The SEC's Market Abuse Unit filed settled charges against a medical doctor, Artur Khachatryan, for conducting a manipulative "spoofing" trading scheme over a two-year period. According to the SEC's complaint, the scheme involved rapidly placing a series of orders for thinly traded stock that the trader did not intend to execute - known as "spoof orders," which moved the stock pricing up or down based on whether he was buying or selling. He would then execute bona fide orders on the opposite side of the market at prices that benefitted from the artificial price movement he had created with the spoof orders and cancel the non-bona fide spoof orders. Khachatryan allegedly opened multiple brokerage accounts and also used accounts in the names of friends and family members to conduct the scheme. He was not an investment adviser or fund manager and apparently engaged in the manipulative trading scheme for his own personal benefit. While initially trading during regular market hours, he later began trading after market hours, realizing that such trading was more profitable. Khachatryan provided false information to brokers regarding his trading activities and was reportedly warned by brokers regarding potential manipulative trading, and had brokerage accounts restricted and ultimately shut down by brokers for such activities. Khachatryan agreed to pay disgorgement plus prejudgment interest of nearly $400,000 plus a civil penalty of $112,165 and is prohibited from directly or indirectly opening, maintaining, or trading in any brokerage accounts in his own name, or the name of others for four years.