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SEC awards whistleblower with audit responsibilities more than $300,000
On December 14, the SEC announced a more than $300,000 whistleblower award in connection with a successful enforcement action. According to the redacted order, in connection with the whistleblower’s audit-related responsibilities, the whistleblower became aware of potential securities law violations and voluntarily provided original information that contributed significantly to the enforcement action. The whistleblower also met with enforcement staff numerous times, helped to identify potential witnesses, and “aggressively attempted to remedy the misconduct and suffered a unique hardship.” The SEC notes in its press release that while individuals with audit or compliance responsibilities are generally ineligible for awards, “a whistleblower who reasonably believes that an entity is engaging in conduct that would impede the investigation falls within one of the exceptions to that rule.” This is the fourth award paid to a whistleblower with internal audit or compliance-related responsibilities.
The SEC has now paid approximately $731 million to 124 individuals since the inception of the program.
Federal and state authorities target income scams
On December 14, the FTC, along with 19 federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, announced “Operation Income Illusion,” which encompasses more than 50 enforcement actions against scams targeting consumers with false promises of income and financial independence. According to an analysis of complaint data by the FTC, consumers have reported that they lost more than $610 million to income scams since 2016—with more than $150 million of losses reported in the first nine months of 2020—which the FTC attributes to the increase in scams related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The announcement also includes four new enforcement actions and one settlement that are part of Operation Income Illusion, (i) an action and temporary restraining order against a Florida-based operation, which sold expensive memberships to programs by promoting earnings between $500 and $12,500 per sale; (ii) an action against a company with Spanish-language ads targeting Latina consumers with false promises of large profits reselling luxury products; (iii) an action and temporary restraining order against a company marketing investment-related services claiming they would enable consumers to make consistent profits off the market; (iv) an action and temporary restraining order against companies perpetuating a telemarketing scheme claiming false affiliation with Amazon.com to get consumers to purchase business opportunity programs; and (v) settlements (available here and here) with ten defendants involved in a scam targeting older adults while selling various money-making opportunities.
The other agencies reporting actions as part of the sweep include: the SEC, CFTC, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas; and state and county agencies in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.
2nd Circuit: SEC within authority to bring actions for SAR failings
On December 4, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed summary judgment in favor of the SEC in an action brought by the agency against a penny stock broker-dealer, concluding the agency has the authority to bring an action under Section 17(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) and Rule 17a-8 promulgated thereunder for failure to comply with the Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) provisions of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). According to the opinion, the SEC filed an action against the broker-dealer for violating the Exchange Act and Rule 17a-8’s reporting, recordkeeping, and record-retention obligations by failing to file SARs as required by the BSA. Both parties moved for summary judgment, with the broker-dealer arguing that the SEC was improperly enforcing the BSA. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of the SEC in part (deferring “its resolution of categories of allegedly deficient SARs pending discovery and additional briefing”) and denied summary judgment for the broker-dealer, concluding that the SEC had authority to bring the action under the Exchange Act. After discovery and additional briefing, the SEC moved for summary judgment on the Rule 17a-8 violations and the district court granted summary judgment as to nearly 3,000 violations on the basis of the broker-dealer’s SARs-reporting and recordkeeping practices and imposed a $12 million civil penalty.
On appeal, the 2nd Circuit agreed with the district court, rejecting the broker-dealer’s argument that the SEC is attempting to enforce the BSA, which only the U.S. Treasury Department has the authority to do. The appellate court noted that the SEC is enforcing the requirements of Rule 17a-8, which requires broker-dealers to adhere to the BSA in order to comply with requirements of the Exchange Act, which does not constitute the agency’s enforcement of the BSA. Moreover, the appellate court concluded that the SEC did not overstep its authority when promulgating Rule 17a-8, as SARs “serve to further the aims of the Exchange Act by protecting investors and helping to guard against market manipulation,” and that the broker-dealer did not meet its “‘heavy burden’ to show that Congress ‘clearly expressed [its] intention’ to preclude the SEC from examining for SAR compliance in conjunction with FinCEN and pursuant to authority delegated under the Exchange Act.” In affirming the $12 million civil penalty, the appellate court stated that the district court acted “within its discretion to impose the [] penalty” considering the broker-dealer’s “systematic and widespread evasion of the law.”
Restaurant chain to pay SEC $125,000 for misleading Covid-19 disclosures
On December 4, the SEC announced a settlement with a national restaurant chain for allegedly making misleading disclosures about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on its business operations. According to the order, in the restaurant’s Form 8-Ks filed on March 23 and April 3, the restaurant disclosed that it was “operating sustainably at present under this [off-premise] model” (referring to its to-go and delivery services). However, the SEC asserts that the restaurant did not disclose that it was “losing approximately $6 million in cash per week; and that it had only approximately 16 weeks of cash remaining, even after the $90 million revolving credit facility borrowing,” nor did it disclose the letter it send to its landlords announcing it would not be paying April rent. The SEC asserts the disclosures were materially false and misleading and violated Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act and Rules 13a-11 and 12b-20 thereunder. Without admitting the findings, the restaurant agreed to pay $125,000 in civil money penalties. This is the first action the SEC has taken against a company for misleading investors
SEC issues whistleblower awards totaling nearly $3 million
On December 7, the SEC announced whistleblower awards to five individuals totaling nearly $3 million for information provided in three different enforcement actions. According to the first redacted order, the SEC awarded a whistleblower nearly $1.8 million for voluntarily providing original information to the Commission leading to a successful enforcement action. The whistleblower, a company insider, provided detailed information that would have been difficult to detect in the absence of the tip and “provided extraordinary assistance” to Commission staff, which resulted in the return of money to harmed investors.
In the second redacted order, the SEC awarded two whistleblowers a total of approximately $750,000. The first whistleblower received a roughly $500,000 award for providing “credible [and] high quality” information directly to enforcement staff, which prompted the opening of an investigation and resulted in a successful enforcement action. The second whistleblower received approximately $250,000 for providing new information towards the end of the investigation “that resulted in the inclusion of additional allegations in the Covered Action.” The SEC noted that both whistleblowers provided substantial assistance in the investigation, including participating in interviews and providing explanations and clarity on complex issues.
In the third redacted order, two whistleblowers were jointly awarded nearly $400,000 for providing information that prompted the opening of an investigation leading to a successful enforcement action. The SEC stated that the whistleblowers also “provided substantial and continuing assistance to [e]nforcement staff during the course of the investigation.”
The SEC has now paid approximately $731 million to 123 individuals since the inception of the program.
SEC announces whistleblower awards totaling over $6.9 million
On December 1, the SEC announced a joint award of over $6 million to two whistleblowers whose information and assistance led to a successful SEC enforcement and related actions. According to the redacted order, the information led to “actions related to a complex [redacted] scheme involving multiple individuals and tens of millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains.” Moreover, the whistleblowers “substantially assisted” the SEC and another agency by “submitting information and documents, participating in interviews, and identifying key individuals involved in the misconduct.”
Earlier on November 19, the SEC announced a whistleblower award of over $900,000 in connection with an ongoing overseas securities investigation. According to the redacted order, the whistleblower provided “significant and timely information” to the Commission, which expanded and expedited the investigation and resulted in Commission charges. Additionally, the whistleblower “identified alleged violations that were occurring overseas, some of which would have been difficult to detect in the absence of [the whistleblower’s] information.”
The SEC has now paid a total of $728 million to 118 individuals since the inception of the program.
SEC charges bank execs over sales-compensation practices
On November 13, the SEC announced charges against a national bank’s former CEO and Chairman, as well as against the former head of the national bank’s community bank (community bank) for their roles in allegedly misleading investors in connection with the bank’s incentive compensation sales program. As previously covered by InfoBytes, in connection with the same misconduct, the SEC announced a Cease and Desist order with the bank for allegedly violating the antifraud provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The bank agreed to cease and desist from committing any future violations of the antifraud provisions and to a civil penalty of $500 million.
According to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for Northern District of California against the former head of the community bank, from mid-2014 through mid-2016, the former head publicly endorsed the bank’s incentive compensation program as a measurement of the bank’s success, when in reality, the metrics were allegedly inflated by unused and unauthorized accounts. Moreover, the complaint alleges that the former head signed sub-certifications that attested to the accuracy of the bank’s public disclosures, when she “knew or was reckless in not knowing” that the incentive compensation program depicted in the disclosures were materially false or misleading. The complaint seeks a permanent injunction, disgorgement, and civil penalties.
Additionally, the SEC issued a cease and desist order against the bank’s former CEO and Chairman, alleging that in 2015 and 2016 he certified statements filed with the SEC regarding the community bank’s incentive compensation program, after being put on notice that the bank was misleading the public about the program. The order issues a $2.5 million civil penalty against the former CEO and Chairman.
SEC awards $1.1 million to whistleblower
On November 13, the SEC announced a whistleblower award of over $1.1 million in connection with a successful enforcement action. According to the redacted order, the whistleblower provided information to the agency during an active investigation that led the SEC to inquire into different conduct. Additionally, the whistleblower “provided exemplary and continuing assistance” to the SEC, saving the agency time and resources. Lastly, the information and assistance was “critical” in order for the SEC to “bring an emergency action before assets could be dissipated.”
The SEC has now paid approximately $720 million to 113 individuals since the inception of the program.
SEC issues two separate whistleblower awards totaling over $4.3 million
On November 5, the SEC announced two separate whistleblower awards totaling over $4.3 million. According to the first redacted order, the SEC awarded a whistleblower more than $3.6 million for (i) providing information that alerted enforcement staff to misconduct occurring abroad that would otherwise “have been difficult to detect”; (ii) providing “substantial and ongoing assistance” to enforcement staff, including traveling to another country to meet with staff in person at the whistleblower’s own expense and providing “extensive supporting documentation”; and (iii) suffering hardships due to the whistleblowing. The SEC further noted in the order that while the whistleblower’s “ministerial role in the underlying misconduct” was considered, the Commission did not reduce the award for culpability as the whistleblower “took exceptional steps to report the misconduct from abroad and provided extraordinary assistance.”
In the second redacted order, the SEC awarded $750,000 to a whistleblower for providing significant information that led to a successful enforcement action. According to the SEC, while the covered action was already open when the whistleblower provided the original information, the whistleblower’s information caused enforcement staff to investigate different conduct, which ultimately formed the basis for the covered action. The whistleblower also met with Commission staff in person and explained “the likely mechanics of the fraudulent scheme.”
The SEC has now paid approximately $719 million to 112 individuals since the inception of the program.
SEC issues two separate whistleblower awards totaling over $38 million
On November 3, the SEC announced a more than $28 million whistleblower award in connection with a successful enforcement action. According to the redacted order, the whistleblower (i) first reported the information internally, which prompted an internal investigation; (ii) saved the SEC time and resources; and (iii) assisted the SEC with testimony and provided identification of a key witness.
Earlier on October 29, the SEC announced an award of over $10 million to a whistleblower in connection with a successful enforcement action prompted and aided by the whistleblower. The SEC notes that the individual provided “substantial ongoing assistance to [the] SEC,” including “more than a dozen communications with the staff” that helped the SEC “decipher communications, and distill[] complex issues.” According to the redacted order, the individual first raised concerns about the conduct internally, but “after determining the [c]ompany would not remedy the problem,” the individual brought the information to the SEC. The SEC denied two other claimants related to the enforcement action, concluding that the other claimants were not eligible for the award because either (i) the information was not used in and had no impact on the enforcement action; or (ii) there was no record of communications with the claimant and the agency.
The SEC has now paid approximately $715 million to 110 individuals since the inception of the program.