SEC Surpasses $2 Billion in Fair Fund Distributions in 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2009-254

Washington, D.C., Nov. 25, 2009 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that, for the first time, more than $2 billion has been distributed in a calendar year to injured investors as a result of SEC enforcement actions and proceedings.

The SEC reached the milestone with the November 20 distribution of more than $40 million related to an illegal late trading scheme involving Ritchie Capital Management. The money resulted from penalties and disgorgement paid by Ritchie and others involved in the scheme that was the subject of an SEC enforcement proceeding.

"There is no substitute for returning money to defrauded investors," said Robert Khuzami, Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement.

In 2002, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) authorized the SEC to create funds, called Fair Funds, comprised of both civil penalties and ill-gotten gains that could be returned to injured investors. Prior to SOX, the SEC could return to investors only ill-gotten gains that had been disgorged by defendants. SOX enabled the SEC to include civil penalties in the distribution funds. The SEC has distributed approximately $6.6 billion in Fair Funds to investors since gaining this authority.

"Our sharp focus is on improving the effectiveness of our Fair Fund Program in order to accelerate the return of money to harmed investors," added Mr. Khuzami.

In 2009, distributions to injured investors have been made in 31 cases brought by the Commission, involving illegal conduct ranging from accounting fraud to pump-and-dump schemes to mutual fund market timing. Among the distributions this year were more than $840 million to approximately 257,000 injured AIG investors, more than $320 million to approximately two million injured investors in Alliance Capital mutual funds, and more than $240 million to approximately 700,000 injured Bear Stearns investors.

# # #