States Challenge Regulation A+ – Securities Offerings

Regulation A+

The recent amendments to Regulation A (often called Regulation A+) provide a manageable exemption for raising capital. The exemption can be used by both private and non-reporting trading companies such as OTC Pink listed issuers. Regulation A provides two tiers of securities offerings, with the filing obligations determined by the size of the offering.  For offerings up to $20 million, “Tier 1” allows companies to raise capital without audited financials. Tier 2 offerings allow an issuer to raise up to $50 million and audited financial statements must be provided. Read More

SEC Freezes Profits From Avon Stock Manipulation Scheme

Avon Trading Scheme

On June 4, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced an emergency asset freeze of two U.S. brokerage accounts connected to schemes to manipulate the securities of Avon and other stocks, thwarting any ability for fraudsters to cash in on ill-gotten proceeds. According to the SEC complaint, it tracked a filing made on its EDGAR system about a false Avon tender offer to a foreign entity using an IP address located in Sofia, Bulgaria.

According to the SEC charges, a Bulgarian trader named Nedko Nedev controlled at least one of the two now-frozen brokerage accounts, and his account held a substantial position in Avon contracts-for-difference (CFDs) that had lost value in recent months.  The SEC charges allege that Nedko Nedev generated approximately $5,000 in excess profits by selling almost half of the account’s Avon CFDs at inflated prices after the EDGAR filing led to a 20-percent increase in the value of Avon stock on May 14. Read More

What is a Reverse Stock Split? Securities Lawyer 101

Reverse Stock Split

Securities Lawyer 101 Blog

Reverse stock splits are often used by public companies to reduce the amount of securities outstanding.  A reverse stock split can also be used by private companies in corporate restructurings.  Typically in a reverse split, a company reduces the number of its outstanding shares in proportion to the ratio of the reverse stock split so that each stockholder the same percentage of the company’s outstanding shares immediately prior to and after the reverse split.  If approved and effected, the reverse stock split will be realized simultaneously and in the same ratio for all of the company’s common stock. The reverse stock split will affect all holders of the company’s common stock uniformly and will not affect any stockholder’s percentage ownership interest in the company.  Unfortunately, there is typically no limit on the amount of shares a company may issue after a reverse split which would dilute investors.  The reverse split reduces the shares outstanding thereby facilitating the issuer’s ability to issue more shares. Immediately upon a reverse split becoming effective, issuers often commence issuing new shares and diluting investors.  Shares of issuers enacting reverse splits rarely hold the stock price seen upon effectiveness of the split.

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BrokerCheck Announces PR Campaign

BrokerCheck - Securities Lawyer 101

On June 1, 2015, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced that it had launched a campaign promoting BrokerCheck (brokercheck.finra.org). BrokerCheck allows investors to access information about a broker’s employment history, certifications and licenses, as well as regulatory actions, violations or complaints made against them. BrokerCheck does not include information about all brokers registered with FINRA.  Additionally, some fraudster brokers have discovered they can avoid disclosure of negative information on BrokerCheck simply by changing their name. Read More

SEC Charges Four With Insider Trading Ahead of Secondary Offerings

SEC Charges

On June 3, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced insider trading charges against four individuals stealing confidential information from investment banks and their public company clients in order to trade in advance of secondary stock offerings.  The scheme allegedly involved at least 15 stocks and generated more than $4.4 million in illegal trading profits.

The SEC charges allege that a former day trader living in California, Steven Fishoff, schemed with two friends and his brother-in-law to pose as legitimate portfolio managers and induce investment bankers to bring them “over the wall” and share confidential information about an upcoming secondary offering.  After promising they wouldn’t disclose the nonpublic information to others or trade an issuer’s stock before an offering was announced, they violated the agreements and tipped each other about the upcoming offerings expected to inherently depress the price of the issuer’s stock.  Read More

Retired Teachers Scammed In Ponzi Scheme

Ponzi Scheme Attorneys

On June 1, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced it had brought charges in a Ponzi Scheme. According to the SEC Charges, the scheme was orchestrated by an investment adviser who took siphoned money from his investment fund and defrauded investors, including several local teachers and law enforcement officers.  The SEC complaint alleges that Phil Donnahue Williamson conducted a Ponzi scheme with money he raised for the Sterling Investment Fund, which purportedly invested in mortgages and properties in Florida and Georgia.  Read More

Boiler Rooms Booming In 2015

Boiler Rooms - Securities Lawyer 101

Over the past few weeks, we have had multiple requests from investors to review information they received after calls from boiler room sales persons. No doubt the increase in phone rooms has resulted from Rule 506(c) which allows generals solicitation of unregistered offerings if certain conditions are met, including that the issuer verify that all purchasers are “accredited investors”. Everyone who’s seen the movie “Boiler Room” is familiar with how these operations work; for once, the film makers had no need to exaggerate.  Real-life boiler rooms are run by unscrupulous con artists who hire cold callers to sell stocks and other securities to their naïve and unwary victims, using extremely high-pressure sales tactics.  Because of the large number of retirees in South Florida, its investors are prime targets for boiler room solicitations.

The classic boiler room is run by a broker-dealer that claims to be independent, specializing in stocks chosen by their “analysts,” who, they say, have conducted extensive due diligence on the issues.  In reality, the boiler room usually colludes with company management and/or insiders.  Often they own large blocks of stock obtained at very low prices; sometimes they paid nothing at all.  They will sell into their own promotion. Read More

Securities And Exchange Commission Announces Agenda

Securities and Exchange Commission Announcement

On May 28, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission released the agenda for its Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies meeting which is scheduled for June 3. The SEC’s meeting will focus on public company disclosure effectiveness, intrastate crowdfunding, venture exchanges, and the treatment of “finders.” The SEC Advisory Committee also is expected to vote on a recommendation to the SEC with respect to the “Section 4(a)(1½) exemption,” which would allow shareholders to resell securities sold in private placements. The SEC meeting will be held at the SEC’s headquarters, and is open to the general public.

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 and compliance 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
www.SecuritiesLawyer101.com

Receiver Appointed in North Dakota Developments Ponzi Scheme

North Dakota Developments Is a Ponzi Scheme

We’ve so far written twice about North Dakota Developments (“NDD”), a real estate Ponzi scheme operated by Daniel J. Hogan and Robert L. Gavin.  In the course of the scam, Gavin and Hogan, who are United Kingdom citizens, relieved investors of more than $62 million.  The pair persuaded their victims, many of them elderly and vulnerable, to purchase interests in “units” at what are called “man camps”–workers’ housing—in properties to be built in the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota and Montana.

The interests purchased were not actual real estate, but securities.  The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) therefore had jurisdiction of them and of NDD and its managers Gavin and Hogan.  On May 5, 2015, it acted, obtaining a temporary restraining order against the company and the perpetrators.  Judge Daniel Hovland also ordered an asset freeze of the defendants’ bank accounts and those of other companies they controlled.  Read More

Douglas Parigian Pleads Guilty in Amateur Golfers Scheme

Douglas Parigian Pleads Guilty in Amature Golf Scheme

On May 13, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC”) announced that Douglas Parigian pled guilty to criminal charges of conspiracy and securities fraud for his role in an insider trading ring involving trading in the stock of American Superconductor Corporation. The criminal charges against Parigian arose out of the same fraudulent conduct alleged in an SEC action for securities fraud filed against Parigian and others in July 2014.

On July 9, 2014, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts indicted Parigian and another defendant, Eric McPhail, for conspiracy and securities fraud and, for Parigian only, lying to FBI agents. The U.S. Attorney charged that McPhail had a history, pattern and practice of sharing confidences with a senior executive at American Superconductor. Between 2009 and 2011, the senior executive provided McPhail with material, nonpublic information concerning the company’s quarterly earnings and other business activities (the “Inside Information”) with the understanding that it would be kept confidential. Read More

EDGAR Prepares For Regulation A+ – Going Public Attorneys

Regulation A+ - Going Public Attorneys

The SEC’s EDGAR system is being updated to prepare for Regulation A+. On April 23, 2015, the SEC adopted changes to Volume I and Volume II of the EDGAR Filer Manual. Revisions include:

  • The revisions to the SEC’s EDGAR filer manual reflect recent amendments to Regulation A to accept Regulation A forms including DOS, DOSLTR, 1-A, 1-A/A, 1-A POS, 1-A-W, 1-A-W/A, 253G1, 253G2, 253G3, 253G4, 1-K, 1-K/A, 1-SA, 1-U, 1-U/A, 1-Z, 1-Z/A, 1-Z-W and 1-Z-W/A.
  • Additionally, an issuer filing on EDGAR for the first time in a going public transaction can select a “Regulation A” offering option on their Form ID to reflect it is submitting the Form ID application for EDGAR access to file Regulation A draft offering statements. Forms submitted pursuant to Regulation A can be accessed at a “File Regulation A Forms” tab.
  • Issuers filing draft offering statements under Regulation A+  must prepare and submit their draft offering statements using EDGAR form types DOS and DOS/A, and must use the submission type Draft Offering Statement Letter (DOSLTR) to submit correspondence related to their draft offering statements.
  • Issuers which file confidential draft Regulation A offering statements can publicly file previously submitted drafts by selecting the “Disseminate Draft Offering Statement”  tab on the “File Regulation A Forms” page of the EDGAR website.

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SEC Says North Dakota Developments Is A Ponzi Scheme

North Dakota Developmets Ponzi Scheme


On May 5, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) obtained a temporary restraining order against North Dakota Developments, LLC (“NDD”), Robert L. Gavin and Daniel J. Hogan in connection with an elaborate real estate development Ponzi scheme that defrauded vulnerable investors of millions of dollars.  In addition, Judge Daniel Hovland ordered a freeze order of the assets held by the defendants and a number of other companies controlled by them.

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Morgan Stanley Fined $2 Million for Short Sale & Short Interest Reporting

Short Sale

On May 3, 2015, The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced it has fined Morgan Stanley & Co. $2 million for short sale and short interest reporting and rule violations that spanned a period of more than six years, and for failing to implement a supervisory system reasonably designed to detect and prevent such violations.

Thomas Gira, Executive Vice President, FINRA Market Regulation, said, “Short interest reporting continues to provide investors with important transparency into the level of short selling in a particular issue. Accordingly, it is imperative that this information be timely and accurately reported. Similarly, a fundamental requirement for compliance with the short sale rule is that firms properly track their short positions.” Read More

SEC Halts Advance Fee Scam Targeting Home Building Industry

Advance Fee Scam

On May 15, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced charges and an emergency asset freeze in an alleged advance fee scam involving bogus prime bank instruments. The SEC complaint was filed on  May 11, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.  Advance fee scams solicit investors to make upfront payments before purported deals can go through, and perpetrators fool investors with official-sounding terminology to add an air of legitimacy to the investment programs.

According to the SEC’s complaint, which the Court unsealed yesterday at the SEC’s request, Thomas G. Ellis and Yasuo Oda, through their company, North Star Finance LLC, and Michael K. Martin and Sharon L. Salinas, through their companies, Capital Source Lending LLC and Capital Source Funding LLC, have collected approximately $5 million from defrauded investors since at least January 2013. Read More

Steven Palladino Pleads Guilty to Criminal Contempt for Violating SEC Orders

SEC Charges Steven Palladino
On May 14, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that, Steven Palladino pled guilty to 25 counts of criminal contempt charged by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts based on his repeated violations of court orders obtained by the Commission in its civil action filed in 2013 against Palladino and his Massachusetts-based company, Viking Financial Group, Inc. (collectively, “Defendants”). The SEC action charged that Defendants were operating a fraudulent Ponzi scheme. The court in the SEC action entered orders with certain preliminary relief beginning in April 2013, including an asset freeze against Defendants. The U.S. Attorney alleged in April 2014 that Palladino knowingly and willfully disobeyed court orders in the Commission’s action that froze all of Defendants’ assets and required that Defendants deposit all funds in their possession into a court-ordered escrow account. Based on his guilty plea to these contempt charges, Palladino, who is currently serving a prison sentence based on convictions in state court for the same conduct alleged in the SEC charges in its case, could face additional incarceration. Read More

Three SEC Stop Orders, One Mystery? Going Public Attorneys

SEC Stop Orders - Going Public Attorneys

On May 11, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) instituted administrative proceedings against two penny stock companies, Visual Acumen, Inc., and First Xeris Corp. (FXER).  The purpose of the actions was to establish grounds for imposing stop orders that would suspend registration of the companies’ stock.

First Xeris had filed a Form S-1 registration statement on April 22, 2013 to register an offering of 3 million common shares for a total of $39,000.  The registration statement was amended several times, and finally deemed effective on January 8, 2014.  Visual Acumen filed its own Form S-1 registration statement on February 5, 2014 to register an offering of 3 million common shares for a total of $33,000.  The registration statement was amended once, and became effective on May 9, 2014.  Read More

What is a Sponsoring Market Maker? Going Public Attorneys

Sponsoring Market Maker-Going Public Attorneys

 

The last step in a going public transaction is for the company to receive a stock trading or ticker symbol from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).  For a company to obtain its ticker symbol, a sponsoring market maker (“Sponsoring Market Maker”) must sponsor the company’s application and submit a Form 211 to FINRA on the issuer’s behalf.  Sponsoring Markets Makers have become one of the most important participants in the going public process when direct public offerings are used because they are the only ones who can apply for a ticker symbol. Read More

FINRA Halts Trading in Riviera Tool Company

Riviera Tool Trading Halted

Moving with unusual speed, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) halted trading in Riviera Tool Company (RIVT) after the closing bell on May 7, 2015.  The action was a U3 Extraordinary Event halt.  In a U3, “trading is halted because FINRA has determined that an extraordinary event has occurred or is ongoing that has had a material effect on the market for the OTC Equity Security or the security underlying an OTC ADR or has caused or has the potential to cause major disruption to the marketplace or significant uncertainty in the settlement and clearance process.”  The halt may remain in place for up to 10 days, and can be extended beyond that should FINRA find reason to do so.
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Securities Lawyers Gone Wild – John Briner Criminally Charged

John Briner Charged - Going Public Attorney

The walls are closing in on former securities attorney John Briner.  In the past two months, he’s been criminally charged in the Provincial Court of British Columbia, sued by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), and disciplined by the Law Society of British Columbia.  Briner’s new problems follow on a series of enforcement actions brought against him by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in the United States.

John Briner’s troubles began in March 2006, when OTC Markets Group (then the Pink Sheets) added him to its Prohibited Attorney List.  The ban appears to have had to do with Briner’s role in a penny stock scam involving a company called Golden Apple Oil and Gas, Inc.  In September 2009, the SEC charged Golden Apple; Briner; Jay Budd, the company’s president; and Ethos Investments, Inc., a company controlled by Budd, with a number of securities violations.  Much earlier, in April 2006, the agency had issued a trading suspension of Golden Apple’s stock. Read More

Rule 144 Legal Opinions Q & A – Going Public Securities Lawyers

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The Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) requires the sale of a security to be registered under the Securities Act, unless the security or transaction qualifies for an exemption from registration. Rule 144 of the Securities Act provides a safe harbor that permits holders of “restricted securities” to resell their securities in the public market if specific conditions are met.

This Securities Lawyer 101 Series discusses the most common questions we receive about Rule 144’s Safe Harbor.

Q. What is Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”)? 

A. Section 5 of the Securities Act requires that all offers and sales of securities be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or exempt from the registration requirements.

Q. What is the “safe harbor” provided by Rule 144? 

A. Rule 144 provides a safe harbor from the registration requirements of Section 5 of the Securities Act to certain holders of securities, if certain requirements are met.  The requirements of Rule 144 vary depending upon whether the holder of the shares is an affiliate or non-affiliate of the issuer. Read More

Private Placement Memorandums Q & A – Going Public Lawyers

Private Placement Memorandum - Going Public Attorney

A Private Placement Memorandum (“PPM”) is also referred to as a confidential offering circular or memorandum.  PPM’s are used by private companies in going public transactions and by existing public companies to raise capital by selling either debt or equity in an exempt offering.  Most exempt offerings are private placements.

Q. What Disclosures Are Required in Private Placement Memorandums?

A. PPM disclosures vary depending on a couple of factors, including whether the investor is accredited or non-accredited and whether the Company is subject to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) reporting requirements, and a few other factors. Read More

What is in a Regulation A 1-A Offering Circular?

On March 25, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) adopted amendments to Regulation A pursuant to the mandate of Section 401(a) of the JOBS Act. These amendments included revamping Form 1-A for Regulation A offerings.

Regulation A+ Disclosure Attorneys

Amended A+ was adopted to facilitate capital-raising by smaller companies. Regulation A+ expands existing Regulation A.  Regulation A+ offerings can be used in combination with direct public offerings and initial public offerings as part of a going public transaction.  The exemption simplifies the process of obtaining the seed stockholders required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) while allowing the issuer to raise initial capital. Regulation A also provides issuers with the opportunity to test the waters using social media or their preliminary offering circular prior to qualification of their offering.

Form 1-A Offering Statements

Issuers using Regulation A+ to conduct their offerings must file and qualify an offering statement with the SEC. The offering statement is intended to be a disclosure document that is similar to Form S-1 with scaled down disclosures.  A notice of “qualification” is similar to a notice of effectiveness for a Form S-1 registration Statement. Read More

Massachusetts Adopts Emergency Crowdfunding Exemption

Emergency Crowdfunding Exemption

The Massachusetts Division of Securities has adopted an emergency intrastate crowdfunding exemption. The new exemption was developed to stimulate job growth for small Massachusetts companies by removing restrictions and allowing greater access to capital with fewer restrictions.

The Massachusetts Emergency Crowdfunding Exemption

The new exemption is available to entities formed and operating in Massachusetts, and allows the issuers to: Read More

FINRA Proposes New Rules For Algorithmic Trading Strategies

Algorithmic Trading - Securities Lawyer

FINRA is proposing new rules that will impact algorithic trading strategies. If an individual performs a trade on another person’s behalf, that associated person is required to register with FINRA as an equity trader. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) believes that certain associated persons who are involved in creating automated systems should also be registered. FINRA recently issued Regulatory Notice 15-06 requesting comments on a new proposal that would require associated persons involved in the design, development or modification of algorithmic trading strategies to register with FINRA. This, says FINRA, will help ensure that trading programs comply with applicable securities laws.

The proposals are designed to increase the scope of trading information FINRA receives, provide market participants and investors with more transparency into trading activities, and require employees at firms engaged in electronic trading to be trained, educated, and accountable for their role in algorithmic trading strategies. Read More

Cashflowbot.com Operator Charged In Ponzi Scheme

Cashflowbot Operated Charged

On April 14, 2015, the operator of a website at Cashflowbot.com was charged in a ponzi scheme. According to the SEC charges, the perpetrator of the ponzi scheme raised money from more than 3,000 investors between January 2012 and April 2014. According to the SEC’s complaint, James A. Evans, Jr.,operated a website at “Cashflowbot.com,” and operated under the business name “DollarMonster”. According to the SEC action, Evans falsely promoted DollarMonster as a “private fund” with an “opaque investment strategy” where investors could make “big profits.”

According to the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, Evans was running a ponzi scheme. Among other things, Evans misrepresented to investors that DollarMonster: (a) paid out investment returns that exceeded the amount of money investors had contributed to the fund; (b) was a “financial advisor” with more than 120 management teams and $38 million in assets under management; (c) managed a hedge fund that purchased stocks on behalf of investors in the fund; (d) was a “Private Holding Company” that invested in assets such as gold, silver, real estate, stocks and bonds, and (e) had used investor funds to profitably invest in stocks with a market value of $3.2 million. Read More

SEC Issues Trading Suspensions of 25 Issuers

Trading Suspensions for 25 Issuers

On April 10, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced the temporary suspension of trading in the securities of the following issuers, commencing at 9:30 a.m. EDT on April 10, 2015, and terminating at 11:59 p.m. EDT on April 23, 2015: Read More

OTC Markets OTC Pink Sheets Q & A – Going Public Lawyers

OTC PInk Sheet Attorneys - OTC Markets Lawyers

Posted By Brenda Hamilton, Securities Lawyer

In May of 2014, the OTC Markets Group approved new listing requirements for companies seeking quotation of their securities on the OTCQB® Venture Stage Marketplace.  To be quoted on the OTCQB® issuers must have an initial and ongoing $0.01 per share minimum bid price, submit an initial OTCQB application, pay annual fees, and submit annual certifications to the OTC Markets.  Companies that do not meet all of these requirements are demoted to the OTC Markets Pink® Marketplace.  While the number of issuers listing on the OTCQB will decrease, there will be an increase in the number of issuers quoted with the OTC Pink listing tier. Read More

What State Laws Apply To Regulation A+ Offerings?

State Laws and Regulation A+ Offerings

On March 25, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) adopted amendments to Regulation A pursuant to the mandate of Section 401(a) of the JOBS Act. Amended Regulation A known as “Regulation A+”, expands and modernizes former Regulation A, creating a manageable capital raising solution for small businesses. Prior to the amendments, Regulation A, offerings by an issuer could not exceed $5 million in any 12-month period. Unlike shares offered and/or sold in offerings exempt under Rule 506 of Regulation D, securities issued in Regulation A offerings were not “covered securities” under the National Securities Markets Improvement Act (“NSMIA”).   Read More

Big Apple Consulting, Mark Jablon and Mark Kaley Lose Appeal

Big Apple Consulting - Going Public

On April 9, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upheld a lower court’s ruling in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Big Apple Consulting USA Inc., MJMM Investments, LLC, Marc Jablon and Mark Kaley, case number 13-11976.

The appellate panel affirmed the district court’s ruling in its entirety.

In 2009, the SEC filed suit against Big Apple, MJMM, a Big Apple subsidiary, Marc Jablon, Mark Kaley, Keith Jablon, and Matthew Maguire, alleging fraud, registration violations, and, with respect to Big Apple and MJMM, acting as unregistered broker-dealers.  The agency further charged Marc Jablon, Maguire, and Kaley, an attorney, with aiding and abetting the two entities’ violations.  Read More

Jonathan Bryant Ordered to Pay Over $3 Million For 8000 Inc Scam

8000 Inc. Scam

The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) announced that on April 7, 2015, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered a final judgment against Jonathan E. Bryant which ordered him to pay $3,168,184.70 in connection with his role as the Chief Executive Officer of 8000, Inc., a defunct former penny stock issuer. The SEC Action alleges that, in 2009 and 2010, Bryant directed a scheme to inflate 8000, Inc.’s stock price while secretly controlling a majority of the company’s shares and directing its operations.

In addition to Bryant, the SEC action also charged 8000, Inc’s former Chief Executive Officer, Thomas Kelly, and its securities attorney, Carl N. Duncan. The SEC action alleged that Jonathan Bryant, Carl Duncan and Thomas  Kelly took part in a scheme to manipulate the trading volume and price of 8000 Inc.’s common stock by disseminating false information about the company and simultaneously selling or facilitating the sale of its securities which were not supposed to be for sale to the general public. Read More