2024-05-06 sec-litreleases litigation_release 66 KB 3,213 chars

SEC v. Petroteq Energy, Inc.; Aleksandr Blyumkin; and Mark Korb, No. LR-25994, Central District of California (May 6, 2024) — Press Release

raw: Petroteq Energy, Inc., Aleksandr Blyumkin, and Mark Korb

Petroteq Energy, Inc., Aleksandr Blyumkin, and Mark Korb, No. 2:22-cv-04031-CAS (May 6, 2024)

Caption
Securities and Exchange Commission v. Mark Korb
summary

The SEC concluded litigation against former Petroteq Energy executives Aleksandr Blyumkin and Mark Korb for fraud involving an unregistered $7.39 million stock offering.

paragraph

The SEC found that Petroteq raised $7.39 million through an unregistered offering while misrepresenting that no commissions would be paid and that officers would not receive proceeds. Aleksandr Blyumkin was ordered to pay a $450,000 penalty plus $1,791,508 in disgorgement and $210,201.26 in interest. Former CFO Mark Korb agreed to a $60,000 civil penalty and a two-year suspension from practicing as an accountant before the SEC.

narrative

The SEC has concluded enforcement actions against former Petroteq Energy, Inc. executives Aleksandr Blyumkin and Mark Korb regarding a $7.39 million unregistered stock offering between 2017 and 2019. The investigation revealed that Petroteq paid $2.89 million in commissions and Blyumkin personally received $68,623, despite filings stating otherwise. As a result, Blyumkin was barred from serving as an officer or director of a public company and ordered to pay a $450,000 penalty along with over $2 million in disgorgement and interest. Former CFO Mark Korb was found negligent in failing to properly value mining rights and disclose transactions benefiting Blyumkin and his associates. Korb entered a final judgment agreeing to a $60,000 civil penalty and a two-year suspension from appearing or practicing before the SEC as an accountant.

Enriched metadata

Scheme
unregistered-securities (95%)
Court
Central District of California
Case No.
2:22-cv-04031-CAS
Disgorgement
$1,791,508
Civil penalty
$450,000
Entity
Petroteq Energy, Inc.
Ticker
PQEFF
Classified unregistered-securities(confidence 95%). EDGAR detection: forms Form D/S-1· recall 41% / precision 30%. detection rule →
Parties
Securities and Exchange CommissionMark KorbPetroteq Energy, Inc.Aleksandr Blyumkin
Keywords
korbpetroteqblyumkinsecmark korbagainstpetroteq energyaleksandr blyumkinsecurities exchangeagainst korbordersecuritiesexchangeexchange commissionissued order

Exhibits & Attached Documents (1)

Extracted insights

Dollar amounts 7
  • $7.39M $7.39 million $1M–$10M
  • $2.89M $2.89 million $1M–$10M
  • $1.79M $1,791,508 $1M–$10M
  • $450K $450,000 $100K–$1M
  • $210K $210,201 $100K–$1M
  • $69K $68,623 $10K–$100K
  • $60K $60,000 $10K–$100K
Entities 7
  • person Aleksandr Blyumkin
  • person Jason P. Reinsch
  • person Mark Korb
  • company petroteq energy, inc.
  • agency Securities and Exchange Commission
  • agency suspended mark korb from appearing or practicing before the sec
  • court u.s. district court for the central district of california
Triples 18
  • Securities And Exchange Commission announced conclusion of litigation against two former executives
  • Securities And Exchange Commission filed partially settled cease-and-desist proceedings
  • Securities And Exchange Commission filed litigated civil action against Mark Korb
  • Securities And Exchange Commission issued an order finding that Petroteq raised $7.39 million
  • Petroteq Energy, Inc. raised $7.39 million through an unregistered offering
  • Petroteq Energy, Inc. paid $2.89 million in commissions
  • Aleksandr Blyumkin personally received $68,623 of the offering proceeds
  • Securities And Exchange Commission required Aleksandr Blyumkin to pay a civil penalty of $450,000
  • Securities And Exchange Commission imposed a cease-and-desist order
  • Securities And Exchange Commission barred Aleksandr Blyumkin from serving as an officer or director
  • Securities And Exchange Commission ordered Aleksandr Blyumkin to pay disgorgement of $1,791,508
  • Mark Korb failed to consider whether Petroteq's mining rights were appropriately priced
  • Mark Korb was negligent in not inquiring into or disclosing multiple transactions
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered a final judgment by agreement against Mark Korb
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ordered Mark Korb to pay a civil penalty of $60,000
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California permanently enjoined Mark Korb from violating Section 17(a)(3) of the Securities Act
  • Securities And Exchange Commission issued an order suspended Mark Korb from appearing or practicing before the SEC
  • Jason P. Reinsch litigated the cases
Text layers
Extracted body text (3,213c)
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 25994 / May 6, 2024 In the Matter of Petroteq Energy, Inc. and Aleksandr Blyumkin, Administrative Proceeding File No. 3-20898 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Mark Korb, No. 2:22-cv-04031-CAS-AS (C.D. Cal. filed June 13, 2022) In the Matter of Mark Korb, CA, Administrative Proceeding File No. 3-21920 SEC Announces Remedies Obtained Against Former Executives for Fraud at Tar Sands Mining Company The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced the conclusion of litigation against two former executives of Petroteq Energy, Inc. (“Petroteq”), executive chairman Aleksandr Blyumkin and chief financial officer Mark Korb. On June 13, 2022, the SEC filed partially settled cease-and-desist proceedings against Blyumkin and Petroteq, and a litigated civil action against Korb. In the administrative proceedings, the SEC issued an order on June 13, 2022 finding that, from September 2017 to May 2019, Petroteq raised $7.39 million through an unregistered offering of stock. Petroteq filed with the SEC Form D notices signed by Blyumkin that represented that Petroteq would not pay commissions in connection with the offering and that its officers or directors would not receive offering proceeds. The SEC’s order found, however, that Petroteq paid $2.89 million in commissions, and that Blyumkin personally received $68,623 of the offering proceeds. The June 13, 2022 order required Blyumkin to pay a civil penalty of $450,000, imposed a cease-and-desist order, barred him from serving as an officer or director of a public company, and ordered further proceedings to determine what disgorgement and prejudgment interest should be ordered against him. On April 12, 2024, the SEC issued an order against Blyumkin by consent, ordering him to pay disgorgement of $1,791,508 plus prejudgment interest of $210,201.26. In the civil action against Korb, the SEC’s complaint alleged, among other things, that Korb failed to consider whether Petroteq’s mining rights were appropriately priced and analyzed for impairment, and was at least negligent in not inquiring into or disclosing multiple transactions benefiting Blyumkin, his family, and his associates. On April 10, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered a final judgment by agreement against Korb, ordering him to pay a civil penalty of $60,000 and permanently enjoining him from violating Section 17(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”) and Section 13(b)(5) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and Rules 13a-14 and 13b2-1 thereunder, and from aiding and abetting violations of Sections 13(a), 13(b)(2)(A), and 13(b)(2)(B) of the Exchange Act and Rules 12b-20, 13a-1, 13a-13, and 13a-15(a) thereunder. Finally, on April 22, 2024, the SEC issued an order against Korb by consent pursuant to Rule 102(e)(3)(i) of the Commission’s Rules of Practice. The SEC’s order suspended Korb from appearing or practicing before the SEC as an accountant with a right to apply for reinstatement after two years. The cases were litigated by Jason P. Reinsch and supervised by B. David Fraser and Keefe Bernstein. Final Judgment - Korb
OCR text (3,213c · html-text · 99% conf)
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 25994 / May 6, 2024 In the Matter of Petroteq Energy, Inc. and Aleksandr Blyumkin, Administrative Proceeding File No. 3-20898 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Mark Korb, No. 2:22-cv-04031-CAS-AS (C.D. Cal. filed June 13, 2022) In the Matter of Mark Korb, CA, Administrative Proceeding File No. 3-21920 SEC Announces Remedies Obtained Against Former Executives for Fraud at Tar Sands Mining Company The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced the conclusion of litigation against two former executives of Petroteq Energy, Inc. (“Petroteq”), executive chairman Aleksandr Blyumkin and chief financial officer Mark Korb. On June 13, 2022, the SEC filed partially settled cease-and-desist proceedings against Blyumkin and Petroteq, and a litigated civil action against Korb. In the administrative proceedings, the SEC issued an order on June 13, 2022 finding that, from September 2017 to May 2019, Petroteq raised $7.39 million through an unregistered offering of stock. Petroteq filed with the SEC Form D notices signed by Blyumkin that represented that Petroteq would not pay commissions in connection with the offering and that its officers or directors would not receive offering proceeds. The SEC’s order found, however, that Petroteq paid $2.89 million in commissions, and that Blyumkin personally received $68,623 of the offering proceeds. The June 13, 2022 order required Blyumkin to pay a civil penalty of $450,000, imposed a cease-and-desist order, barred him from serving as an officer or director of a public company, and ordered further proceedings to determine what disgorgement and prejudgment interest should be ordered against him. On April 12, 2024, the SEC issued an order against Blyumkin by consent, ordering him to pay disgorgement of $1,791,508 plus prejudgment interest of $210,201.26. In the civil action against Korb, the SEC’s complaint alleged, among other things, that Korb failed to consider whether Petroteq’s mining rights were appropriately priced and analyzed for impairment, and was at least negligent in not inquiring into or disclosing multiple transactions benefiting Blyumkin, his family, and his associates. On April 10, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered a final judgment by agreement against Korb, ordering him to pay a civil penalty of $60,000 and permanently enjoining him from violating Section 17(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”) and Section 13(b)(5) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and Rules 13a-14 and 13b2-1 thereunder, and from aiding and abetting violations of Sections 13(a), 13(b)(2)(A), and 13(b)(2)(B) of the Exchange Act and Rules 12b-20, 13a-1, 13a-13, and 13a-15(a) thereunder. Finally, on April 22, 2024, the SEC issued an order against Korb by consent pursuant to Rule 102(e)(3)(i) of the Commission’s Rules of Practice. The SEC’s order suspended Korb from appearing or practicing before the SEC as an accountant with a right to apply for reinstatement after two years. The cases were litigated by Jason P. Reinsch and supervised by B. David Fraser and Keefe Bernstein. Final Judgment - Korb