The CFTC obtained $260,000 in civil monetary penalties and equitable relief in separate federal judgment orders against Steven Leigh Shakespeare and his company, Guardian Futures, Inc., an Austin, Texas introducing broker, in a CFTC anti-fraud action.

The orders of permanent injunction, entered by Judge Sam Sparks of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, resolve a CFTC enforcement action filed in April, 2009, that charged Shakespeare and GFI with fraud and unauthorized trading of customer accounts.

The orders find that, beginning on or about November 20, 2007, and continuing to at least January 18, 2008, Shakespeare and GFI engaged in fraud and unauthorized trading with regard to commodity accounts introduced by the defendants. Specifically, the orders find that Shakespeare committed fraud and made misrepresentations and/or omissions of material fact and knowingly made unauthorized transactions in the accounts of Plains Grain Company, Inc. and Evans Grain Marketing LLC, held at futures commission merchant Alaron Trading Corp.