Michael J. Hooper

Litigation Release No. 23916/ August 22, 2017

SEC v. Michael J. Hooper, No. 16-mc-00022 (E.D. Wash. Filed June 6, 2016)

Court Orders Spokane, Washington Accountant to Comply with SEC Bar Order and to Disgorge Profits

A federal court in Washington has ordered an accountant to comply with a Securities and Exchange Commission order suspending him from appearing or practicing before the SEC as an accountant, and to pay $33,833.13 in profits that he earned from accounting work for publicly traded companies that was in violation of the SEC's order.

The court's order, entered August 10, 2017, found that Michael J. Hooper of Spokane, Washington repeatedly violated an SEC order entered against him in 1999 suspending him under SEC Rule of Practice 102(e) from appearing or practicing before the Commission as an accountant, with the right to apply for reinstatement after five years. The Commission entered the 1999 order against Hooper after a federal court permanently enjoined him from violating certain antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws in an action in which Hooper was alleged to have made materially false and misleading statements and omissions in violation of those laws.

The recent court order found that although Hooper never applied for reinstatement, he helped publicly traded companies between 2006 and 2013 prepare financial statements and disclosure forms that were subsequently filed with the SEC. In doing so, the court found that Hooper appeared before the SEC as an accountant in violation of the SEC's order. The court ordered that Hooper comply with the SEC order and pay disgorgement of $30,833.13, representing profits gained as a result of his violations.