Three Arrested in Telemarketing Scheme

Two Orange County firms and three area employees have been snared in a three-state crackdown aimed at shutting down an allegedly fraudulent investing scheme. Nine individuals, including two from Orange County and one from Los Angeles, were arrested after their firm, Cleveland-based Options Trading Inc., was indicted by an Idaho grand jury for allegedly defrauding investors. Authorities searched the Newport Beach offices of an Options affiliate, Currency Trading International Inc., a security brokerage house. They arrested the company’s vice president, Craig Cunningham, 41, of Irvine, and Jeffrey A. Moore, 32, of Costa Mesa, who was listed as president of Options Trading. Authorities said another Newport Beach firm, Ronald Allan Ltd., also participated in the illegal telemarketing operation. Executives for the companies could not be reached for comment. Seven other employees, including Christian Weber of Los Angeles, were arrested at Options Trading offices in Austin, Texas, and Akron, Ohio, according to authorities.