SEC CHARGES OWNER NY ADVISORY FIRM WITH INSIDER TRADING IN ADVANCE OF MERGERS

FROM:  U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged the owner of a New York-based advisory firm with insider trading in his own account and client accounts based on non-public information in advance of a merger announcement by pharmaceutical companies.

The SEC alleges that Tibor Klein, who lives on Long Island and is president of Klein Financial Services, learned confidential information about Pfizer Inc.'s planned acquisition of King Pharmaceuticals. He misappropriated the information and traded in advance of the public announcement for illicit profits of more than $300,000 for himself and his clients.

The SEC also charged Klein's close friend Michael Shechtman, a stockbroker living in South Florida who was tipped by Klein and traded on the non-public information for more than $100,000 in illegal profits.

According to the SEC's complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Klein learned material, non-public information about the impending merger in August 2010 from one of his clients - an attorney who works on matters for King Pharmaceuticals. On August 16 - the first day that the markets opened after he learned the confidential information - Klein began purchasing large amounts of King Pharmaceuticals' stock. Klein had not purchased so many securities of an individual stock for so many clients in such a short time period in 2010 as he did when he made these purchases.

The SEC alleges that Klein then went one step further and tipped his best friend, Shechtman, with the non-public information about King Pharmaceuticals. Klein and Shechtman speak often but rarely more than once a day. But Klein called Shechtman six times on August 16, when Shechtman submitted an application to open an options trading account and handwrote "Please expedite ASAP" at the top of the form. Shechtman had never before traded in options. On August 18, Klein called Shechtman 11 more times as Shechtman purchased 2,500 shares of King Pharmaceuticals stock and 300 call options in his personal account, and 2,400 shares in his wife's Roth IRA account.

According to the SEC's complaint, the public announcement was made on Oct. 12, 2010. King Pharmaceuticals stock subsequently rose 39 percent and trading volume increased by more than 12,000 percent from the previous day. Following the announcement, Klein sold his King Pharmaceuticals stock and generated profits of $328,375.02 for himself and his clients. Shechtman sold his shares and his wife's share in King Pharmaceuticals stock and options for profits of $109,040.53.

The SEC's complaint charges Klein and Shechtman with violations of Sections 10(b) and 14(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rules 10b-5 and 14e-3. The SEC seeks disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, financial penalties, and permanent injunctive relief against Klein and Shechtman to enjoin them from future violations of the federal securities laws.

The SEC's investigation was conducted by Rachel K. Paulose and supervised by Elisha L. Frank in the Miami Regional Office. The SEC's litigation will be led by Robert K. Levenson. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the Chicago Board Options Exchange.

SEC CHARGES FORMER OIL COMPANY EXECUTIVE WITH INSIDER TRADING

Photo:  NYSE.  Credit:  Wikimedia
FROM:  U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
May 11, 2012
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against a former executive at a Bakersfield, Calif.-based oil and gas production company for insider trading in his company’s stock using confidential information received while he was the CEO and chairman of the board.

The Commission alleges that Frank Lynn Blystone received e-mail updates prior to his March 5, 2010, retirement from Tri-Valley Corporation that contained confidential information about the company’s ongoing efforts to raise capital and problems it had encountered in a securities offering. Based on the non-public information he received, Blystone liquidated stock he held in a brokerage account shortly before a Tri-Valley announcement on April 6, 2010, that it had entered into an agreement with six institutional investors to sell its securities at a deep discount from the prevailing market price. Blystone avoided losses of approximately $36,000 when the company’s stock price fell 38 percent after the announcement.

Blystone has agreed to pay $75,000 to settle the Commission’s charges without admitting or denying the allegations.

According to the Commission’s complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, based on the confidential information he received, Blystone concluded that the terms of a contemplated securities offering by Tri-Valley would be onerous. He foresaw that either the company’s securities would be sold at a discount to the market price or additional securities would be issued if the price of the stock fell, which would dilute the value of Tri-Valley’s stock. After leaving the company, Blystone’s concerns about Tri-Valley’s securities offering were reinforced when he learned of plans to sell two oil drilling leases in what he characterized in an e-mail to a friend as a “fire sale.” Therefore, Blystone liquidated 50,100 shares of Tri-Valley stock that he held in a brokerage account. He sold 90 percent of those shares on April 5, the day before Tri-Valley’s public announcement.

The complaint charges Blystone with violating Section 17(a)(1) and (3) of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5(a) and (c) thereunder. Blystone agreed to pay disgorgement of $36,267, prejudgment interest of $2,493, and a penalty of $36,267. He also agreed to the entry of a final judgment permanently enjoining him from violating Section 17(a) of the Securities Act, Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 and barring him from serving as an officer or director of a public company. The settlement is subject to court approval.