“I have ZERO idea what this all means!” – alleged FX fraudster reacts to certificate of default

A certificate of default recently issued by the Clerk of Court of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Brett G. Hartshorn, accused of having fraudulently solicited at least $906,000 for purposes of Forex trading, has sparked a rather stark reaction from the defendant.

On Wednesday, November 14, 2018, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed a status report with the Court, making clear its intention to seek default judgment against Hartshorn, after securing the Clerk’s certificate of default in this case. The regulator turned to Hartshorn to ask whether he has anything to say about the status update.

Hartshorn replied with an email:

“I have ZERO idea what this all means!!!! I am not an attorney nor do I have the means to employ an attorney on my behalf…

Are you saying that I am admitting guilt to the matter against me???

I, am in NO WAY am admitting to that!!!

That is in NO WAY correct or true regardless of the gigantic amount of man hours and money that has been wasted in this “pure vendetta” against me, by my one time BEST friends, who had money lost from them in the most speculative investment this side a Macau, (which, regardless of what you all have led them to say otherwise, they are all highly educated adults who knew the risks…I mean come on, really…” I didn’t know there was any risk, Mr. Painter”…REALLY !!!!

I have been checking in with the Pro Se’ office every 3-4 weeks and have not been informed about ANY “default” and have not received anything about this except for your email this past Friday and your email from 20 minutes ago.

I, in NO WAY, “default” or admit guilt to anything, PERIOD!!!!!!! That is what I would like to ad the my end of this, as you asked.”

This is not the first time that Hartshorn sends such highly emotional emails to the CFTC and the Court. In April, for instance, he wrote that “ I am sure the team at the CTFC are very joyful every time I send a response because it is SO out of order and makes me look like such a fool”. Back then, he also complained of physical illnesses due to stress, resulting in his inability to wear clothes with short sleeves.

Let’s recall that the CFTC has found that from at least June 18, 2008 to in or around 2014 Hartshorn fraudulently solicited at least 13 individuals including members of his church and individuals he met in his local community, to invest in off-exchange foreign currency on a leveraged, margined, or financed basis and to give Hartshorn discretionary authority to trade forex on their behalf. Hartshorn solicited and/or managed at least $906,000 in client funds.

The case is captioned U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission v. Hartshorn (1:16-cv-09802).