U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Litigation Release No. 21082 / June 12, 2009
Securities and Exchange Commission v. John S. Morgan, Marian I. Morgan, Morgan European Holdings ApS a/k/a Money Talks, Inc., ApS, Stephen E. Bowman, Bowman Marketing Group, Inc., and Thomas D. Woodcock, Jr., Case 8:09-CV-01093-RAL-EAJ
SEC OBTAINS EMERGENCY RELIEF AGAINST ALLEGED PERPETRATORS OF PRIME BANK SCHEME
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that, on June 11, 2009, it filed a civil action in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida against Morgan European Holdings ApS, a/k/a Money Talks, Inc. ApS ("MEH"), John Morgan, Marian Morgan, Bowman Marketing Group, Inc. ("BMG"), Stephen E. Bowman, and Thomas D. Woodcock, Jr., for allegedly soliciting investments in fictitious prime bank trading programs. MEH is based in Denmark and in Sarasota, Florida, where John Morgan and Marian Morgan also reside. BMG is located in Omaha, Nebraska, where Bowman resides. Woodcock is a resident of Rockwall, Texas.
The Complaint alleges that, during 2006 and 2007, the defendants raised millions of dollars from investors to participate in a fictitious investment program involving the trading of financial instruments among top financial institutions. The defendants told investors that their principal was guaranteed or never placed at risk. However, according to the Complaint, the defendants used investor funds for various undisclosed purposes, including Bowman's gambling expenses, mortgage payments by the Morgans, and Ponzi payments to some investors. The SEC claims that John Morgan, Marian Morgan, and Stephen Bowman have continued to lull investors into remaining complacent by promising the imminent payment of their principal and returns. None of the relevant offerings was registered with the Commission, nor were any of the defendants registered as a broker-dealer or associated with a registered broker-dealer.
The Complaint claims that, based on this conduct, all of the defendants violated Sections 5(a), 5(c) and 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The Complaint also claims that John Morgan, Marian Morgan, Bowman, and Woodcock violated Exchange Act Section 15(a). On the Commission's motion, the Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order, Asset Freeze and Other Equitable Relief ("Order") on June 11, 2009. Among other things, the Court's Order froze the assets of defendants John Morgan, Marian Morgan, MEH, Bowman, and BMG, wherever located, which are derived from, or reasonably traceable to, any investor funds. A hearing for a preliminary injunction has been set for June 25, 2009.