U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Litigation Release No. 22098 / September 19, 2011
SEC v. K2 Unlimited, Inc., 211 Ventures, LLC, Diane Glatfelter, Robert Rice, and Robert Anderson, Case No. 11cv11649 (U.S. District Court, D. Mass., Complaint filed September 19, 2011)
SEC Charges Operators of Investment Frauds based in Massachusetts, Florida and Indiana
On September 19, 2011, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed an enforcement action in federal court in Massachusetts against Diane Glatfelter of Billerica, Massachusetts, Robert Rice of Tallahassee, Florida, and Robert Anderson of Madison, Indiana, charging each of them with participating in fraudulent schemes involving the promotion and sale of fictitious financial instruments and trading programs. The Commission also charged two entities controlled by Glatfelter and Rice, K2 Unlimited, Inc. and 211 Ventures, LLC, in connection with the scheme.
The Commission's Complaint alleges that beginning in 2007, Glatfelter and Rice, through K2 Unlimited and 211 Ventures, offered fraudulent venture capital financing, which was purportedly to be raised through the use of "bank guarantees." According to the Commission's Complaint, Glatfelter, Rice and 211 Ventures also offered direct investments involving fictitious securities and trading programs, promising sky-high returns with guarantees against loss. In fact, the Commission alleges that the bank guarantees were non-existent fictional instruments and that the defendants defrauded investors of at least $1.8 million.
The Commission's Complaint also alleges that in early 2009, Glatfelter became associated with Anderson and the two began to offer fraudulent investments to investors, also based in part on the use of various fictitious financial instruments. The Commission's Complaint alleges that Glatfelter and Anderson offered these fraudulent investments through an entity called E-Trust Clearing House, KB. The Commission alleges that Glatfelter and Anderson caused at least $425,000 in investor losses through the E-Trust scheme.
The Commission's Complaint alleges that Glatfelter, Rice, Anderson, K2 Unlimited and 211 Ventures violated various anti-fraud, broker-dealer and securities registration provisions of the federal securities laws. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Glatfelter, Rice, Anderson and 211 Ventures violated Sections 5(a) and 5(c) of the Securities Act of 1933; that all defendants violated Section 17(a) of the Securities Act; that all defendants violated Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder; that Glatfelter and Rice aided and abetted K2 Unlimited and 211 Ventures' violations of Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 thereunder; and that Glatfelter, Rice and K2 Unlimited violated Section 15(a) of the Exchange Act. The Commission seeks permanent injunctions, disgorgement and prejudgment interest, and civil penalties against each defendant, and a bar prohibiting Glatfelter from serving as an officer or director of a public company.
The Commission's Complaint alleges that the defendants in this matter purported to offer investment using the so-called "bank guarantees," stand-by letters of credit, or mid-term notes, among others. The Complaint alleges these instruments are fictitious and are not legitimate investments. Investors who are offered investments similar to those alleged in the Commission's complaint may want to consult the SEC's website concerning "Warning to All Investors about Bogus "Prime Bank" and Other Banking-Related Investment Schemes," at: http://www.sec.gov/divisions/enforce/primebank.shtml; or, "How Prime Bank Frauds Work," at: http://www.sec.gov/divisions/enforce/primebank/howtheywork.shtml.