SEC Form 4
FORM 4 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*
Cowart Benjamin P

(Last) (First) (Middle)
1331 GEMINI STREET
SUITE 250

(Street)
HOUSTON TX 77058

(City) (State) (Zip)
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Vertex Energy Inc. [ VTNR ]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
X Director X 10% Owner
X Officer (give title below) Other (specify below)
CEO & President
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
12/04/2014
4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
X Form filed by One Reporting Person
Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 08/13/2014 G 80,000 D $0 2,632,364 D
Common Stock 12/04/2014 P 244,299 A $3.07(1) 244,299 I Through The Benjamin Paul Cowart 2012 Grantor Retained Annuity Trust
Common Stock 12/04/2014 P 244,299 A $3.07(1) 244,299 I Through The Shelley T. Cowart 2012 Grantor Retained Annuity Trust
Common Stock 4,796,761 I Through B&S Cowart II Family LP
Common Stock 7,500 I Through Vertex Holdings, Inc.
Common Stock 100,765 I Through VTX Inc.
Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year) 7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) 9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) 10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Warrants to Purchase Common Stock $3.01 12/04/2014 P 109,934 12/04/2014 12/04/2019 Common Stock 109,934 (1) 109,934 I Through The Benjamin Paul Cowart 2012 Grantor Retained Annuity Trust
Warrants to Purchase Common Stock $3.01 12/04/2014 P 109,934 12/04/2014 12/04/2019 Common Stock 109,934 (1) 109,934 I Through The Shelley T. Cowart 2012 Grantor Retained Annuity Trust
Explanation of Responses:
1. On December 4, 2014, Mr. Cowart and his wife each purchased 244,299 shares of restricted common stock and five year warrants to purchase 109,934 shares of common stock for $750,000 or $1.5 million in aggregate. The securities are held by The Benjamin Paul Cowart 2012 Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (of which Mr. Cowart is the grantor and trustee) and the Shelley T. Cowart 2012 Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (which Mr. Cowart's wife serves as the grantor and trustee of), and Mr. Cowart is deemed to beneficially own the securities held by both trusts.
/s/Benjamin P. Cowart 12/09/2014
** Signature of Reporting Person Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
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