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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION v. GERANIO, CV12-04257-BRO-JC. (2014)

Court: District Court, C.D. California Number: infdco20140523651 Visitors: 21
Filed: May 22, 2014
Latest Update: May 22, 2014
Summary: FINAL JUDGMENT AS TO KEITH MICHAEL FIELD Relief BEVERLY REID O'CONNELL, District Judge. The Securities and Exchange Commission having filed a Complaint and Defendant Keith Michael Field ("Defendant") having entered a general appearance; consented to the Court's jurisdiction over Defendant and the subject matter of this action; consented to entry of this Final Judgment without admitting or denying the allegations of the Complaint (except as to jurisdiction and except as otherwise provided herei
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FINAL JUDGMENT AS TO KEITH MICHAEL FIELD Relief

BEVERLY REID O'CONNELL, District Judge.

The Securities and Exchange Commission having filed a Complaint and Defendant Keith Michael Field ("Defendant") having entered a general appearance; consented to the Court's jurisdiction over Defendant and the subject matter of this action; consented to entry of this Final Judgment without admitting or denying the allegations of the Complaint (except as to jurisdiction and except as otherwise provided herein in paragraph VIII); waived findings of fact and conclusions of law; and waived any right to appeal from this Final Judgment:

I.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that Defendant and Defendant's agents, servants, employees, attorneys, and all persons in active concert or participation with them who receive actual notice of this Final Judgment by personal service or otherwise are permanently restrained and enjoined from violating, directly or indirectly, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") [15 U.S.C. § 78j(b)] and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder [17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5], by using any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce, or of the mails, or of any facility of any national securities exchange, in connection with the purchase or sale of any security:

(a) to employ any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud; (b) to make any untrue statement of a material fact or to omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or (c) to engage in any act, practice, or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon any person.

II.

IT IS HEREBY FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that Defendant and Defendant's agents, servants, employees, attorneys, and all persons in active concert or participation with them who receive actual notice of this Final Judgment by personal service or otherwise are permanently restrained and enjoined from violating Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") [15 U.S.C. § 77q(a)] in the offer or sale of any security by the use of any means or instruments of transportation or communication in interstate commerce or by use of the mails, directly or indirectly:

(a) to employ any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud; (b) to obtain money or property by means of any untrue statement of a material fact or any omission of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or (c) to engage in any transaction, practice, or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon the purchaser.

III.

IT IS HEREBY FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that, pursuant to Section 21(d)(2) of the Exchange Act [15 U.S.C. § 78u(d)(2)] and/or Section 20(e) of the Securities Act [15 U.S.C. § 77t(e)], Defendant is prohibited from acting as an officer or director of any issuer that has a class of securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act [15 U.S.C. § 781] or that is required to file reports pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act [15 U.S.C. § 78o(d)].

IV.

IT IS HEREBY FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that Defendant is permanently barred from participating in an offering of penny stock, including engaging in activities with a broker, dealer, or issuer for purposes of issuing, trading, or inducing or attempting to induce the purchase or sale of any penny stock. A penny stock is any equity security that has a price of less than five dollars, except as provided in Rule 3a51-1 under the Exchange Act [17 C.F.R. 240.3a51-1].

V.

IT IS HEREBY FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that Defendant is liable for disgorgement of $774,817, representing profits gained as a result of the conduct alleged in the Complaint, together with prejudgment interest thereon in the amount of $82,497, for a total of $857,314. Based on Defendant's sworn representations in his Statement of Financial Condition dated July 9, 2013 as updated, and other documents and information submitted to the Commission, however, the Court is not ordering Defendant to pay a civil penalty and payment of all but $154,605 of the disgorgement and pre-judgment interest thereon is waived. The determination not to impose a civil penalty and to waive payment of all but $154,605 of the disgorgement and pre-judgment interest is contingent upon the accuracy and completeness of Defendant's Statement of Financial Condition. If at any time following the entry of this Final Judgment the Commission obtains information indicating that Defendant's representations to the Commission concerning his assets, income, liabilities, or net worth were fraudulent, misleading, inaccurate, or incomplete in any material respect as of the time such representations were made, the Commission may, at its sole discretion and without prior notice to Defendant, petition the Court for an order requiring Defendant to pay the unpaid portion of the disgorgement, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest thereon, and the maximum civil penalty allowable under the law. In connection with any such petition, the only issue shall be whether the financial information provided by Defendant was fraudulent, misleading, inaccurate, or incomplete in any material respect as of the time such representations were made. In its petition, the Commission may move this Court to consider all available remedies, including, but not limited to, ordering Defendant to pay funds or assets, directing the forfeiture of any assets, or sanctions for contempt of this Final Judgment. The Commission may also request additional discovery. Defendant may not, by way of defense to such petition: (1) challenge the validity of the Consent or this Final Judgment; (2) contest the allegations in the Complaint filed by the Commission; (3) assert that payment of disgorgement, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest or a civil penalty should not be ordered; (4) contest the amount of disgorgement and pre-judgment and post-judgment interest; (5) contest the imposition of the maximum civil penalty allowable under the law; or (6) assert any defense to liability or remedy, including, but not limited to, any statute of limitations defense. Defendant shall also pay post-judgment interest on any delinquent amounts pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1961.

VI.

IT IS HEREBY FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that Defendant shall satisfy this obligation by paying $154,605 to the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the terms of the payment schedule set forth in paragraph VII below after entry of this Final Judgment.

Defendant may transmit payment electronically to the Commission, which will provide detailed ACH transfer/Fedwire instructions upon request. Payment may also be made directly from a bank account via Pay.gov through the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov/about/offices/ofm.htm. Defendant may also pay by certified check, bank cashier's check, or United States postal money order payable to the Securities and Exchange Commission, which shall be delivered or mailed to

Enterprise Services Center Accounts Receivable Branch 6500 South MacArthur Boulevard Oklahoma City, OK 73169

and shall be accompanied by a letter identifying the case title, civil action number, and name of this Court; Keith Field's name as a defendant in this action; and specifying that payment is made pursuant to this Final Judgment.

Defendant shall simultaneously transmit photocopies of evidence of payment and case identifying information to the Commission's counsel in this action. By making this payment, Defendant relinquishes all legal and equitable right, title, and interest in such funds and no part of the funds shall be returned to Defendant.

The Commission shall hold the funds (collectively, the "Fund") and may propose a plan to distribute the Fund subject to the Court's approval. The Court shall retain jurisdiction over the administration of any distribution of the Fund. If the Commission staff determines that the Fund will not be distributed, the Commission shall send the funds paid pursuant to this Final Judgment to the United States Treasury.

The Commission may enforce the Court's judgment for disgorgement and prejudgment interest by moving for civil contempt (and/or through other collection procedures authorized by law) at any time after 14 days following entry of this Final Judgment. Defendant shall pay post-judgment interest on any delinquent amounts pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1961.

VII.

Defendant Keith M. Field shall pay the disgorgement amount due of $154,605 according to the following schedule: (1) $125,000, within 10 days of entry of this Final Judgment, and (2) quarterly installments of $3,700.62 beginning 90 days after entry of the Final Judgment and ending within two-years of the date of the Final Judgment. Payments shall be deemed made on the date they are received by the Commission and shall be applied first to post-judgment interest, which accrues pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1961 on any unpaid amounts due after 14 days of the entry of Final Judgment. Prior to making the final payment set forth herein, Defendant Keith Field shall contact the staff of the Commission for the amount due for the final payment.

If Defendant Keith Field fails to make any payment by the date agreed and/or in the amount agreed according to the schedule set forth above, all outstanding payments under this Final Judgment, including post-judgment interest, minus any payments made, shall become due and payable immediately at the discretion of the staff of the Commission without further application to the Court.

VIII.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that, solely for purposes of exceptions to discharge set forth in Section 523 of the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. §523, the allegations in the complaint are true and admitted by Defendant, and further, any debt for disgorgement, prejudgment interest, civil penalty or other amounts due by Defendant under this Final Judgment or any other judgment, order, consent order, decree or settlement agreement entered in connection with this proceeding, is a debt for the violation by Defendant of the federal securities laws or any regulation or order issued under such laws, as set forth in Section 523(a)(19) of the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. §523(a)(19).

IX.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that this Court shall retain jurisdiction of this matter for the purposes of enforcing the terms of this Final Judgment.

X.

There being no just reason for delay, pursuant to Rule 54(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Clerk is ordered to enter this Final Judgment forthwith and without further notice.

Source:  Leagle

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