The week US documents stopped being proof, at both ends of the trust scale
One theme ran through the US docket from 26 to 31 October: how much trust can still sit in a document. Prosecutors won fraud cases on records the defendants themselves manufactured, while regulators moved to rescind recordkeeping rules and FINRA published disciplinary shells with the substance held one click away. This is the week's quietest pattern, and the one worth your coffee.
- Violetta Mailyan, 45, was sentenced on 29 October 2026 to 15 years for a $45m Medicare Botox fraud, with $32,904,049.41 restitution and over $16,029,742 forfeiture ordered.
- A Minnesota DOJ sweep charged, convicted or sentenced 13 defendants over nearly $83m in intended losses and alleged AI was used to fabricate patient notes.
- SEC Chairman Paul Atkins confirmed a proposal to rescind Rule 14a-8, the shareholder-proposal standard since 1942, alongside a climate-rule rescission and semi-annual reporting.
- The FDIC proposed rescinding part 370, folding large-bank deposit-insurance recordkeeping into section 360.9, with comments due 60 days after Federal Register publication.
- Two FINRA consent actions, against First Citizens Investor Services (CRD 44430) and broker Landon Beecham (CRD 8134707), were logged with the findings held only in attachments.