Corey Brinson, Securities Fraud, Connecticut 2016

HARTFORD, Conn. – In a shocking turn of events, Corey Brinson, a 37-year-old licensed attorney from Hartford, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for his involvement in a securities fraud scheme that left investors with millions of dollars in losses.

According to the investigation, between October 2010 and July 2016, Brinson served as the nominal ‘securities counsel’ for several companies whose securities were marketed and sold to the investing public by Christian Meissenn and Meissenn’s business associates. Meissenn and his associates induced investors to purchase securities by making false and misleading representations about the securities and the issuing companies, thereby causing the price of those securities to become falsely inflated.

After selling their own shares at a profit, the scheme’s participants allowed the price of the securities to fall, leaving investors with worthless and unsalable stock. As a result, victim investors lost millions of dollars.

As part of the scheme, Brinson, who did not have any experience with securities and securities markets, signed, or permitted others to affix his signature to, false and misleading attorney opinion letters that were designed to provide assurances to securities transfer agents and prospective investors.

BRINSON also received deposits of millions of dollars in proceeds of securities transactions into his Interest on Lawyer Trust Account (‘IOLTA’). Rather than use the proceeds to purchase securities and fund operations at the underlying companies, Meissenn and others directed Brinson to distribute nearly all the money to relatives, associates and shell companies associated with Meissenn and his associates.

BRINSON knew that approximately $3 million that passed through his IOLTA were the proceeds of this illegal securities scheme. In exchange for providing his services, Brinson received approximately five percent of the proceeds that passed through his IOLTA.

On January 20, 2017, Brinson pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity. Brinson surrendered his law license in November 2016.

BRINSON was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,417,810.

Meissenn, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and one count of tax evasion, awaits sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Connecticut Department of Banking and the Hartford and Stamford Police Departments.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Avi M. Perry and Peter S. Jongbloed.

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