Friday, September 25, 2009

SEC Alleges Pump and Dump Scheme Involving ConnectAJet. com Stock

From The Securities Law Prof Blog:

The SEC announced today that on September 18, 2009, it sued several individuals and entities, alleging that the defendants implemented a scheme to funnel ConnectAJet.com, Inc. shares into the public market at great profit to themselves when no registration statement was filed or in effect.

According to the complaint, ConnectAJet.com, Inc., of Austin, Texas, issued 30 million shares of stock in an illegal, unregistered offering to certain penny stock promoters, including Testre LP and Verona Funds LLC, companies owned and controlled by Page, a resident of Malibu, California. To pump up demand for the stock, Cantu and ConnectAJet.com, Inc. launched a nationwide advertising campaign, issued false press releases and published misleading web content. The complaint further alleges that the press releases falsely stated that ConnectAJet.com. Inc. had created a real-time, online booking system for private jet travel. Testre LP, Verona Funds LLC, and an entity owned by Martin M. Cantu, Firenze Funds, LLC, then allegedly sold their stock into the public market at grossly inflated prices for millions of dollars in profits. Fayette, of Sarasota, Florida, allegedly facilitated the scheme by liquidating ConnectAJet.com, Inc. shares on behalf of multiple clients.

More>>>