Hunter Haithcock a/k/a Hunter Elliott and Hunter Allen

U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Lit. Release No. 26099 / September 9, 2024

Securities and Exchange Commission v Hunter Haithcock a/k/a Hunter Elliott and Hunter Allen Haithcock, No. 1:24-cv-02585-JRR (D. Md. filed Sept. 6, 2024)

SEC Charges Former Maryland Resident for Conducting an Offering Fraud and Ponzi Scheme

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced on September 6, 2024 charges against Hunter Haithcock for engaging in an offering fraud that raised approximately $520,000 from at least 50 retail investors, mostly from in and around Baltimore, Maryland.

The SEC’s complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, alleges that over a three-year period, Haithcock raised over half a million dollars from friends and other investors under the guise that he would successfully day-trade stocks on their behalf, earn them substantial profits, and guarantee the safety of their principal.  The complaint alleges that Haithcock held himself out as a securities professional who worked for a large, well-known financial institution.  He asked his clients to sign bogus agreements he created by altering actual forms from that institution, and fabricated account statements to reflect generous returns on investments.  But there were no investment returns.  The complaint also alleges that, rather than invest investor funds as promised, Haithcock used most of the money for personal expenses and diverted new investor funds to pay back prior investors in a Ponzi-like fashion.

The SEC’s complaint charges Haithcock with violating the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws, specifically, 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, and Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.  The complaint also seeks injunctive relief, civil penalties, and disgorgement with prejudgment interest.

In a parallel action, Haithcock was indicted and arrested on criminal charges by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Paulina L. Jerez, Samantha K. Keleher, and Brian Higgins and supervised by Kingdon Kase, Scott A. Thompson, and Nicholas P. Grippo of the SEC’s Philadelphia Regional Office.  The litigation against Haithcock will be led by Kara F. Sweet and supervised by Gregory R. Bockin.  The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, the Baltimore field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Securities Division of the Office of the Maryland Attorney General.