SEC v. Toon Goggles Inc.; Ira Warkol; and Brendan Pollitz, No. LR-24588, Central District of California (Sept. 6, 2019) — Press Release
raw: Toon Goggles Inc., et al.
Toon Goggles Inc., et al., No. 2:19-cv-07687 (Sept. 6, 2019)
Toon Goggles Inc. and its founder, Ira Warkol, conducted a $19 million illegal securities offering from 2012 to 2016, resulting in Warkol agreeing to pay $2 million in disgorgement and a $189,427 penalty.
Toon Goggles Inc. and its founder, Ira Warkol, were charged by the SEC for conducting a $19 million illegal securities offering from 2012 to 2016, targeting approximately 400 retail investors. Warkol allegedly acted as an unregistered broker-dealer, setting up boiler rooms and hiring sales agents to lure investors. Warkol agreed to pay $2 million in disgorgement and prejudgment interest, plus a $189,427 penalty, while Toon Goggles' litigation is ongoing.
Toon Goggles Inc., a Los Angeles-based company that offers on-demand entertainment content for children, and its founder, Ira Warkol, were charged by the SEC for conducting a $19 million illegal securities offering from 2012 to 2016. The offering targeted approximately 400 retail investors through unregistered broker-dealer activities, including boiler room operations and deceptive sales scripts. Warkol allegedly acted as an unregistered broker-dealer, setting up boiler rooms and hiring sales agents to lure investors. Toon Goggles also failed to maintain accurate and complete records of its investors, the number of shares sold to each investor, and the amount of money raised from each investor. Warkol agreed to pay $2 million in disgorgement and prejudgment interest, plus a $189,427 penalty, while Toon Goggles' litigation is ongoing. Additionally, Toon Goggles' director of operations, Brendan Pollitz, agreed to pay $34,117 in disgorgement and prejudgment interest, plus a $9,472 penalty, for facilitating broker-dealer registration violations. The SEC's investigation was led by Yolanda Ochoa and Christopher Conte, with litigation handled by Douglas Miller and Amy Longo.
Exhibits & Attached Documents (2)
Extracted insights
- $19.00M $19 Million $10M–$100M
- $19.00M $19 million $10M–$100M
- $2.00M $2 million $1M–$10M
- $189K $189,427 $100K–$1M
- $34K $34,117 $10K–$100K
- $9K $9,472 <$10K
- person ira warkol
- agency Securities and Exchange Commission
- organization Securities and Exchange Commission
- company toon goggles inc.
- Toon Goggles Inc. charged for conducting a $19 million illegal securities offering
- Ira Warkol charged for conducting a $19 million illegal securities offering
- Toon Goggles Inc. charged for conducting a $19 million illegal securities offering
- Ira Warkol charged for conducting a $19 million illegal securities offering
- Toon Goggles Inc. charged for conducting a $19 million illegal securities offering
- Ira Warkol charged for conducting a $19 million illegal securities offering
- Securities and Exchange Commission charged Toon Goggles Inc. and Ira Warkol
- Toon Goggles Inc. offers on-demand entertainment content for children
- $19 million involved in illegal securities offering
- Securities and Exchange Commission filed lawsuit against Toon Goggles Inc. and Ira Warkol
- Toon Goggles Inc. charged for conducting a $19 million illegal securities offering
- Ira Warkol charged for conducting a $19 million illegal securities offering
- SEC charged Toon Goggles Inc., a Los Angeles-based company that offers on-demand entertainment content for children, and its founder, Ira Warkol
- Toon Goggles Inc. conducting $19 million illegal securities offering
SEC Charges Los Angeles-Based Entertainment Company and Two Executives for Their Roles in $19 Million IIIegal Securities Offering Litigation Release No. 24588 / September 6, 2019 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Toon Goggles Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 2:19-cv-07687 (U.S. District Court for the Central District of California) The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Toon Goggles Inc., a Los Angeles-based company that offers on-demand entertainment content for children, and its founder, Ira Warkol, for conducting a $19 million illegal securities offering. The SEC also charged Warkol for acting as an unregistered broker-dealer in connection with the offering. The SEC's complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleges that from at least August 2012 through late 2016, Toon Goggles and Warkol raised over $19 million from approximately 400 retail investors. According to the SEC's complaint, Warkol, acting as an unregistered broker, set up boiler rooms inside Toon Goggles' offices and hired sales agents to cold-call investors. Warkol allegedly provided the sales agents with scripts to lure investors into purchasing the offered securities. According to the complaint, Toon Goggles also failed to maintain accurate and complete records of its investors, the number of shares sold to each investor, and the amount of money raised from each investor. The SEC's complaint charges Toon Goggles and Warkol with violating the securities registration provisions of Sections 5(a) and 5(c) of the Securities Act of 1933, and Warkol with also violating the broker-dealer registration provisions of Section 15(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Without admitting or denying the allegations in the complaint, Warkol has consented to the entry of a final judgment permanently enjoining him from violating the charged provisions, ordering disgorgement plus prejudgment interest of $2 million, and imposing an $189,427 penalty. The settlement is subject to court approval. The SEC's litigation against Toon Goggles will proceed, with the SEC seeking a permanent injunction, disgorgement plus prejudgment interest, and a civil penalty. In a separate administrative proceeding, the SEC also charged Toon Goggles' director of operations, Brendan Pollitz, for facilitating broker-dealer registration violations. Pollitz has consented to the entry of a cease-and-desist order, and agreed to pay disgorgement plus prejudgment interest of $34,117, and civil penalties of $9,472. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Yolanda Ochoa and Christopher Conte and supervised by Spencer E. Bendell. The SEC's litigation will be handled by Douglas Miller and Amy Longo. SEC Complaint Order
SEC Charges Los Angeles-Based Entertainment Company and Two Executives for Their Roles in $19 Million IIIegal Securities Offering Litigation Release No. 24588 / September 6, 2019 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Toon Goggles Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 2:19-cv-07687 (U.S. District Court for the Central District of California) The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Toon Goggles Inc., a Los Angeles-based company that offers on-demand entertainment content for children, and its founder, Ira Warkol, for conducting a $19 million illegal securities offering. The SEC also charged Warkol for acting as an unregistered broker-dealer in connection with the offering. The SEC's complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleges that from at least August 2012 through late 2016, Toon Goggles and Warkol raised over $19 million from approximately 400 retail investors. According to the SEC's complaint, Warkol, acting as an unregistered broker, set up boiler rooms inside Toon Goggles' offices and hired sales agents to cold-call investors. Warkol allegedly provided the sales agents with scripts to lure investors into purchasing the offered securities. According to the complaint, Toon Goggles also failed to maintain accurate and complete records of its investors, the number of shares sold to each investor, and the amount of money raised from each investor. The SEC's complaint charges Toon Goggles and Warkol with violating the securities registration provisions of Sections 5(a) and 5(c) of the Securities Act of 1933, and Warkol with also violating the broker-dealer registration provisions of Section 15(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Without admitting or denying the allegations in the complaint, Warkol has consented to the entry of a final judgment permanently enjoining him from violating the charged provisions, ordering disgorgement plus prejudgment interest of $2 million, and imposing an $189,427 penalty. The settlement is subject to court approval. The SEC's litigation against Toon Goggles will proceed, with the SEC seeking a permanent injunction, disgorgement plus prejudgment interest, and a civil penalty. In a separate administrative proceeding, the SEC also charged Toon Goggles' director of operations, Brendan Pollitz, for facilitating broker-dealer registration violations. Pollitz has consented to the entry of a cease-and-desist order, and agreed to pay disgorgement plus prejudgment interest of $34,117, and civil penalties of $9,472. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Yolanda Ochoa and Christopher Conte and supervised by Spencer E. Bendell. The SEC's litigation will be handled by Douglas Miller and Amy Longo. SEC Complaint Order