Read SEC litigation Release 24492 dated June 5,2019 on Longfin Corp What was the fraud accusation? Which element of the Fraud triangle was involved? Support your answer by using some of the
Read SEC litigation Release 24492 dated June 5,2019 on Longfin Corp
What was the fraud accusation? Which element of the Fraud triangle was involved? Support your answer by using some of the language of the litigation release
The Securities and Exchange Commission today filed a new fraud action against Longfin Corp. and its CEO for falsifying the company's revenue and, together with a former Longfin consultant, for fraudulently securing the company's listing on Nasdaq. The SEC's prior charges against these defendants and two others resulted in a preliminary injunction freezing more than $27 million in allegedly illegal trading proceeds from unregistered distributions of Longfin stock.
The action filed today in federal district court in Manhattan alleges that Longfin and its CEO, Venkata S. Meenavalli, conducted a fraudulent public offering of Longfin shares. The complaint alleges that Longfin and Meenavalli obtained qualification for a Regulation A+ offering by falsely representing in SEC filings that the company was principally managed and operated in the U.S. when, in fact, the company's operations, assets and management remained offshore. Longfin and Meenavalli, as alleged, then engaged in a fraudulent scheme by distributing over 400,000 shares of Longfin to insiders and affiliates to meet certain Nasdaq listing criteria, without obtaining payment for any of these shares and, along with Longfin consultant Andy Altahawi, misrepresented to Nasdaq the number of qualifying shareholders and shares sold in the offering. The SEC's complaint alleges that Longfin and Meenavalli also engaged in an accounting fraud, recording more than $66 million in sham revenue, representing nearly 90% of Longfin's total 2017 reported revenue. Longfin voluntarily delisted from Nasdaq in May 2018 and shut down in November 2018.
The SEC's actions charge Longfin, Meenavalli, and Altahawi with violations of the antifraud provisions of Section 10(b) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 thereunder and Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933. Longfin was also charged with violating the reporting, books-and-records, and internal controls provisions of Sections 13(a), 13(b)(2)(A), and 13(b)(2)(B) of the Exchange Rules 12b-20, 13a-1, 13a-11, and 13a-13 thereunder, while Meenavalli was charged with violating the internal controls and books-and-records provisions of Section 13(b)(5) of the Exchange Act, the lying-to-accountants provision of Exchange Act Rule 13b2, and the certification provision of Exchange Act Rule 13a�14. Meenavalli was also charged with aiding and abetted Longfin's violations of the reporting, books-and-records, and internal controls provisions of Sections 13(a), 13(b)(2)(A), and 13(b)(2)(B) of the Exchange Act and Exchange Act Rules 12b-20, 13a-1, 13a 11, and 13a-13.
In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey today announced related criminal charges against Meenavalli.
SEC Complaint
SEC Adds Fraud Charges AgainstSEC Adds Fraud Charges Against Purported Cryptocurrency CompanyPurported Cryptocurrency Company Long9n, CEO, and ConsultantLong9n, CEO, and Consultant
Litigation Release No. 24492 / June 5, 2019Litigation Release No. 24492 / June 5, 2019
Securities and Exchange Commission v. Long9n Corp.Securities and Exchange Commission v. Long9n Corp. and Venkata S. Meenavalliand Venkata S. Meenavalli, No. 19-cv-5296 (S.D.N.Y., No. 19-cv-5296 (S.D.N.Y. 9led June 5, 2019)9led June 5, 2019)
Securities and Exchange Commission v. Long9n et. alSecurities and Exchange Commission v. Long9n et. al,, No. 18-cv-2977 No. 18-cv-2977 (S.D.N.Y. 9led April 6, 2018)(S.D.N.Y. 9led April 6, 2018)
ENFORCEMENT
Accounting and Auditing Enforcement Releases
Administrative Proceedings
ALJ Initial Decisions
ALJ Orders
Amicus / Friend of the Court Briefs
Delinquent Filings
Fair Funds
Information for Harmed Investors
Litigation Releases
Opinions and Adjudicatory Orders
Receiverships
Stop Orders
Trading Suspensions
Company Filings
Go
ABOUT DIVISIONS & OFFICES ENFORCEMENT REGULATION EDUCATION FILINGS NEWS
Search SEC.gov
Modified: June 6, 2019
Accessibility | Budget & Performance | Careers | Contact | Contracts | Data | FOIA | Inspector General | Investor.gov | No FEAR Act & EEO Data | Ombudsman | Plain Writing | Privacy & Security | Related Sites | Site Map | USA.gov | Votes | Whistleblower Protection
The SEC's prior action alleged that Longfin, Meenavalli, Altahawi, and two affiliated individuals, Dorababu Penumarthi and Suresh Tammineedi, illegally distributed and sold more than $33 million of Longfin stock in unregistered transactions.
Altahawi, Penumarthi, and Tammineedi have agreed to settlements, subject to court approval, that would fully resolve the SEC's charges and have agreed to surrender the previously frozen funds towards paying monetary relief. Without admitting or denying the charges, Altahawi has agreed to settle the fraud charges and the prior charges of trading in unregistered securities. The proposed settlement would require Altahawi to return $21 million of allegedly ill-gotten gains, pay a $2.9 million penalty, and surrender all his Longfin shares. Altahawi also agreed to be barred from serving as a public company officer or director for five years, and to an industry bar to be issued in an administrative proceeding.
Penumarthi and Tammineedi, without admitting or denying the charges, agreed to settle all pending charges for trading in unregistered securities. The proposed settlements require Penumarthi to pay more than $1.7 million and Tammineedi to pay more than $241,000, in addition to injunctive relief.
The SEC's investigation was conducted by Ernesto Amparo, Adam B. Gottlieb, Eric Hubbs, and Robert Nesbitt, and supervised by Anita B. Bandy, Associate Director, and Robert A. Cohen, Chief of the SEC's Cyber Unit. Hope Augustini of the SEC's Office of General Counsel and Sarah Heaton Concannon of the Division of Enforcement provided invaluable assistance. The litigation is being supervised by Stephan Schlegelmilch. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey.
Collepals.com Plagiarism Free Papers
Are you looking for custom essay writing service or even dissertation writing services? Just request for our write my paper service, and we'll match you with the best essay writer in your subject! With an exceptional team of professional academic experts in a wide range of subjects, we can guarantee you an unrivaled quality of custom-written papers.
Get ZERO PLAGIARISM, HUMAN WRITTEN ESSAYS
Why Hire Collepals.com writers to do your paper?
Quality- We are experienced and have access to ample research materials.
We write plagiarism Free Content
Confidential- We never share or sell your personal information to third parties.
Support-Chat with us today! We are always waiting to answer all your questions.