James O Ward, Jr.

U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 26444 / December 16, 2025 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Ward, et al., No. 24-000327 (S.D. Ala. filed Sept. 10, 2024) Court Enters Final Judgment as to Alabama Private Fund Manager in Alleged Offering Fraud On October 28, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission obtained a final judgment imposing a civil penalty in its civil enforcement action against James O. Ward, Jr. The SEC’s complaint , filed on September 10, 2024 in federal district court in Mobile, Alabama, alleged that Ward made several false claims in selling securities issued by Apex Financial Institute Pvt. Ltd., a private investment fund managed by Ward and his partners, that raised at least $852,000 from approximately 70 investors. As alleged, Ward falsely told investors that Apex Financial: (i) was regulated by the SEC; (ii) had $25 million in assets under management; (iii) had successfully conducted a 12-month beta test of its trading strategies; (iv) employed trading strategies that offered investors the opportunity to experience substantial gains without any risk of loss; and (v) had several international offices. Without admitting or denying the allegations in the SEC’s complaint, Ward previously consented to an order, entered by the Court on May 19, 2025, that permanently enjoined him from (a) violating Section 17(a)(1) and (3) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder; (b) trading securities, except for securities listed on a national securities exchange in his own personal accounts; and (c) serving as an officer or director of a public company. Additionally, Ward consented to pay a civil penalty in an amount to be determined by the Court upon motion by the Commission. Following the Commission’s motion for remedies, the Court ordered Ward to pay a civil penalty of $85,000. The Commission’s litigation was handled by M. Graham Loomis and Pat Huddleston of the SEC’s Atlanta Regional Office. Return to top SEC homepage About the SEC Budget & Performance Careers Commission Votes Contact Contracts Transparency Accessibility & Disability Artificial Intelligence FOIA Inspector General No FEAR Act Data Ombuds SEC Excess Personal Property Guidance Websites Investor.gov Related Sites USA.gov Site Information Plain Writing Privacy & Security Site Map Stay connected. Sign up for email updates. Your email address Sign Up X Facebook Instagram RSS YouTube Email Updates