The Securities and Exchange Commission has obtained a final judgment against Christian concert promoter Jeffrey E. Wall, of Freeport, Maine, and his business, The Lighthouse Events, LLC.

The Commission charged Wall and Lighthouse in April 2019 with operating an egregious community-based financial fraud related to Christian music concerts and festivals. The judgment finds Wall and Lighthouse liable for fraudulently raising more than $3 million in unregistered offerings from approximately 145 investors, many of whom shared Wall's religious views. Wall had promised investors that their funds would be used solely to promote and host Christian music concerts and festivals and that their investments were "secured" and "guaranteed." In reality, Wall and Lighthouse used investor funds for a variety of other expenses, including payment of Lighthouse's existing debt and payments to earlier investors.

The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy issued an Investor Alert, Avoiding Investment Fraud in Your Faith-Based Community, in November 2019. We encourage investors to protect themselves and their communities from fraud targeting members of a shared faith.

On March 31, 2020, United States Magistrate Judge John H. Rich III entered summary judgment for the SEC on all of the claims in its complaint. The court's judgment permanently enjoins Wall and Lighthouse from violating the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act") and Section 10(b) the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and the registration provisions under Sections 5(a) and 5(c) of the Securities Act. . The court also ordered Wall and Lighthouse to pay, jointly and severally, $1,589,815 in disgorgement of ill-gotten gains plus $202,056 in prejudgment interest thereon, and individual civil penalties of $1,589,815 against Wall and $1,589,815 against Lighthouse.

The SEC's case was handled by David London, John McCann, and Michele T. Perillo of the Boston Regional Office.