SEC files emergency action against BKCoin for raising $100M through crypto fraud
The United Securities and Alternate Fee (SEC) has filed an emergency motion to grab the belongings of Miami-based funding adviser BKCoin Administration LLC and its principal Kevin Kang for his or her connection to a crypto fraud scheme.
In a March 6 press statement, the monetary regulator mentioned BKCoin raised round $100 million from 55 buyers. SEC added that:
“BKCoin and Kang as a substitute used a few of the cash to make Ponzi-like funds and for private use.”
The SEC mentioned BKCoin’s actions had been a violation of the antifraud provisions of the federal securities legal guidelines.
SEC alleges BKCoin made Ponzi-like funds
The monetary regulator alleged that BKCoin and Kang informed their buyers that their investments could be used to commerce crypto belongings.
The funding firm additionally promised to generate returns for buyers “by individually managed accounts and 5 non-public funds.”
The regulator alleged that the BKCoin and Kang disregarded the funds’ construction, commingled buyers’ funds and used $3.6 million to make Ponzi-like funds to buyers.
Moreover that, Kang was additionally accused of misappropriating round $371,000 of buyers’ cash. In accordance with the SEC, Kang used the funds to pay for holidays, sporting occasions tickets, and a New York Metropolis condo.
The SEC mentioned Kang tried to cover this fraudulent use of buyers’ funds by “offering altered paperwork with inflated checking account balances to the third-party administrator.”
In the meantime, BKCoin additional lied that it obtained an auditor opinion from a prime 4 auditor when it didn’t obtain such opinions at any time.
The regional director of SEC’s Miami workplace Eric I. Bustillo mentioned:
“Buyers entrusted their cash to the defendants to commerce in crypto belongings. As a substitute, the defendants misappropriated their cash, created false paperwork, and even engaged in Ponzi-like conduct. This motion highlights our continued dedication to defending buyers and uprooting fraud in all securities sectors, together with the crypto asset enviornment.”
The SEC needs a everlasting injunction, disgorgement, prejudgment curiosity, and a civil penalty towards the defendants.
The SEC additional highlighted that Bison Bison Digital LLC allegedly obtained roughly $12 million from BKCoin. The SEC mentioned the court docket granted it emergency reduction actions towards this agency and the appointment of a receiver.
