Filed: Dec. 22, 2001
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: Sanjay Saxena on brief pro se.1Interests in the investment funds constituted securities, because the undisputed facts established that they were, investment contracts as the Supreme Court defined that term in, SEC v. W.J.Act of 1940 (Advisers Act), 15 U.S.C. §§ 80b-6(1) and (2).
[NOT FOR PUBLICATION–NOT TO BE CITED AS PRECEDENT]
United States Court of Appeals
For the First Circuit
No. 00-2360
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION,
Plaintiff, Appellee,
v.
SANJAY SAXENA,
Defendant, Appellant.
APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS
[Hon. Edward F. Harrington, U.S. District Judge]
Before
Torruella, Circuit Judge,
Stahl, Senior Circuit Judge,
and Lynch, Circuit Judge.
Sanjay Saxena on brief pro se.
David M. Becker, General Counsel, Jacob H. Stillman,
Solicitor, Mark Pennington, Assistant General Counsel, Michael
A. Conley, Attorney Fellow, on brief for appellee.
December 21, 2001
Per Curiam. Appellant Sanjay Saxena appeals from
the district court's grant of summary judgment to the
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") in this civil law
enforcement action. The essential facts are largely
undisputed and the parties disagree only as to the
conclusions that may be drawn from those facts. We have
carefully reviewed the record and briefs on appeal and
affirm the judgment below.
First, we agree with the district court's
conclusion that Saxena's continued performance under a
consulting agreement with Thorson, Zahler & Co. ("Thorson"),
a registered investment adviser and brokerage firm, for some
nine months after entry of an administrative order barring
him from "association with any broker, dealer, municipal
securities dealer, investment adviser or investment
company," as well as his substantial involvement in the
formation of two investment funds and Saxena Capital
Management, Inc. ("SCM"), the company that served as general
partner for the funds, was sufficient to establish a
violation of the bar order.
Further, Saxena does not dispute that he provided
free advertising for SCM and the investment funds on his
website and also provided SCM free access to his investment
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newsletter subscriber lists for use in promoting the funds.
And, since the solicitation of interests in the funds was
undisputedly widespread and publicly advertised, interests
in the funds were not, as Saxena contends, private offerings
exempt from registration under Rule 506 of Regulation D, 17
C.F.R. § 230.506. See 15 U.S.C. § 77d(2); 17 C.F.R. §
230.502(c). Accordingly, we think the undisputed facts
demonstrate that Saxena violated the registration provisions
of Sections 5(a) and (c) of the Securities Act of 1933
("Securities Act"), 15 U.S.C. §§ 77e(a) and (c), by
participating in the offer or sale of unregistered
securities in interstate commerce or through the mails.1
The undisputed facts also showed that Saxena
participated in preparing the offering memoranda for the
investment funds and, in connection therewith, supplied
false and misleading information concerning the funds'
management and investment strategies. This conduct is
sufficient to establish that Saxena violated the antifraud
provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act, 15 U.S.C.
77q(a), Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
1Interests in the investment funds constituted securities
because the undisputed facts established that they were
"investment contracts" as the Supreme Court defined that term in
SEC v. W.J. Howey Co.,
328 U.S. 293, 298-99 (1946).
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("Exchange Act"), 15 U.S.C. 78j(b), Rule 10b-5 thereunder,
and Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Investment Advisers
Act of 1940 ("Advisers Act"), 15 U.S.C. §§ 80b-6(1) and (2).
Further, Saxena's failure to disclose either the fee
arrangement under the Thorson consulting agreement or the
SEC bar order in notices advising his newsletter
subscribers of their opportunity to open brokerage accounts
at Thorson, his failure to advise Thorson of the bar order,
and his failure to terminate the consulting agreement
immediately after its entry are also sufficient to establish
violations of Section 206(4) of the Advisers Act, 15 U.S.C.
§ 80B-6(4) and Rule 206(4)-1(a)(5) thereunder.
We find no abuse of discretion in the district
court's disgorgement order and award of a civil monetary
penalty, see SEC v. Warde,
151 F.3d 42, 49 (2d Cir. 1998);
SEC v. First City Financial Corp.,
890 F.2d 1215, 1228 (D.C.
Cir. 1989), and Saxena's remaining challenges to the
district court's preclusion order and its denial of his
motion to transfer venue are meritless.
Affirmed. See Loc. R. 27(c).
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