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Lev Parnas and David Correia

SEC Obtains Partial Judgment Against Fraud Guarantee Co-Founder for Engaging in Fraudulent Securities Offering

Litigation Release No. 25391 / May 11, 2022

Securities and Exchange Commission v. Lev Parnas and David Correia, Civil Action No. 1:21-cv-00995 (S.D.N.Y. filed February 4, 2021)

On May 6, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered a partial consent judgment against Florida resident Lev Parnas for his role in participating in an offering fraud that raised millions of dollars from investors.

According to the SEC's complaint, from 2013 through mid-2019, Parnas, along with David Correia, raised over $2 million from investors through investments in their entity, Fraud Guarantee. According to the complaint, Parnas and Correia told potential investors that their funds would be used to develop products that would help customers recoup losses resulting from investment or consumer fraud. The complaint further alleges that contrary to Parnas's and Correia's representations, the funds were instead largely used for personal expenses including travel, jewelry, cars, and disbursements at a casino.  As alleged, Parnas and Correia also falsely told potential investors that they had raised millions of dollars from other investors and that they had invested hundreds of thousands of dollars of their own money into Fraud Guarantee.

The Court entered a partial final judgment against Parnas by consent, permanently enjoining him from violating the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. On May 9, 2022 the Commission imposed an associational and penny stock bar on Parnas. Previously, in April 2021, the Commission settled its case with Correia.

The SEC's investigation was conducted by Lindsay Moilanen, Jordan Baker, and Sheldon L. Pollock of the New York Regional Office, and the litigation is being led by Lee A. Greenwood and Ms. Moilanen.  The case is being supervised by Mr. Pollock.