A federal jury in Omaha has cleared a Blair commodities trading adviser of wrongdoing at a civil trial where he was accused of a nearly $800,000 fraud.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission had sought restitution against Centurion Capital Management Inc. and Terry Svejda, its president and sole director.
In a civil complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Omaha in 2021, the independent federal regulatory agency alleged that starting in 2012 Svejda fraudulently solicited and received at least $790,000 from at least 27 people to invest in a commodity pool, Decadian LLC.
Svejda, who wasn’t a registered commodity pool operator, transferred the funds into personal bank accounts and business accounts for other entities he controlled and into a personal futures trading account in his name in order to trade futures.
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Only $5,400 ever was returned to participants, many of whom were farmers.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission alleged that, to get the money, Svejda had made false representations and misappropriated about 80% of pool participant funds in violation of the Commodity Exchange Act.
But at the end of a trial that started last week, jurors found Svejda and Centurion had not misrepresented or omitted material facts or acted knowingly or with a reckless disregard for the truth in connection with a commodity futures contract. He also had not misappropriated funds, the jury said.
Thousands gather to view eclipse; man shot by security guard; NU hoops lands transfer.
Top Journal Star photos for April 2024
A partial solar eclipse is seen over Lincoln, Monday at Hyde Observatory.
Eighth-graders (from left) Treyvious Buettner, Ethan Poulsen, Eli Norval and Yousif Kadhim look up at the solar eclipse on Monday at Mickle Middle School.
Nebraska head coach Will Bolt waits in the duggout before the game against Ohio State at Haymarket Park on Saturday, April 6, 2024.
Nebraska’s Rhett Stokes (left) outs Ohio State’s Henry Kaczmar on Friday, April 5, 2024, at Haymarket Park.
Trey Coley Lusk as Barbie Esther (center) and the rest of the cast rehearse a musical performance for the Barbie Megillah Purim Spiel on Thursday, April 4, 2024, at South Street Temple. Purim takes place annually on the 14th day of the Hebrew month Adar. This year, Purim was observed on March 23 and 24. The holiday surrounds Queen Esther, a Hebrew woman who saved the Jewish people from a royal official named Haman. Every year, Jewish communities around the world read the Megillah of Esther, a scroll detailing the story of Esther’s heroics. South Street Temple will be presenting Barbie Megillah directed by Zoë Watch and written by Jaime Marx. The performance will combine the story of Esther with themes from the 2023 hit film Barbie.
Trey Lamkins, a horticulture major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, rubs his head after seeing his new look for the first time during the Shave for the Brave event at the Willa Cather Dining Complex on City Campus on Thursday. Twelve UNL students shaved their heads to raise funds to help find cures for children with cancer. Lamkins’ mother passed away last August. “Though she’s no longer with us, her spirit fuels my determination to make a difference in the lives of those still fighting,” he wrote. Around $6,000 was raised ahead of the event at UNL, which has put on the event for the last seven years. The donations will go to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, but the hair will be donated to the Matter of Trust, which uses the donated hair to clean up oil spills and make goods such as burlap sacks and stockings.
Newman Grove FFA members Kailey Patzel (back left), Allyx Forre (front left), Aubree Whitaker (back right) and Cora Patzel and Hayes Center FFA member Addison Richards (front right) work together to pack Mercy Meals on Thursday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Thousands of high school FFA members, advisors and guests are in Lincoln this week for the 96th annual state convention. The meals FFA members prepared on Thursday, which include rice, dehydrated vegetables, soy and a flavored vitamin and mineral powder, will be delivered to children in need.
Kaleb Garr takes a bite out of his breakfast Runza on Wednesday. The Runzas weren’t being sold. Instead, customers were asked to give a donation that would go toward Runza’s Feed the Need charity event.
Lincoln Fire and Rescue personnel remove a person following a standoff at the Casey’s near the airport on Tuesday.
Lincoln Southwest’s theater director Austyn McKee sits for a portrait on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at Lincoln Southwest.
Nebraska’s Bella Bacon (right) scores at home plate next to Kansas’ Lyric Moore on Tuesday at Bowlin Stadium.
Lincoln North Star’s Jameson Lantz is tagged out by Lincoln Southwest’s Landon Sandy at home plate Tuesday at Den Hartog Field.
Engine seven crew members Eric Morgan (left) and Kirsten Bell practice advancing with a fire hose at Den Hartog Field on Tuesday.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy answers questions at Bryan Medical Center East Campus on Tuesday.
Weightlifting students jog around the weight room on Tuesday at Waverly High School. The current weight room is located on top of the locker rooms in a space that was originally designed as a wrestling practice area. “In order for the program to grow, we need more space,” said Anthony Harms, the strength and conditioning coach at Waverly High School.
Nebraska women’s golfer Mackenzie Bream gets in some chipping during a team practice on a rainy Monday at Jim Ager Golf Course. Lincoln officially received only .01 inches of rain on a dreary Monday, when the temperature hovered in the upper 40s for most of the day under cloudy skies. The clouds will move out, bringing sunny skies starting Tuesday, although the temperature is forecast to remain below normal, with highs in the 50s through Wednesday, before a warmup that should lead to highs in the 70s by the weekend.
