SEC v. Edward M. Laborio; Jonathan Fraiman; Matthew K. Lazar; Envit Capital, LLC; Envit Capital Group, Inc.; Envit Capital Holdings, Inc., et al., No. LR-22444, District of Massachusetts (Aug. 10, 2012) — Press Release
raw: Edward M. Laborio et al.
Edward M. Laborio et al., No. 1:12-cv-11489-MBB (Aug. 10, 2012)
Edward M. Laborio, Jonathan Fraiman, Matthew K. Lazar, and seven related entities were charged with running a $5.7 million boiler room scheme from 2006 to 2009, defrauding approximately 150 investors through the sale of unregistered securities, and face SEC charges and penalties.
The SEC charged the defendants with violating multiple securities laws, including anti-fraud provisions, registration requirements, and broker-dealer registration rules. The scheme involved misrepresentations about the companies' businesses, revenues, and financial projections, as well as fabricated claims of quarterly dividends and high returns. Laborio allegedly used investor proceeds for personal expenses, including covering gambling losses, and the SEC seeks permanent injunctions, disgorgement with interest, civil penalties, and other relief.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Edward M. Laborio, Jonathan Fraiman, Matthew K. Lazar, and seven related entities with running a $5.7 million boiler room scheme from 2006 to 2009. The scheme involved the sale of five unregistered securities to approximately 150 investors, using high-pressure sales tactics and misrepresentations about the companies' businesses, revenues, and financial projections. Laborio and Fraiman fabricated financial performance, lied about the existence and returns of a non-operational hedge fund (Envit Fund), and used investor funds for personal expenses, including gambling. Lazar misled investors about a PIPE offering by falsely claiming it was as safe as a CD with guaranteed returns. The defendants were accused of violating multiple securities laws, including anti-fraud provisions, registration requirements, and broker-dealer registration rules. The SEC seeks permanent injunctions, disgorgement with interest, civil penalties, penny stock bars against all three individuals, and an officer/director bar against Laborio. The Commission had previously suspended and revoked the registration of Envit Group’s securities.
Exhibits & Attached Documents (4)
Extracted insights
- $5.70M $5.7 million $1M–$10M
- $5.00M $5 Million $1M–$10M
- $585K $585,000 $100K–$1M
- agency Securities and Exchange Commission
- organization Securities and Exchange Commission
- Securities and Exchange Commission charged Edward M. Laborio, Jonathan Fraiman, Matthew K. Lazar, Envit Capital, LLC, Envit Capital Group, Inc., Envit Capital Holdings, Inc., Envit Capital Private Wealth Management, LLC, Envit Capital Multi Strategy Mixed Investment Fund I LP, Aetius Group PLC, and Aetius Group LLC
- Securities and Exchange Commission filed complaint against Edward M. Laborio et al. for a $5 million boiler room scheme
Litigation Release No. 22444 / August 10, 2012 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Edward M. Laborio, Jonathan Fraiman, Matthew K. Lazar, Envit Capital, LLC, Envit Capital Group, Inc., Envit Capital Holdings, Inc., Envit Capital Private Wealth Management, LLC, Envit Capital Multi Strategy Mixed Investment Fund I LP, Aetius Group PLC, and Aetius Group LLC, 1:12-cv-11489-MBB (District of Massachusetts, Complaint filed August 10, 2012) SEC Charges Participants in $5 Million Boiler Room Scheme The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today that it has charged Edward M. Laborio and others for their roles in a boiler room scheme that used high-pressure sales tactics to raise up to $5.7 million from approximately 150 investors through the fraudulent sale of five unregistered securities offerings involving a group of related entities. The scheme ran from approximately December 2006 to August 2009. Laborio, formerly of Boston, Massachusetts, is now a resident of Boca Raton, Florida. The SEC also charged Jonathan Fraiman of Lantana, Florida; Matthew K. Lazar of Westerville, Ohio; and seven entities controlled by Laborio: Envit Capital Group, Inc. ("Envit Group"); Envit Capital, LLC ("Envit LLC"); Envit Capital Holdings, Inc. ("Envit Holdings"); Envit Capital Private Wealth Management, LLC ("Envit Wealth"); Envit Capital Multi Strategy Mixed Investment Fund I LP ("Envit Fund"); Aetius Group PLC ("Aetius PLC"); and Aetius Group LLC ("Aetius LLC") (collectively, the "Envit Companies"). According to the Commission's complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Laborio and Fraiman made multiple misrepresentations and misleading statements to investors about the Envit Companies' businesses, revenues, financial projections, uses of investor funds, and historical returns generated by Envit Fund, a purported hedge fund that in reality never conducted any operations. According to the complaint, Laborio also created scripts with sales pitches containing fabricated information. For example, one of Laborio's scripts allegedly included unfounded claims that investors would receive quarterly dividends and "2-3x return on money." Laborio also allegedly used investor proceeds to cover gambling losses, to make direct payments to himself, and to cover personal expenses. Fraiman allegedly represented to an investor that Envit Fund, the purported hedge fund, returned 42.9% in 2006 and 43.7% in 2007, even though the hedge fund was not launched until mid-2007 and never conducted any operations. The complaint further alleges that Lazar raised $585,000 from approximately 10 investors through the sale of a PIPE (private investment in public equity) in Envit Group (one of the five unregistered securities offerings) by misrepresenting that the PIPE guaranteed an annual 8.5% dividend, and that it was safe, like a fixed annuity or a CD. As a result of the conduct described in the complaint, the Commission alleges that all defendants violated Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act") and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 thereunder; that Laborio, Fraiman, Lazar and Envit Wealth violated Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ("Advisers Act"); that Laborio, Fraiman, and Envit Wealth violated Advisers Act Section 206(4) and Rule 206(4)-8 thereunder; that Laborio, Fraiman, and Lazar violated Exchange Act Section 15(a)(1); that Laborio, Envit LLC, Envit Group, Envit Holdings, and Aetius PLC violated Securities Act Sections 5(a) and 5(c); that Laborio violated Exchange Act Section 16(a) and Rule 16a-3 thereunder; and that Envit Fund and Aetius LLC violated Section 7(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. The SEC seeks in its action permanent injunctions, disgorgement plus prejudgment interest, civil penalties, penny stock bars against Laborio, Fraiman, and Lazar, and an officer and director bar against Laborio. The Commission previously suspended trading in the securities of Envit Group in May 2009 and subsequently revoked the registration of the securities of Envit Group in September 2009. In conducting its investigation, the Commission acknowledges assistance from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State of Florida Office of Financial Regulation and, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). For further information, see Exchange Act Release No. 34-59900 (May 12, 2009) [Order suspending trading in Envit Group securities]; Initial Decision Release No. 385 (August 13, 2009) [Initial decision revoking registration of Envit Group securities]; Exchange Act Release No. 60658 (September 11, 2009) [Notice of final decision revoking registration of Envit Group securities]. SEC ComplaintLitigation Release No. 22444 / August 10, 2012 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Edward M. Laborio, Jonathan Fraiman, Matthew K. Lazar, Envit Capital, LLC, Envit Capital Group, Inc., Envit Capital Holdings, Inc., Envit Capital Private Wealth Management, LLC, Envit Capital Multi Strategy Mixed Investment Fund I LP, Aetius Group PLC, and Aetius Group LLC, 1:12-cv-11489-MBB (District of Massachusetts, Complaint filed August 10, 2012) SEC Charges Participants in $5 Million Boiler Room Scheme The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today that it has charged Edward M. Laborio and others for their roles in a boiler room scheme that used high-pressure sales tactics to raise up to $5.7 million from approximately 150 investors through the fraudulent sale of five unregistered securities offerings involving a group of related entities. The scheme ran from approximately December 2006 to August 2009. Laborio, formerly of Boston, Massachusetts, is now a resident of Boca Raton, Florida. The SEC also charged Jonathan Fraiman of Lantana, Florida; Matthew K. Lazar of Westerville, Ohio; and seven entities controlled by Laborio: Envit Capital Group, Inc. ("Envit Group"); Envit Capital, LLC ("Envit LLC"); Envit Capital Holdings, Inc. ("Envit Holdings"); Envit Capital Private Wealth Management, LLC ("Envit Wealth"); Envit Capital Multi Strategy Mixed Investment Fund I LP ("Envit Fund"); Aetius Group PLC ("Aetius PLC"); and Aetius Group LLC ("Aetius LLC") (collectively, the "Envit Companies"). According to the Commission's complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Laborio and Fraiman made multiple misrepresentations and misleading statements to investors about the Envit Companies' businesses, revenues, financial projections, uses of investor funds, and historical returns generated by Envit Fund, a purported hedge fund that in reality never conducted any operations. According to the complaint, Laborio also created scripts with sales pitches containing fabricated information. For example, one of Laborio's scripts allegedly included unfounded claims that investors would receive quarterly dividends and "2-3x return on money." Laborio also allegedly used investor proceeds to cover gambling losses, to make direct payments to himself, and to cover personal expenses. Fraiman allegedly represented to an investor that Envit Fund, the purported hedge fund, returned 42.9% in 2006 and 43.7% in 2007, even though the hedge fund was not launched until mid-2007 and never conducted any operations. The complaint further alleges that Lazar raised $585,000 from approximately 10 investors through the sale of a PIPE (private investment in public equity) in Envit Group (one of the five unregistered securities offerings) by misrepresenting that the PIPE guaranteed an annual 8.5% dividend, and that it was safe, like a fixed annuity or a CD. As a result of the conduct described in the complaint, the Commission alleges that all defendants violated Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act") and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 thereunder; that Laborio, Fraiman, Lazar and Envit Wealth violated Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ("Advisers Act"); that Laborio, Fraiman, and Envit Wealth violated Advisers Act Section 206(4) and Rule 206(4)-8 thereunder; that Laborio, Fraiman, and Lazar violated Exchange Act Section 15(a)(1); that Laborio, Envit LLC, Envit Group, Envit Holdings, and Aetius PLC violated Securities Act Sections 5(a) and 5(c); that Laborio violated Exchange Act Section 16(a) and Rule 16a-3 thereunder; and that Envit Fund and Aetius LLC violated Section 7(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. The SEC seeks in its action permanent injunctions, disgorgement plus prejudgment interest, civil penalties, penny stock bars against Laborio, Fraiman, and Lazar, and an officer and director bar against Laborio. The Commission previously suspended trading in the securities of Envit Group in May 2009 and subsequently revoked the registration of the securities of Envit Group in September 2009. In conducting its investigation, the Commission acknowledges assistance from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State of Florida Office of Financial Regulation and, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). For further information, see Exchange Act Release No. 34-59900 (May 12, 2009) [Order suspending trading in Envit Group securities]; Initial Decision Release No. 385 (August 13, 2009) [Initial decision revoking registration of Envit Group securities]; Exchange Act Release No. 60658 (September 11, 2009) [Notice of final decision revoking registration of Envit Group securities]. SEC Complaint