04.01.2014 Views

Broker-Dealer Litigation - Greenberg Traurig LLP

Broker-Dealer Litigation - Greenberg Traurig LLP

Broker-Dealer Litigation - Greenberg Traurig LLP

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

assisted in the Firm’s creation of materially inaccurate trade tickets. The Commission suspended<br />

Respondents from association for six months.<br />

Q.1.e(ii)<br />

SEC v. Geiger, Litig. Release No. 21831, 2011 SEC LEXIS 349 (D. Colo. Jan. 31, 2011); In re<br />

Geiger, Release No. 63849, 2011 SEC LEXIS 752 (Feb. 7, 2011); In re Geiger, Release No.<br />

65265, 2011 SEC LEXIS 3096 (Sept. 6, 2011).<br />

The Commission accepted an offer of settlement from Geiger, a former registered<br />

representative of Sierra <strong>Broker</strong>age Services, Inc. (“Sierra”), a registered broker-dealer. In an<br />

earlier action brought by the Commission, a federal district court entered a final judgment by<br />

consent against Geiger, permanently enjoining him from future violations of the antifraud<br />

provisions of the federal securities laws and future aiding and abetting violations of Section<br />

15(c)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and ordering him to pay $261,110 in<br />

disgorgement, $221,466 in prejudgment interest and a $220,000 civil penalty. The Commission<br />

alleged that Geiger participated in a scheme to manipulate the share price of a security through<br />

artificial trading activity, and aided and abetted Sierra’s price leadership and domination of other<br />

market makers by leading the bid and raising the bid throughout the first day of trading even<br />

though it had no legitimate reason to do so. The Commission barred Geiger from association<br />

and from participating in an offering of penny stock.<br />

(iii)<br />

Securities Offering Violations<br />

Q.1.e.(iii)<br />

In re Fayette, Release No. 63698, 2011 SEC LEXIS 151 (Jan. 11, 2011).<br />

The Commission accepted an offer of settlement from Fayette, a former registered<br />

representative of a registered broker-dealer. In an earlier action brought by the Commission, a<br />

federal district court entered a final judgment by consent against Fayette, permanently enjoining<br />

him from future violations of Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933. The Commission’s<br />

complaint alleged that Fayette failed to make a reasonable inquiry under the circumstances to<br />

ensure his customers were not acting as underwriters, and facilitated a penny stock pump and<br />

dump scheme by liquidating millions of shares into the public market when no registration<br />

statement was in effect. The Commission barred Fayette from association.<br />

In re Nicholson, Release No. 64396, 2011 SEC LEXIS 1573 (May 4, 2011).<br />

Q.1.e(iii)<br />

The Commission accepted an offer of settlement from Nicholson, the president and<br />

owner of a registered broker-dealer and owner of a separate entity that acted as the general<br />

partner for various issuers of limited partnership interests. In a related civil action brought by the<br />

Commission in federal court, the court entered a judgment by consent against Nicholson,<br />

permanently enjoining him from violating the antifraud and registration provisions of the federal<br />

securities laws. The Commission’s complaint alleged that, in connection with the sale of limited<br />

423

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!