U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Litigation Release No. 21336 / December 15, 2009

SEC v. Canopy Financial, Inc. and Jeremy J. Blackburn, Case No. 09-CV-7429, USDC, N.D. Ill.

SEC OBTAINS PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION AGAINST JEREMY J. BLACKBURN IN LAWSUIT ALLEGING MISAPPROPRIATION OF INVESTORS FUNDS AND PONZI SCHEME

The Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission) announced that on December 8, 2009, the Honorable Blanche M. Manning in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois entered a preliminary injunction order enjoining Jeremy J. Blackburn from violating the antifraud provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 [Section 17(a)] and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 [Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 thereunder] (Preliminary Injunction Order). Blackburn consented to the entry of the Preliminary Injunction Order. The asset freeze order entered by the Court on November 30, 2009, freezing Blackburn's assets continues.

Filed on November 30, 2009, in an emergency TRO action, the Commission's complaint alleges that Blackburn, a co-founder and former President and Chief Operating Officer of privately-held Canopy Financial, Inc. (Canopy), engaged in a scheme to defraud investors in a $75 million private placement offering and as part of the scheme misappropriated investor funds. The Commission's Complaint seeks, among other things, permanent injunctions against Blackburn and Canopy. The Commission's Complaint also seeks the disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, plus prejudgment interest thereon, and civil penalties.

Blackburn was charged in a federal criminal complaint unsealed on December 2, 2009, in the Northern District of Illinois.