnews.com/industry-news/news/court-enters-judgment-against-connecticut-adviser-for-ponzi-scheme-71248
- CaseText https://casetext.com/case/united-states-v-varacchi-1
- SEC order https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/admin/2017/ia-4688.pdf
- The Federal Prison Consultancy http://federalprisonconsultancy.com/about-us/
THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SUBJECT MATTER THAT MAY BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR SOME AUDIENCES
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A Study in Crime™ is written and produced by Scott Fulmer, author of the true-crime memoir Confessions of a Private Eye. A veteran private investigator, Scott has spent the last 30 years conducting investigations throughout the U.S. He’s a decorated combat veteran of the Gulf War and lives in the Texas Hill Country near San Antonio.