The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Steven Zoernack and his firm EquityStar Capital Management with fraud for stealing investor money and hiding his criminal past. The SEC brought fraud charges against ClearPath Wealth Management and its principal, Patrick Evans Churchville, for operating a fraudulent scheme that resulted in at least $11 million in losses to investors. One thing in common between the two firms was that both used the same fund administer.
SEC investigations found that Apex Fund Services missed or ignored clear indications of fraud while record-keeping and preparing financial statements and investor account statements for funds managed by ClearPath Wealth Management and EquityStar Capital Management.
This is another case of the SEC charging a gatekeeper for failing to identify and stop fraud.
The SEC’s order finds that in regard to ClearPath Apex failed to act appropriately after detecting undisclosed brokerage and bank accounts, undisclosed margin and loan agreements, and inter-series and inter-fund transfers made in violation of fund offering documents. Apex failed to correct previously issued accounting reports and capital statements and continued to provide materially false reports and statements to the funds’ independent auditor. Apex should have known that ClearPath would use Apex’s false reports to communicate financial positions and performance to the ClearPath funds’ investors.
The SEC’s order finds that in regard to EquityStar and Zoernack, Apex accounted for more than $1 million in undisclosed withdrawals as receivables owed to the funds, despite no evidence that it was able or willing to repay the withdrawals. Apex confronted Zoernack about the withdrawals and concluded he was unlikely to repay the funds. But Apex still did not properly account for Zoernack’s withdrawals even as they started to consume a significant portion of the funds’ assets. Apex sent monthly account statements to investors that it knew or should have known materially overstated the investors’ true holdings in the funds.
Apex was a failed gatekeeper. The SEC will bring charges for not taking appropriate steps. In this case, Apex knew its reports were false and still sent them to investors or to the funds knowing that they would be given to investors.
Sources:
- Private Fund Administrator Charged With Gatekeeper Failures
- SEC order – Apex (related to ClearPath)
- SEC order – Apex (related to EquityStar)
- SEC Charges Rhode Island Investment Advisory Company and Company Owner with Misusing and Stealing Investor’s Money
- SEC Announces Charges Against Unregistered Fund Manager Accused of Hiding Criminal Past
Château de Crécy-la-Chapelle: Gate by Baishiya 白石崖
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