Hartford Lawyer Gets 3 Years in ‘Pump and Dump’ Scam

NEW HAVEN, CT – COREY BRINSON, 37, of Hartford, is trading his courtroom appearances for a federal prison cell. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer sentenced Brinson to 36 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release today, after Brinson pleaded guilty to facilitating a brazen stock “pump and dump” scheme that fleeced investors out of millions.

Between October 2010 and July 2016, Brinson, a licensed attorney, acted as the so-called “securities counsel” for a series of companies targeted by Christian Meissenn and his crew. The operation was simple: inflate stock prices with lies, let the schemers cash out, and leave everyday investors holding worthless shares. The result? Millions in losses for those who fell for the scam.

Court documents reveal Brinson, shockingly, had no prior experience in securities law. Despite this, he signed – or allowed others to sign on his behalf – false and misleading attorney opinion letters. These letters were designed to reassure securities transfer agents and potential investors that the companies were legitimate and compliant. In reality, Brinson hadn’t adequately reviewed any of the corporate records. He was a rubber stamp for a criminal enterprise.

The scheme didn’t stop at fraudulent paperwork. Millions of dollars in proceeds from the illegal stock transactions flowed into Brinson’s Interest on Lawyer Trust Account (IOLTA). Instead of using the funds to bolster the targeted companies, Meissenn directed Brinson to funnel the money to relatives, associates, and shell companies – effectively laundering the ill-gotten gains. Brinson knew at least $3 million passing through his account was dirty money.

For his complicity, Brinson pocketed approximately $200,000 – five percent of the funds passing through his IOLTA, plus payments for crafting the fraudulent opinion letters. Judge Meyer didn’t let him keep a dime. Brinson was ordered to pay restitution totaling $1,417,810. He surrendered his law license back in November 2016, a small price to pay for betraying the trust placed in him as an officer of the court.

Meissenn, the alleged mastermind, pleaded guilty in November 2016 to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and tax evasion and is currently awaiting sentencing. The FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigation Division, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, along with state and local law enforcement, conducted the ongoing investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Avi M. Perry and Peter S. Jongbloed are prosecuting the case. This is a stark reminder that even those sworn to uphold the law can be corrupted by greed.