SEC v. GPL VENTURES LLC; and HempAmericana, Inc., No. 1:21-cv-06814, Southern District of New York (May 24, 2023) — Judgment

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION,
Plaintiff,
-against-
GPL VENTURES LLC, et al.,
Defendants.
No. 1:21-cv-06814 (AKH)
ECFCASE
WHEREAS, on August 13, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a
Complaint against Defendant HempAmericana, Inc. ("HempAmericana") (ECF No.
1);
WHEREAS, on March 15, 2022, HempAmericana filed an Answer to the Complaint
denying the allegations in the Complaint (ECF No.
71 );
WHEREAS, on June 15, 2022, counsel for HempAmericana (Caryn G. Schechtman)
filed a Letter (ECF No. 83) informing the Court
of her intention to file a Motion to Withdraw as
Counsel for HempAmericana;
WHEREAS, on October 24, 2022, counsel for HempAmericana (Caryn G. Schechtman)
filed a Letter requesting that the Court grant her Motion to Withdraw as Counsel for
HempAmericana (ECF Nos. 110 and 110-1);
WHEREAS, on October 25, 2022, the Court entered an Order granting the motion to
withdraw (ECF No. 114), and entered an Order directing HempAmericana to retain counsel
within 60 days, by December 24, 2022, or be deemed in default (ECF No. 113);
WHEREAS, on March 23, 2023, the Clerk of the Court entered a Certificate of Default
(ECF No. 121) noting that no new counsel had appeared for HempAmericana, and noting the

default of HempAmericana;
WHEREAS, the Commission filed a Motion for Default Judgment against
HempAmericana, and has indicated that it determined to withdraw the claims for disgorgement,
prejudgment interest, and civil penalties against HempAmericana;
WHEREAS, the Court has determined to grant the Commission's Motion;
NOW, THEREFORE:
I.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that Defendant is
permanently restrained and enjoined from violating Section 17(a)
of the Securities Act of 1933
[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.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that, as provided in
Federal Rule
of Civil Procedure 65( d)(2), the foregoing paragraph also binds the following who
receive actual notice
of this Final Judgment by personal service or otherwise: (a) Defendant's
officers, agents, servants, employees, and attorneys; and (b) other persons in active concert or
2

participation with Defendant or with anyone described in (a).
II.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that Defendant is
permanently restrained and enjoined from violating, directly or indirectly, Section 1
O(b) of the
Securities Exchange Act
of 1934 [15 U.S.C. § 78j(b)] and Rule lOb-5 promulgated thereunder
[17 C.F.R. § 240.lOb-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.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that, as provided in
Federal Rule
of Civil Procedure 65( d)(2), the foregoing paragraph also binds the following who
receive actual notice
of this Final Judgment by personal service or otherwise: (a) Defendant's
officers, agents, servants, employees, and attorneys; and (b) other persons in active concert or
participation with Defendant or with anyone described in (a).
III.
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.
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IV.
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.
Dated:~h,~
4

Case 1:21-cv-06814-AKH Document 122-1 Filed 03/24/23 Page 1 of 4 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, 

Plaintiff, 

-against-

GPL VENTURES LLC, et al., 

Defendants. 

No. 1:21-cv-06814 (AKH) 

ECFCASE 

WHEREAS, on August 13, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a 

Complaint against Defendant HempAmericana, Inc. ("HempAmericana") (ECF No. 1); 

WHEREAS, on March 15, 2022, HempAmericana filed an Answer to the Complaint 

denying the allegations in the Complaint (ECF No. 71 ); 

WHEREAS, on June 15, 2022, counsel for HempAmericana (Caryn G. Schechtman) 

filed a Letter (ECF No. 83) informing the Court of her intention to file a Motion to Withdraw as 

Counsel for HempAmericana; 

WHEREAS, on October 24, 2022, counsel for HempAmericana (Caryn G. Schechtman) 

filed a Letter requesting that the Court grant her Motion to Withdraw as Counsel for 

HempAmericana (ECF Nos. 110 and 110-1); 

WHEREAS, on October 25, 2022, the Court entered an Order granting the motion to 

withdraw (ECF No. 114), and entered an Order directing HempAmericana to retain counsel 

within 60 days, by December 24, 2022, or be deemed in default (ECF No. 113); 

WHEREAS, on March 23, 2023, the Clerk of the Court entered a Certificate of Default 

(ECF No. 121) noting that no new counsel had appeared for HempAmericana, and noting the 

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Case 1:21-cv-06814-AKH Document 122-1 Filed 03/24/23 Page 2 of 4 

default of HempAmericana; 

WHEREAS, the Commission filed a Motion for Default Judgment against 

HempAmericana, and has indicated that it determined to withdraw the claims for disgorgement, 

prejudgment interest, and civil penalties against HempAmericana; 

WHEREAS, the Court has determined to grant the Commission's Motion; 

NOW, THEREFORE: 

I. 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that Defendant is 

permanently restrained and enjoined from violating Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 

[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. 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that, as provided in 

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65( d)(2), the foregoing paragraph also binds the following who 

receive actual notice of this Final Judgment by personal service or otherwise: (a) Defendant's 

officers, agents, servants, employees, and attorneys; and (b) other persons in active concert or 

2 

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Case 1:21-cv-06814-AKH Document 122-1 Filed 03/24/23 Page 3 of 4 

participation with Defendant or with anyone described in (a). 

II. 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that Defendant is 

permanently restrained and enjoined from violating, directly or indirectly, Section 1 O(b) of the 

Securities Exchange Act of 1934 [15 U.S.C. § 78j(b)] and Rule lOb-5 promulgated thereunder 

[17 C.F.R. § 240.lOb-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. 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that, as provided in 

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65( d)(2), the foregoing paragraph also binds the following who 

receive actual notice of this Final Judgment by personal service or otherwise: (a) Defendant's 

officers, agents, servants, employees, and attorneys; and (b) other persons in active concert or 

participation with Defendant or with anyone described in (a). 

III. 

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. 

3 

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IV. 

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. 

Dated:~h,~ 

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