Court Enters Final Judgment Against Prima Capital Group
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that on September 29, 2015, a final judgment was entered against Efstratios “Elias” Argyropoulos of Santa Barbara, California, and his solely owned company, Prima Capital Group, Inc. In addition to the permanent injunction to which the defendants had previously consented, the Court granted the SEC’s motion for monetary relief, finding the defendants jointly and severally liable for disgorgement of $1,495,657, together with prejudgment interest of $84,239.59 totaling $1,579,896.59, and also ordering Argyropoulos to pay a civil penalty of $1,495,697.
On December 23, 2014, the SEC filed the action, claiming that the defendants illegally raised nearly $3.5 million from investors, supposedly to purchase Facebook and Twitter shares before the companies’ initial public offerings (IPOs). Instead of buying the shares in the secondary market as promised, the defendants misappropriated investor funds. They used the money primarily for day trading of stocks and options as well as to pay off certain investors who complained when they didn’t receive the promised Facebook or Twitter shares.
Argyropoulos and Prima Capital agreed to settle the SEC’s charges and to be barred from working for an investment adviser or broker-dealer when the action was filed, and further agreed that monetary relief would be determined at a later date.
Without admitting or denying the allegations in the SEC’s complaint, Argyropoulos and Prima consented to a judgment permanently enjoining them from violations of the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and the antifraud and broker-dealer registration provisions of Sections 10(b) and 15(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder.
For further information about this securities law blog post, please contact Brenda Hamilton, Securities Attorney at 101 Plaza Real S, Suite 202 N, Boca Raton, Florida, (561) 416-8956, by email at [email protected] or visit www.securitieslawyer101.com. This securities law blog post is provided as a general informational service to clients and friends of Hamilton & Associates Law Group and should not be construed as, and does not constitute legal advice on any specific matter, nor does this message create an attorney-client relationship. Please note that the prior results discussed herein do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Hamilton & Associates | Securities Lawyers
Brenda Hamilton, Securities Attorney
101 Plaza Real South, Suite 202 North
Boca Raton, Florida 33432
Telephone: (561) 416-8956
Facsimile: (561) 416-2855
