Bridgewater Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Investors

BOSTON – A Bridgewater man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston for defrauding investors out of more than half a million dollars.

Jose Rocha, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud before U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin, who scheduled sentencing for Dec. 1, 2023. Rocha was charged in August 2023. 

Between 2020 and 2022, Rocha solicited investments from individuals in Massachusetts, falsely portraying himself as a successful investor in securities and promising that he would invest their money in stocks and stock options in exchange for a share of the returns. In total, Rocha obtained over $1 million from his victims, the majority of which he used to pay purported investment returns to other investors or for himself, including to pay for vacations and gambling at casinos. 

The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil complaint against Rocha in August 2023 alleging violations of the securities laws.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division made the announcement. The Securities and Exchange Commission provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.