Perception
Transcription
Perception
11/10/2011 Hustlers, Rustlers and the 49th Parallel Border, Barrier or Beach Front Property For Securities Fraud November 17, 2011 Louis L. Straney securitiesfraudresearch.org Professional Profile (Indicate All That Apply) a) b) c) d) e) f) g) Law enforcement (US criminal) US accounting/audit Forensic accounting/investigative Legal counsel/judicial system US regulatory/enforcement Canadian regulatory/enforcement Currently or in past held any securities license Geographic Profile a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h) Canada US Eastern/Central US Mountain/Pacific US Alaska/Hawaii Europe Asia/Australia/Pacific Rim Mexico, Central or South America Africa/Middle East 1 11/10/2011 Professional Experience a) Never worked on a multi-national securities fraud case b) Limited exposure to 1 or more multi-national securities fraud cases c) Extensive experience with 1 or more multi-national securities fraud cases d) Personal knowledge of victims of investment misconduct or fraud Focus • • • • • • • • Explore theory of Shared Interests Multi-national cases overview Bre-X, the Olympics of securities fraud US and Canadian protocols “Edgarizing” Sulja Brothers case study CMKM Diamonds case study Resources and further consideration All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 The World’s Longest De-Militarized Border SECURITIES FRAUD CROSSING 2 11/10/2011 Foot – Ferry – Flight Font - Four Wheels • • • • • • • • Athletes, Artists, Actors Tim Hortons and Tea Cigarettes and Chevrolets Firearms and Fords Pills and Politics Hockey and Home Depot Syrup and Sony Fraud and Fraudsters All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 Perception Perception + Reality 3 11/10/2011 Results Perception Perception + Reality 4 11/10/2011 Results All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 5 11/10/2011 All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 No Respect For The 49th Parallel • • • • • • • • • • Arbour Energy Brost and Sorenson Gold Quest Broad Capital Associates Hollinger Int’l/Conrad Black Beverlee Kamerling Weizhen Tang KINGZ Capital Management $300mm fraud Urban Cassavant $60mm fraud Bre-X All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 Case Experience or Knowledge a) -0- of those cited b) 1 - 5 of those cited c) 6+ of those cited 6 11/10/2011 Bre-X • • • • • • • OTC listed in Canada and US NASDAQ Canadian based Indonesian fraud Fraud against Canadians and Americans Class Action suits in Canada and US Corporate officers “relocated” to Caribbean Olympics of securities fraud All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 Bre-X Globetrotting All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 Securities Regulation • National securities laws (1933, 1934, 1940, 2002) • Harmonized securities laws (1924, 1930, 1955) • Autonomy on state level via Blue Sky laws • Provincial and territorial autonomy • Self Regulatory Organizations (FINRA, NFA, MSRB) • Self Regulatory Organizations (IIROC, MFDA) All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 7 11/10/2011 Securities Regulation • Banks act as broker dealers • Banks act as broker dealers • FINRA BrokerCheck • CSA national registration • Laws based on British • British Common Law plus Napoleonic Civil Code Common Law • • National security exchanges • National security exchanges 3-6 year statute of limitations • 2 year statute of limitations All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 Securities Regulation • • • • • • • Edgaronline for SEC docs Accredited Investors Patent protection LLCs SIPC SEC, FBI, US DOJ Pending reform • • • • • • • Sedar.com for filing docs Accredited Investors Patent protection Recent use of LLCs CIPF RCMP and Crown Court Pending reform All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 Charles Ponzi first came to the U.S in 1903 -but we loaned him to Canada for a few years where he was first imprisoned for financial fraud. -It is believed that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police provided a special “scholarship”, and a one way ticket back to Boston. All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 8 11/10/2011 Canadian Enforcement • 2/10 Ex-Blackmont Branch Manager fined $50,000 • Financier Earl Jones receives 11-year sentence for $50mm fraud • Ex-iForum rep ordered by IIROC to pay $625,000 and banned for 44 months for mutual fund misconduct • Former Haywood broker fined $40K by IIROC for breach of KYC rule All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 Canadian Enforcement • MDFA disciplines Branch Manager through fine $10K for lax supervision • Quebec’s AMF fines total $82mm for 2009 • Ex-Canaccord Vancouver rep rec’d 10 year suspension • Canadian fraudster, Georgiou, convicted in US of manipulating microcap stocks and faces $21.25mm in fines and restitution All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 Lead investigation by OSC, IIROC and RCMP U.S. SEC and FBI part of the joint force $9 million insider trading case Surreptitiously obtained from law firms January 2010, pleaded guilty to criminal charges Sentenced in Toronto to 39 months imprisonment All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 9 11/10/2011 Vadim Tsatskin Global Energy Group LTD OSC initiative – 2011 $15M of gold securities Kentucky oil and gas leases Sentencing November 2011 All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 OTC Markets • NASDAQ, Bulletin Board, Pink Sheets, Grey Markets, Scripophily • NASDAQ = Extensive filing requirements (e.g. AAPL) • Bulletin Board = Required SEC filings (can be removed if fail to file) • Pink Sheets (OTC Markets Group, Inc.), since 1913 - OTCQX, OTCQB, and OTC Pink - Private company and not a stock exchange - No SEC filing requirements - Ask for 15c-11 (under the 1934 Act) information All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 10 11/10/2011 EDGARIZING Objective is listing on US Exchanges Typically multi-national in scope Often involves rollup or reverse stock split Commodity-related assets Bogus press release announcements “Pump and Dump” by insiders Bre-X, CMKM Diamonds All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 MEET Black Pete our CEO All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 “Black Pete” SLJB CEO All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 11 11/10/2011 SLJB – “Edgarized” All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 (SLJB) US OTC Pink Sheet SULJA Brothers Building Supplies LTD SULJA Nevada Kore Inter’l Management, Inc. Formed in 2006 after reverse merger with LOFTWERKS Sulja Nevada, US Corp., managed by resident of Texas Sulja Brothers Building Supplies - Harrow, Ontario Insiders pirated stock and sold through nominee accounts (07/2006-12/2006) Approximately $11.5M found Trading halted 08/04/2010 Trading range $0.0003 - $0.025 JSIU-IMET-OSC-RCMP Fake claims of auditing relationships with PWC and KPMG Class Action Litigation pending All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 1 Million Millionaires All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 12 11/10/2011 CMKM Diamonds (CMKX) All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 Diamonds & Funny Stuff All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 Destination All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 13 11/10/2011 CMKM Diamonds (CMKX) 2002 - 2008 • Formed in 2002 through asset consolidation of rights to Canadian mineral assets operation with Nevada-based Cyber Mark Int’l (OTC) • Cyber Mark Int’l was a video game company • Cyber Mark Int’l balance sheet (SEC 10-Q) - $344.00 in cash - Overdrawn bank account ($1,672) All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 CMKM On the Move • Listed on OTC Pink Sheet market • Filed Form-15 with SEC claiming exemption to reporting requirements • 2003, declared a 2 for 1 stock split • Authorized additional 500 billion shares • Capital structure = 800 billion shares • Targets the NASCAR crowd • Avalanche of press releases • Goal of a “Million Millionaires” • 2003-2005 deficient with SEC filings All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 Grit Into Gold Dirt Into Diamonds • • • • Valuation = $0.00010 - $0.00070 Never reached a penny per share 1,000,000 shares at $0.00010 costs investor $100 Insiders and “friends of the company” manipulated - Information - Transfer Agent - Stock issuance process All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 14 11/10/2011 Fast Forward • Nearly 400 billion shares of CMKM were illegally issued • Nearly 400 billion shares were sold into the public market by insiders and friends of the company through grantor trust and nominee accounts • Approximately $100 million of proceeds from the OTC sales were converted from the CMKM treasury to the conspirators. All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 From the Bench • June 2009, SEC files a civil fraud case against four individuals associated with the company • Among other things, US District Judge cites - Writing false opinion letters (legal transfer) - Publishing false press releases - Populating false internet message boards - Use of company assets for personal purposes All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 CMKM Today • Remains viral • Shares continue to trade as “Scripophily” • Conspiracy theories related to money laundering for terrorist organizations • Insider jailed in London fighting extradition • No one jailed in the US or Canada where investors were defrauded out of $100 million All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 15 11/10/2011 Tale of the Tape All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 Examiner’s Benchmarks • • • • • • • Corporate structure and balance sheet Current SEC filings Evaluation of assets (and not estimates of “rights”) Stock splits and new issuance of shares Stock transfer agent Nevada connection Internet blogs and representations All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 RESOURCES: Websites • State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security: www.ds.state.gov/index.html • Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (ATF): www.atf.treas.gov • Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC): www.cftc.gov • Customs and Border Protection: www.customs.gov • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): www.fbi.gov • Federal Trade Commission (FTC): www.ftc.gov • Financial Crimes Enforcement Division (FINCEN): www.fincen.gov 16 11/10/2011 RESOURCES: Websites (continued) • Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA): www.finra.org • Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigative Division (IRS-CID): www.irs.gov/compliance/enforcement • National Futures Association (NFA): www.nfa.futures.org • Postal Inspection Service: www.usps.gov/websites/depart/inspect • Secret Service: www.treas.gov/usss/index.shtml • Securities and Exchange Commission: www.sec.gov • Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration: www.tigta.treas.gov • iiRoc.CA: Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada • Securities – Administrators. CA: Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA/ACVM) • MFDA.CA: Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada • Fair Canada.CA • US Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force: stopfraud.gov For Further Consideration • The Naked Truth, Mark Faulk (CMKM Diamonds) • The Bre-X Fraud, Douglas Goold and Andrew Willis (Bre-X0 • The Barlow Clowes Affair, Lawrence Lever (UK) • Free Rider, J. L. Reynolds (Canada) • Securities Fraud: Detection, Prevention and Control, Louis L. Straney (global issues) All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 Approachable Resources • Investor information: English, French, Spanish Chinese, toll free numbers • Required response from public offices • Informational meetings and seminars by regulators • There are limits for active cases • Patience • Whistleblower programs All Rights Louis L. Straney, 2011 17 11/10/2011 QUESTIONS? Louis L. Straney [email protected] 505-466-2219 securitiesfraudresearch.org Hustlers, Rustlers and the 49th Parallel Border, Barrier or Beach Front Property For Securities Fraud November 17, 2011 Louis L. Straney [email protected] 505-466-2219 securitiesfraudresearch.org ACFE Webinar The contents of this presentation may not be transmitted, re-published, modified, reproduced, distributed, copied or sold without the prior consent of the author. “Association of Certified Fraud Examiners,” “Certified Fraud Examiner,” “CFE,” “ACFE,” and the ACFE Logo are trademarks owned by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Inc. 18