COMPLAINT FOR INJUNCTIVE AND OTHER EQUITABLE RELIEF
Plaintiff Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") for its
Complaint for Injunctive and Other Equitable Relief, states as follows:
NATURE OF THE ACTION
1. This case concerns an ongoing scheme to violate the registration,
antifraud and reporting provisions of the federal securities laws. Defendant
Frank J. Custable, Jr. ("Custable"), a recidivist securities law violator,
has orchestrated the multi-faceted scheme from its inception in 2001 until
the present. Custable's scheme has involved the securities of at least seven
small public companies and has generated more than $4 million in ill-gotten
gains.
2. Custable's scheme involves illegally obtaining large positions in
penny stock issuers and then using nominees to engage in unregistered
offerings of the stock, while fraudulently concealing Custable's interest in
the stock. To carry out his scheme, Custable has used Defendant Suburban
Capital Corporation ("Suburban Capital"), a company controlled by Custable
that purports to provide financing and consulting services to small public
companies, as well as Defendants Sara Wetzel ("Wetzel"), and Francis Scott
Widen ("Widen"), two individuals who work for Custable at Suburban Capital.
Custable has also used various other individuals as nominees to obtain stock
for his benefit without disclosing his interest in the stock. Acting at
Custable's direction, Suburban Capital, Wetzel, Widen and other nominees
have repeatedly obtained large amounts of stock from penny stock issuers and
then promptly sold the stock to the investing public in violation of the
registration provisions.
3. A significant amount of the stock that Suburban Capital, Wetzel, Widen
and others have obtained for Custable's benefit was fraudulently obtained.
The fraud involved includes sham Commission Form S-8 registration
statements, forged stock authorization forms, and at least one bogus
attorney opinion letter arranged by Custable.
4. Custable, through various "straw men" consultants, has obtained stock
by Commission Form S-8 registration statements, which state that the issuer
may only issue S-8 securities to consultants in exchange for bona fide
consulting services and not in connection with a capital-raising
transaction. In the case of stock that Custable's straw men obtained from
Defendants Wasatch Pharmaceutical, Inc. ("Wasatch"), Gateway Distributors,
Inc. ("Gateway"), Pacel Corporation ("Pacel"), and ThermoElastic
Technologies, Inc. ("ThermoElastic"), as well as from Sharecom, Inc. ("Sharecom"),
the issuers either obtained little or no bona fide services in
exchange for the stock, or issued the stock in connection with a
capital-raising transaction. The Commission has named as defendants in this
action certain officers of the issuers involved in the sham S-8 registration
statements. The officer defendants are: 1) Gary Heesch ("Heesch"), and David
Giles ("Giles") of Wasatch, 2) David Calkins ("Calkins") of Pacel, and 3)
Richard Bailey ("Bailey") of Gateway.
5. In the case of Blagman Media International, Inc. ("BMII"), Custable,
Suburban Capital and Wetzel engineered a scheme in which they forged share
issuance authorizations so that they could obtain and liquidate
approximately 5.4 billion counterfeit shares of BMII.
6. In the case of Sharecom, Custable arranged for a significant amount of
restricted Sharecom stock to become unrestricted and freely tradable through
an attorney opinion letter premised on the fiction that the stock was owed
for work performed more than two years before.
7. In carrying out this scheme, Custable has meticulously avoided using
his name wherever possible. Custable has concealed his interest in the penny
stocks involved in this action by using Wetzel, Widen, Suburban Capital and
various straw men to effect stock transactions on his behalf. Custable has
done so because he is rightly concerned that shareholders would be
suspicious of any company in which Custable, a recidivist violator of the
securities laws, had a substantial interest. In going to such lengths to
conceal his interest in the penny stocks, he has fraudulently evaded the
reporting requirements of the federal securities laws, which require
reporting by anyone with an interest in more than 5% of the outstanding
stock of a public company.
8. Custable has consistently dumped on the unsuspecting investing public
the shares that he has obtained through his confederates and other straw
men. In order to liquidate the large stock positions accumulated on his
behalf, Custable has enlisted the assistance of individuals and entities to
send, by e-mail and fax, huge volumes of unsolicited stock newsletters to
the investing public. The stock newsletters have touted the stock that
Custable has accumulated and stimulated market demand for the stock that
Custable has then dumped on the market. Custable has generally paid for this
"spamming" of potential investors with stock that he has
acquired-legitimately or illegitimately-from the various small issuers
enmeshed in his scheme.
9. Custable has tightly controlled the ill-gotten gains from his scheme.
He controls Suburban Capital's bank accounts, which is where Wetzel, Widen
and the straw men that Custable has used generally direct proceeds from
their stock sales. Custable has also directed at least $235,000 in proceeds
from his scheme to offshore accounts and entities. Custable has also set up
an entity in the offshore jurisdiction of Nevis, to shield his assets from
recovery. Since at least June 2002, Pine Services, Ltd. ("Pine Services"),
the relief defendant, has facilitated Custable's attempts to move assets
beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement by directing stocks and cash to
bank accounts in Costa Rica.
10. By the above conduct, Custable has violated Sections 5(a), 5(c),
17(a)(1), 17(a)(2) and 17(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities
Act"), Sections 10(b) and 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
("Exchange Act"), and Rules 10b-5, 13d-1 and 13d-2 thereunder. Suburban
Capital and Wetzel have violated Sections 5(a), 5(c), 17(a)(1), 17(a)(2) and
17(a)(3) of the Securities Act, Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule
10b-5 thereunder. Widen has violated Sections 5(a) and 5(c) of the
Securities Act.
11. The Commission is requesting emergency injunctive and other equitable
relief against Custable, Suburban Capital, Wetzel and Widen. The Commission
requests that the Court issue a temporary restraining order and preliminary
injunction against them enjoining further violations of the federal
securities laws. Given the continuous nature of their illegal conduct,
emergency injunctive relief is appropriate. The Commission further requests
that the Court grant other emergency equitable relief against them,
including an order requiring them to provide accountings, freezing their
assets, prohibiting them from destroying or concealing documents and
requiring them to repatriate assets to the U.S. The Commission further
requests that the Court impose a temporary, preliminary and permanent penny
stock bar against Custable and Suburban Capital, and bar them from further
trading of securities during the pendency of this action. The Commission
requests this equitable relief based on Custable's orchestration of a
long-running and brazen scheme to violate the federal securities laws. The
Commission also requests that the Court impose a permanent penny stock bar
against Wetzel and Widen. The Commission further requests permanent
injunctive relief, disgorgement, civil penalties and penny stock bars
against Custable, Suburban Capital, Wetzel and Widen based on their conduct
in this scheme.
12. The Commission requests disgorgement from relief defendant, Pine
Services because it has been unjustly enriched through its receipt of
ill-gotten gains from the scheme. The Commission further requests emergency
equitable relief against Pine Services, including an asset freeze and
repatriation order, as well as an order requiring a detailed accounting from
Pine Services of its assets and for the transactions that are the subject of
this action, and an order prohibiting Pine Services from destroying or
concealing documents that are relevant to this action.
13. By the above conduct, Wasatch, Heesch and Giles have violated
Sections 5(a), 5(c) and 17(a) of the Securities Act and Section 10(b) and
Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. The Commission requests that the Court
permanently enjoin Wasatch, Heesch and Giles from further violations, order
them to pay disgorgement and civil penalties and enter an officer and
director bar against Heesch and Giles. The Commission further requests that
the Court impose a permanent penny stock bar against Heesch and Giles. As
part of the requested temporary restraining order, the Commission seeks to
have the Court require Wasatch, Heesch and Giles to provide an accounting of
their assets and for the transactions that are the subject of this action
and to be prohibited from destroying or concealing documents relevant to
this action.
14. By the above conduct, Pacel, Calkins, Gateway and Bailey have
violated Section 17(a) of the Securities Act and Section 10(b) and Rule
10b-5 of the Exchange Act. The Commission requests that the Court
permanently enjoin Pacel, Calkins, Gateway and Bailey from further
violations, order them to pay disgorgement and civil penalties and enter a
officer and director bar against Calkins and Bailey. As part of the
requested temporary restraining order, the Commission seeks to have the
Court require Pacel, Calkins, Gateway and Bailey to provide an accounting of
their assets and for the transactions that are the subject of this action
and to be prohibited from destroying or concealing documents relevant to
this action.
JURISDICTION
15. The Court has jurisdiction over this action pursuant to Sections 20
[15 U.S.C. §77t] and 22 of the Securities Act [15 U.S.C. §77v] and Sections
21(d)[15 U.S.C. §78u(d)] and 27 of the Exchange Act [15 U.S.C. §78aa].
16. The defendants have, directly and indirectly, made, and are making,
use of the mails, and of the means and instrumentalities of interstate
commerce, in connection with the transactions, acts, practices and courses
of business alleged in this Complaint.
17. There is a reasonable likelihood that the defendants will, unless
enjoined, continue to engage in the transactions, acts, practices and
courses of business set forth in this Complaint, and transactions, acts,
practices and courses of business of similar purport and object.
THE DEFENDANTS
18. Suburban Capital Corporation, is a Delaware corporation
headquartered in Addison, Illinois. Suburban Capital purports to provide
financing and consulting services to small public companies. Custable runs
the operations of Suburban Capital. Many of the nominees used to accumulate
stock for Custable's benefit were either employed by Suburban Capital or did
consulting work for Suburban Capital. Throughout the scheme alleged in this
action, Suburban Capital accumulated stock for Custable's benefit and took
control of the ill-gotten gains generated by the scheme.
19. Frank J. Custable, Jr. is a resident of Glendale Heights,
Illinois. Custable is the president of Suburban Capital and has also
identified himself as its secretary. Custable was a registered
representative with various broker-dealer firms until February 1992.
Custable has a significant disciplinary history in the securities industry.
In 1994, as part of a Commission action, Custable and F.C. Financial Corp.
("F.C. Financial"), an entity that he operated and controlled, were
permanently enjoined from violating the antifraud provisions of the
Securities Act and the Exchange Act and ordered to pay disgorgement of
$324,970 and a civil penalty of $60,000. The prior Commission action
resulted from a fraudulent offering involving mortgage-backed promissory
notes. In 1994, as a result of the Commission enforcement action, the State
of Illinois entered an order permanently prohibiting Custable and F.C.
Financial from offering or selling any securities in Illinois and fined him
$10,000. In 1992, the NASD censured Custable, barred him from association
with any member firm, and fined him $20,000 as a result of his execution of
unauthorized trades in customers' accounts and guaranteeing a return on the
investments he sold to customers. In 1991, the State of Indiana ordered
Custable to cease and desist from committing violations of the Indiana
Securities Act and ordered him to pay a $15,000 civil penalty and $11,000 in
restitution for fraud and other misconduct related his sales of investments.
In 1992, the State of Wisconsin entered a Summary Order of Prohibition and
Revocation of Exemptions against Custable for his failure to disclose his
disciplinary history and other misrepresentations related to his sale of
mortgage-related investments.
20. Sara Wetzel ("Wetzel") is a resident of Glenview, Illinois.
Wetzel, like Custable, has identified herself as the president and secretary
of Suburban Capital. At times relevant to this action, Wetzel was Custable's
primary assistant at Suburban Capital and supervises its administrative
staff. According to S-8 registration statements filed with the Commission,
Wetzel has supposedly provided consulting services to Sharecom, Wasatch, and
Pacel in exchange for S-8 stock.
21. Francis Scott Widen ("Widen") is a resident of Buffalo Grove,
Illinois. At times relevant to this action, Widen was the head of Suburban
Capital's "mergers and acquisitions department" and supervises the
consultants who work for Suburban Capital. According to S-8 registration
statements filed with the Commission, Widen has supposedly provided
consulting services to Sharecom and Pacel in exchange for S-8 stock.
22. Wasatch Pharmaceutical, Inc. ("Wasatch") is a Utah corporation
headquartered in Murray, Utah. The securities of Wasatch are registered with
the Commission pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act and are quoted
on the OTC Electronic Bulletin Board, under the symbol WSCH. Wasatch
purports to be engaged in designing, manufacturing, and marketing
pharmaceutical and dermatological products.
23. Gary Heesch ("Heesch") is the Chief Executive Officer and a
director of Wasatch and a resident of Utah.
24. David Giles ("Giles") is the Chief Financial Officer and
secretary of Wasatch and a resident of Utah.
25. Pacel Corporation ("Pacel") is a Virginia corporation
headquartered in Manassas, Virginia. The securities of Pacel are registered
with the Commission pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act and are
quoted on the OTC Electronic Bulletin Board, under the symbol PCEL. Pacel
purports to be a software development and systems integration company.
26. David Calkins ("Calkins") is a resident of Amissville,
Virginia and is the president and a director of Pacel.
27. Gateway Distributors, Ltd. ("Gateway") is a Nevada corporation
headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. The securities of Gateway are registered
with the Commission pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act and are
quoted on the OTC Electronic Bulletin Board under the symbol GTWY. Gateway
purports to market and distribute nutritional and health supplements.
28. Richard Bailey ("Bailey") is a resident of Las Vegas, Nevada
and is the president, Chief Financial Officer, and a director of Gateway.
29. ThermoElastic Technologies, Inc. ("ThermoElastic") is a
Colorado corporation headquartered in Fox Island, Washington. The securities
of ThermoElastic are registered with the Commission pursuant to Section
12(g) of the Exchange Act and are quoted on the OTC Electronic Bulletin
Board under the symbol TMRO. ThermoElastic purports to market and distribute
dental care and other oral hygiene products.
FACTS
Custable and Suburban Capital's Relationship with
the Issuers
30. From at least November 2001 to the present, Custable, through
Suburban Capital, an entity that he controls, has been engaged in providing
small public companies with financing and consulting services. The companies
that have worked with Suburban Capital are very small public companies,
typically with market capitalizations under $10 million. During the pendency
of Custable's scheme, the stock of these companies generally traded at
prices under $.10 per share, and frequently traded for less than $.01 per
share. The stocks involved in this scheme are considered penny stocks. The
stock of the companies involved in this scheme is quoted on the OTC
Electronic Bulletin Board, which is a quotation service provided by the NASD.
31. Suburban Capital holds itself out to small public companies as a "one
stop shop," capable of providing these companies with assistance in raising
capital and other consulting services required by the small public
companies. Although Custable controls Suburban Capital, he delegates various
significant tasks to Wetzel and Widen. At times relevant to this action,
Wetzel has served as Custable's primary assistant at Suburban Capital and
acts as Suburban Capital's office manager. At times relevant to this action,
Widen has served as the head of Suburban Capital's "mergers and acquisition
department". In addition to Wetzel and Widen, Suburban Capital employed
other consultants, including Robert Romine ("Romine"), James Carroll
("Carroll") and Paul Munnich ("Munnich"), to allegedly provide consulting
services to the issuers identified in this Complaint. Where Custable has
retained an individual to obtain stock on his behalf, such as Munnich,
Carroll and Romine, the individual is referred to herein as a "straw man".
32. Through this relationship, Custable and Suburban Capital have
obtained significant amounts of stock in the issuers identified in this
Complaint.
33. One way that Custable has accumulated large positions in the
penny stocks is through stock issued pursuant to a Form S-8 registration
statement filed with the Commission by the issuer. Form S-8 registration is
available to issuers who compensate their consultants in the form of
securities, rather than cash. Small public companies use S-8 securities to
fund their operations because they frequently do not have sufficient cash to
do so. The instructions to Commission Form S-8 state that Form S-8 is
available to register securities offered and sold to the issuer's
consultants and employees "only if (i) they are natural persons; (ii) they
provide bona fide services to the registrant; and (iii) the services
are not in connection with the offer or sale of securities in a capital
raising transaction, and do not directly or indirectly promote or maintain a
market for the registrant's securities..." Custable accumulated significant
positions in the issuers by having individuals acting on his behalf, such as
Wetzel and Widen, identified on Form S-8 registration statements as
consultants to the issuers. Wetzel, Widen and Custable's straw men thus have
received S-8 stock from the issuers and, at Custable's direction, they have
either sold such stock or transferred it to Suburban Capital or to another
entity or individual.
34. Another way that Custable has provided capital to issuers is
through secured loans made by Suburban Capital to the issuers. Such loans
have been secured by shares of the issuer's restricted stock, which are
shares owned by one or more of the officers, directors or other persons
affiliated with the issuer. Stock issued by a public company without the
filing of a registration statement, and stock issued to the officers,
directors, or other affiliates of a public company, is considered restricted
stock at the time of its issuance. Restricted stock is restricted from
resale or transfer pursuant to the federal securities laws. Restricted stock
may be sold or transferred by the owner only upon the fulfillment of certain
conditions, including a minimum time period for which the owner must hold
the stock and limitations on the amount of restricted stock that can be sold
during a certain time period. Certificates of restricted stock bear a
restrictive legend that can only be lifted by the stock transfer agent.
Transfer agents requested to lift the restrictive legend on restricted stock
are required to assure themselves that it is appropriate to do so under the
federal securities laws. Transfer agents generally do so by requiring an
attorney opinion letter reflecting a legal opinion that it is appropriate to
lift the restrictive legend. Custable has accumulated significant positions
in the penny stocks involved in this scheme by foreclosing on the restricted
stock pledged as collateral for loans made by Suburban Capital to the
issuers. When Custable obtains restricted stock, he generally arranges for
an attorney to provide to the issuer's transfer agent an opinion letter
stating that it is appropriate to remove the restrictive legend from the
stock certificates. Once the restrictive legend is removed, shares of stock
may then be traded on the secondary market. Custable has used such stock as
currency to fund his illegal enterprise.
Custable's Accumulation and Liquidation of S-8 Stock
The Accumulation of S-8 Stock
35. Between November 2001 to the present, Wetzel, Widen and the straw
men, as well as entities controlled by Custable, including Suburban Capital,
North Coast Investments, Inc., and Metropolitan Ventures, have obtained S-8
stock in Sharecom, Wasatch, Pacel, Premier Axium, Gateway, BMII and
ThermoElastic.
36. Wetzel, Widen and the straw men received this stock purportedly in
exchange for providing consulting services to the issuers. Wetzel, Widen and
the straw men would execute consulting agreements with the issuers, under
which they were supposed to provide the issuers with strategic and marketing
consulting services.
37. Pursuant to these consulting agreements, the issuers would file Form
S-8 registration statements with the Commission. The issuers would then
issue the S-8 stock, or options to purchase S-8 stock, to Wetzel, Widen and
the straw men. In the event that Wetzel, Widen or the straw men received
options to purchase the issuer's S-8 stock, Custable and Suburban Capital
would pay to exercise the option.
38. The issuer's S-8 stock issued to Wetzel, Widen and the straw
men often represented approximately 10 to 30 percent of the issuers' issued
and outstanding stock at the time of issuance.
The Sham Form S-8 Registrations
39. Custable, Suburban Capital, Pacel, Calkins, Wasatch, Giles, Heesch,
Gateway, Bailey, and ThermoElastic engaged in a scheme to issue S-8 stock to
the straw men for services of little or no value or in exchange for
financing.
40. Between April and July 2002, Munnich acted as a straw man with
respect to Form S-8 registrations for Wasatch, Gateway and ThermoElastic.
During this time period, Munnich was employed by Suburban Capital in its
"mergers and acquisitions" department. Custable decided to hire Munnich
after interviewing him. Munnich is a high-school graduate who had experience
working for a travel agency before going to work for Suburban Capital. At
Suburban Capital, Munnich primarily made "cold calls" to private companies
on behalf of Suburban Capital's public company clients. The purpose of these
calls was to see if a private company was willing to be acquired by the
public company in exchange for stock in the public company. When he worked
for Suburban Capital, Munnich reported to Widen and Custable. Munnich quit
working for Suburban Capital in July 2002, having never closed a merger or
acquisition. He was paid approximately $10,000 in cash for his work at
Suburban Capital.
41. Between April and July 2002, Munnich received approximately 380
million shares of Wasatch S-8 stock, 3.5 billion shares of Gateway S-8
stock, and 40 million shares of ThermoElastic S-8 stock. At the time the
stock was issued, the Wasatch, Gateway, and ThermoElastic stock had a value
of approximately $1.52 million, $4.25 million, and $1.76 million,
respectively. The stock that Munnich received represented a significant
amount of the issued and outstanding stock of Wasatch, Gateway and Thermo
Elastic, as detailed in Exhibit 1. Under the consulting agreements with
Wasatch, Gateway and ThermoElastic, Munnich was supposed to assist the
issuers with short and long range strategic planning, help develop and
implement a marketing program, assist in recruiting of marketing and sales
personnel, and identify, evaluate, structure, negotiate, and close strategic
alliances. Munnich was unqualified to perform most of these services.
42. The Form S-8 registration statements for which Munnich was identified
as a consultant were shams. Munnich never provided any services to
ThermoElastic. Thermo Elastic had previously agreed with Custable that it
would issue the stock that it registered on Form S-8 in the name of Munnich
in exchange for financing from Suburban Capital in the form of a restricted
stock purchase agreement. In addition, Munnich worked approximately 5 hours
under the two consulting agreements with Wasatch, and approximately 40 to 80
hours under his consulting agreement with Gateway. The little work that
Munnich did for Wasatch and Gateway consisted of cold calling private
businesses and inquiring whether they would be interested in being acquired
by Gateway or Wasatch. Defendants Heesch and Giles signed the Form S-8
registration statements under which Munnich received Wasatch stock.
Defendant Bailey signed the registration form under which Munnich received
Gateway stock. In so doing, Heesch, Giles and Bailey falsely represented
that Munnich was receiving securities for bona fide services and not
in connection with a capital-raising transaction. Bailey, Heesch and Giles,
as executive officers of small public companies, either knew at the time of
the Form S-8 registrations, or were reckless in not knowing, that these
representations were false.
43. Rather than provide ThermoElastic, Wasatch and Gateway with valuable
services, Munnich acted as a straw man for Custable. Custable and Wetzel
directed Munnich to transfer the stock that he received from ThermoElastic,
Wasatch and Gateway to Suburban Capital and to individuals and entities
associated with Custable and Suburban Capital. As a result, Munnich was
merely a nominal consultant to the issuers and a nominal owner of the
issuers' stock. Custable, through Suburban Capital, was the one with the
real interest in the Thermo Elastic, Wasatch and Gateway stock issued in
Munnich's name. For the most part, this stock was subsequently sold out of
Suburban Capital's brokerage accounts.
44. Custable and Wasatch expressly agreed that the S-8 stock issued to
Munnich was issued in exchange for financing. Specifically, the 380 million
shares of Wasatch S-8 stock issued to Munnich was expressly in exchange for
a $100,000 loan from Custable and Suburban Capital. In a letter from Giles
to Custable on May 13, 2002, Giles described the $100,000 loan and the 380
million share S-8 issuance to Munnich as "one transaction."
45. Custable also engaged in a scheme to conduct a sham S-8 offering with
Sharecom. Beginning in approximately October 2001, Custable offered to have
Suburban Capital provide financing to Sharecom in exchange for options to
purchase at least 165 million shares of S-8 stock. Custable informed
Sharecom's former president, Brad Nordling ("Nordling"), that although
Sharecom could not sell S-8 stock to Custable, Sharecom could obtain money
from Custable by issuing options to purchase S-8 stock to individuals whom
Custable would designate.
46. The capital raising arrangement agreed to by Custable and Nordling
required Sharecom to issue options to purchase its S-8 stock to Wetzel,
Widen, and another Suburban Capital consultant, Carroll, pursuant to three
separate consulting agreements. On November 21, 2001, Sharecom issued to
Wetzel and Widen an option to purchase 130 million shares of Sharecom's S-8
stock. Under the consulting agreements with Wetzel and Widen, the options to
purchase 65 million shares of Sharecom stock had an exercise price of
$.000923 per share. On January 4, 2002, Sharecom entered into a consulting
agreement with Carroll. Under this consulting agreement, Sharecom issued to
Carroll an option to purchase 35 million shares of its S-8 stock. Under the
consulting agreement with Carroll, the option to purchase 35 million shares
of Sharecom stock had an exercise price of $.003 per share. All of the
options provided for in the consulting agreements with Wetzel, Widen and
Carroll were immediately exercised, with Suburban Capital paying the
exercise price. Custable also entered into a similar arrangement with
Wasatch. Under this arrangement, Wasatch issued warrants to purchase its S-8
stock to Romine, Wetzel and Carroll in approximately January or February
2002. These warrants were exercised and the exercise price was received,
directly or indirectly, from Custable and Suburban Capital.
47. Although Sharecom received some consulting services in exchange for
the S-8 stock issued to Wetzel, Widen and Carroll, the primary purpose of
the consulting agreements was to raise capital to maintain Sharecom's
business operations. If Sharecom had not received financing in the form of
the option exercise price, it would not have issued the options to Wetzel,
Widen, and Carroll. Between November 2001 and April 2002, Sharecom received
at least $212,995 directly or indirectly from Suburban Capital.
48. Custable also used Romine as a straw man for at least one S-8
registration statements. Romine is an independent contractor who has worked
for Suburban Capital and its clients. In or about January or February 2002,
Wetzel requested that Romine open up a brokerage account in which he could
receive stock. In or about January or February 2002, Romine opened up the
brokerage account as Wetzel requested and signed paperwork giving Wetzel the
authority to sell and transfer stock out of his account.
49. Pursuant to a Form S-8 registration statement dated February 29,
2002, Romine obtained 33 million shares of Pacel. Romine did not provide any
consulting services in exchange for the Pacel stock and was unaware that the
Pacel stock was issued in his name until October 2002. This stock was sold
out of Romine's brokerage account without his knowledge and the proceeds
transferred into a bank account controlled by Custable. Calkins signed the
Form S-8 registration statement on behalf of Pacel and thereby falsely
represented that the Pacel stock was issued to Romine in exchange for
bona fide consulting services and not in connection with a
capital-raising transaction. Calkins knew, or was reckless in not knowing,
that he made misrepresentations in connection with the Form S-8 registration
involving Romine.
Custable Arranges for Spam Stock Newsletters to Create
Market Demand for the Stock He Accumulated
50. After accumulating large positions in the issuers' stock,
Custable took steps to create market demand for the sales he intended to
make. Custable primarily created market demand by hiring several individuals
("spammers") to prepare and widely disseminate e-mail and fax newsletters to
the investing public. The newsletters touted the stock of the companies as
good investments. Many of these newsletters appear to have had a significant
market effect, generally corresponding to a significant increase in trading
volume and, at times, a price increase.
51. Custable arranged for the spammers to be compensated in unrestricted
stock and cash for preparing the newsletters. In many cases, the stock paid
as compensation for the stock newsletters was originally issued to third
parties as restricted stock, allegedly for services rendered over two years
in the past. Without receiving anything directly in return, these third
parties then transferred the restricted stock to the spammer, at the
direction of Custable.
52. After directing the transfer of restricted stock to the
spammers, Custable retained attorneys to prepare opinion letters stating
that because the stock was issued for services rendered over two years in
the past, the restrictive legend on the stock should be removed. The stock
was then reissued in the name of the spammer, without a restrictive legend.
The spammers then sold the stock.
53. In or about November or December 2001, Custable arranged for
the restrictive legend on certain shares of Sharecom to be lifted based on a
bogus attorney letter. In or about November or December 2001, Custable
agreed with Nordling that Sharecom would issue 15 million shares of its
stock to a so-called "friendly party", Thomas Wetzel (who is not related to
Defendant Sara Wetzel). Because the stock Custable anticipated that Sharecom
would issue to Thomas Wetzel would not be registered on Form S-8, Sharecom
would be required to issue it as restricted stock. Custable, however, had
devised a plan to instantaneously lift the restriction on the Sharecom stock
to be issued to Thomas Wetzel, so that it could be sold in the secondary
market. Under Custable's plan, Nordling had to fabricate a compensation
dispute with Thomas Wetzel in which Thomas Wetzel demanded compensation for
services that he provided to Sharecom more than two years earlier, for which
he had not been compensated.
54. Thomas Wetzel had performed work for Sharecom in the past, but he was
paid for the work that he had performed at or about the time that he
performed the work. At the time that Thomas Wetzel demanded that Sharecom
pay him stock for services that he had performed in the past, Sharecom did
not owe Thomas Wetzel any stock, or any other form of compensation. Although
Nordling told Custable these facts, Custable devised the
fiction that Thomas Wetzel was owed this stock for work performed more than
two years earlier. Custable then directed Nordling to prepare paperwork
documenting Thomas Wetzel's demand for payment in stock for services
previously rendered to Sharecom. Custable reviewed Nordling's paperwork
documenting Thomas Wetzel's false demand at the time that the paperwork was
prepared. After Nordling prepared the paperwork to Custable's satisfaction,
Custable arranged for an attorney opinion letter to be prepared so that
Sharecom's transfer agent would allow the Thomas Wetzel stock to be issued
without a restrictive legend. Sharecom's transfer agent did issue 15 million
shares of unrestricted stock to Thomas Wetzel.
55. At or about the time that Sharecom issued 15 million shares of
unrestricted stock to Thomas Wetzel, Thomas Wetzel directed the transfer
agent to transfer the stock to various individuals involved in producing
spam newsletters for Custable's benefit. Thomas Wetzel requested that the
stock issued to him be immediately transferred based on Custable's request,
which was communicated to Thomas Wetzel through Nordling.
Wetzel, Widen and the Straw Men Liquidate S-8 Stock for Custable's
Benefit in Unregistered Offerings
56. After accumulating large positions in the issuers' stock and
arranging for spam newsletters, Custable would then used Wetzel, Widen and
the straw men to liquidate the stock through massive selling to the
investing public. Between November 2001 and the present, Suburban Capital,
Wetzel, and Widen engaged in unregistered offerings of the stock of Wasatch,
Gateway, Pacel, Thermo Elastic, BMII, Premier Axium and Sharecom. The
unregistered offerings are detailed in a summary schedule, which is attached
to Glaser's Declaration as Exhibit 1 and incorporated herein by reference.
They did so by selling the issuer's stock they had accumulated for
Custable's benefit almost immediately after receiving it from the issuers.
These stock sales by Suburban Capital, Wetzel and Widen show that they
acquired the stock from the issuers with a view to distributing it to the
investing public.
57. Custable, Suburban Capital, Wetzel, Widen and the straw men did not
file a registration statement with the Commission for the sales of stock
detailed in Exhibit 1, even though many of the sales accounted for a
significant amount of the issuer's outstanding stock at the time of the
sales.
58. The sales made during the unregistered offerings were done through
myriad brokerage accounts in order to conceal Custable's beneficial interest
in the stock. In some instances, sales were made out of brokerage accounts
in the name of Suburban Capital, Wetzel, Widen or one of the straw men used
by Custable. In such instances, most of the proceeds from the stock sales
were then transferred to a Suburban Capital bank account that Custable
controlled. In other instances, Custable directed Wetzel, Widen and the
straw men to transfer stock issued in their name to Suburban Capital. This
stock would then be sold out of Suburban Capital's brokerage account. No
matter which method was employed, the vast majority of the proceeds from the
unregistered offerings were directed to Suburban Capital's bank account,
which is an account controlled exclusively by Custable. Between November
2001 to the present, Suburban Capital, Wetzel, Widen and the straw men
transferred at least $4.3 million in proceeds from the unregistered
offerings of stock into Suburban Capital's bank account. Custable then
directed a small portion of these proceeds to Wetzel, Widen and the straw
men.
Custable's Concealment of Beneficial Ownership
59. As a result of the issuances of stock described in this action, at
various times between November 2001 and the present, Custable beneficially
owned more than 5% of the issued and outstanding stock in Wasatch, Pacel,
Gateway, ThermoElastic, Sharecom, and Premier Axium.
60. The federal securities laws require individuals and entities who
accumulate a position of 5% or more of the issued and outstanding stock of
an issuer to file a Schedule 13D disclosing their interest. A Schedule 13D
discloses, among other things, the filer's beneficial ownership of stock in
the issuer, the purpose of the stock acquisition and all material changes in
beneficial ownership of the stock disclosed.
61. With the exception of two recently filed Schedules 13D disclosing his
ownership in Wasatch and Gateway, Custable never filed a Schedule 13D, or
any other documents, disclosing his personal beneficial ownership of any of
these securities. Further, Custable did not file any statements or
supplemental Schedules 13D disclosing the sales of stock in the issuers for
his benefit.
62. Custable intentionally concealed his beneficial ownership of stock by
not filing Schedules 13D. He did so because he knew that the investing
public would be suspicious of investing in stock associated with Custable, a
recidivist securities law violator.
Issuance and Sale of Counterfeit BMII Stock
63. Suburban Capital, Custable, and Wetzel also engaged in a fraudulent
scheme to issue counterfeit shares of BMII to use for their own benefit.
BMII is a bulletin board company that specializes in direct marketing. In
Spring 2001, Custable approached Robert Blagman ("Blagman"), the chief
executive officer of BMII, about providing BMII with financing and
consulting services through Suburban Capital. Blagman agreed and thereafter
Custable arranged for Suburban Capital and others to loan Blagman and BMII
more than $1 million, with Blagman's restricted stock of BMII pledged as
collateral. When Blagman and BMII failed to repay these loans, Custable
foreclosed on the BMII stock pledged as collateral.
64. The relationship between Custable and Blagman began to break down
around March 2002 when Custable failed to come through with additional
financing that he had promised BMII. Custable requested that Blagman provide
him with more BMII stock and Blagman refused. Thereafter, Custable, Suburban
Capital and Wetzel executed a scheme to issue counterfeit BMII stock for
their own benefit.
65. Between at least April 12 and May 22, 2002, Custable, through
Suburban Capital and Wetzel, sent to BMII's transfer agent, the entity
responsible for issuing physical certificates of BMII stock, numerous BMII
share issuance authorizations purportedly from BMII and signed by Blagman.
These share issuance authorizations resulted in the issuance of
approximately 5.4 billion shares of BMII stock.
66. This stock was issued without the authorization of Blagman or BMII.
The share issuance authorizations used to obtain the counterfeit BMII stock
were forgeries. Blagman's signature and handwriting were forged on the share
issuance authorization forms. Blagman has identified some of the handwriting
used to forge the share issuance authorization forms as Wetzel's
handwriting. The federal criminal authorities seized many of the original
share issuance resolutions used to obtain the unauthorized BMII stock when
they executed a search warrant at Suburban Capital's office in Addison,
Illinois.
67. In addition to forged issuance authorization forms, Custable,
Suburban Capital and Wetzel also fabricated consulting agreements to make it
appear to BMII's transfer agent that the share issuances were pursuant to
Form S-8 registration statements. They did so by forging Blagman's signature
on the consulting agreements. The consulting agreements supposedly
justifying the issuance of the counterfeit BMII stock were never agreed to
by BMII. The federal criminal authorities seized some of the forged
consulting agreements during their execution of the search warrant on
Suburban Capital's offices.
68. Based on the forged issuance authorization forms, the transfer agent
delivered the unauthorized BMII stock directly to Suburban Capital's
offices. As of May 22, 2002, the counterfeit BMII stock accounted for
approximately half of BMII's issued and outstanding stock.
69. Custable, Suburban Capital and Wetzel controlled the counterfeit
stock after its issuance. Wetzel sold at least 240 million shares of the
counterfeit BMII stock, out of two separate accounts, generating proceeds of
at least $242,000, which she transferred to Suburban Capital's bank account.
Other shares of the counterfeit BMII stock were transferred to individuals
and entities that are involved in disseminating spam stock newsletters.
Expatriation of Assets
70. Since at least 2002, Custable has taken steps to direct his
ill-gotten gains beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement. In the summer of
2002, Custable set up an entity in Nevis, an offshore jurisdiction, to
protect his assets from any potential civil or criminal judgment. Further,
since June 2002, Custable and Suburban Capital have transferred over
$110,000 into an account at a Costa Rican bank for the eventual credit of
Pine Services, or Suburban Capital. Pine Services is a Costa Rican entity
located in San Juan. The business operations of Pine Services, outside of
its affiliation with Custable and Suburban Capital, are unknown.
71. As recently as February 14, 2003, Gateway issued Custable shares of
its S-8 stock in exchange for purported consulting services. In most cases,
Custable has immediately transferred this stock to Pine Services. Pine
Services then transfers this stock into a brokerage account and sells the
Gateway stock. Pine Services then transfers these sales proceeds into an
account at Banco Nacional de Costa Rica.
72. Neither Pine Services, nor Custable, has ever filed a registration
statement for these sales of Gateway stock.
COUNT I
Violations of Section 17(a)(1) of the Securities Act
[15 U.S.C. §77q(a)(1)]
73. Paragraphs 1 through 72 are hereby realleged and incorporated
by reference herein.
74. From at least November 2001 through the present, Custable, Wetzel,
Suburban Capital, Wasatch, Heesch, Giles, Pacel, Calkins, Gateway, Bailey,
and ThermoElastic in the offer and sale of securities, by the use of the
means and instruments of transportation and communication in interstate
commerce and by the use of the mails, directly and indirectly, have employed
and are employing devices, schemes and artifices to defraud.
75. Custable, Wetzel, Suburban Capital, Wasatch, Heesch, Giles,
Pacel, Calkins, Gateway, Bailey, and ThermoElastic knew or were reckless in
not knowing the facts and circumstances described in Paragraphs 1 through 74
above.
76. By reason of the foregoing, Custable, Wetzel, Suburban Capital,
Wasatch, Heesch, Giles, Pacel, Calkins, Gateway, Bailey, and ThermoElastic
have violated and are violating Section 17(a)(1) of the Securities Act.
COUNT II
Violations of Section 17(a)(2) and 17(a)(3)
of the Securities Act [15 U.S.C. § 77q(a)(2) and § 77q(a)(3)]
77. Paragraphs 1 through 76 are hereby realleged and incorporated by
reference herein.
78. From at least November 2001 through the present, Custable, Wetzel,
Suburban Capital, Wasatch, Heesch, Giles, Pacel, Calkins, Gateway, Bailey,
and ThermoElastic, in the offer and sale of securities, by the use of the
means and instruments of transportation and communication in interstate
commerce and by use of the mails, directly and indirectly, have obtained and
are obtaining money and property by means of untrue statements of material
fact and have omitted and are omitting to state material facts necessary in
order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading; and have engaged and are engaging in
transactions, practices and courses of business which operated and will
operate as a fraud and deceit upon purchasers and prospective purchasers of
stock in the issuers.
79. By reason of foregoing, Custable, Wetzel, Suburban Capital, Wasatch,
Heesch, Giles, Pacel, Calkins, Gateway, Bailey, and ThermoElastic have
violated and are violating Sections 17(a)(2) and 17(a)(3) of the Securities
Act.
COUNT III
Violations of Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act [15
U.S.C. §78j(b)]
and Rule 10b-5 [17 C.F.R. 240.10b-5] thereunder
80. Paragraphs 1 through 79 are hereby realleged and incorporated by
reference herein.
81. From at least November 2001 through the present, Custable, Wetzel,
Suburban Capital, Wasatch, Heesch, Giles, Pacel, Calkins, Gateway, Bailey,
and ThermoElastic, in the offer and sale of securities, by the use of the
means and instrumentalities of interstate commerce and of the mails,
directly and indirectly, have employed and are employing devices, schemes
and artifices to defraud; have made and are making untrue statements of
material fact and have omitted and are omitting to state material facts
necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and have engaged
and are engaging in acts, practices and courses of business which operated
and will operate as a fraud and deceit upon purchasers and sellers of such
securities.
82. Custable, Wetzel, Suburban Capital, Wasatch, Heesch, Giles, Pacel,
Calkins, Gateway, Bailey, and ThermoElastic, knew or were reckless in not
knowing of the activities described in Paragraphs 1 through 81 above.
83. By reason of foregoing, Custable, Wetzel, Suburban Capital, Wasatch,
Heesch, Giles, Pacel, Calkins, Gateway, Bailey, and ThermoElastic, have
violated and are violating Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5
thereunder.
COUNT IV
Violations of Section 5(a) and (c) of the Securities
Act [15 U.S.C. § 77e(a) and (c)]
84. Paragraphs 1 through 83 above are realleged and incorporated herein
by reference.
85. From at least November 2001 to the present, Custable, Suburban
Capital, Wetzel, Widen, Wasatch, Heesch and Giles directly and indirectly,
and notwithstanding that there was no applicable exemption: (i) made use of
means or instruments of transportation or communication in interstate
commerce or of the mails to sell, through the use or medium of a prospectus
or otherwise, securities as to which no registration statement was in
effect; (ii) for the purpose of sale or delivery after sale, carried and/or
caused to be carried through the mails or in interstate commerce, by means
or instruments of transportation, securities as to which no registration
statement was in effect; and (iii) made use of means or instruments of
transportation or communication in interstate commerce or of the mails to
offer to sell, through the use or medium of a prospectus or otherwise,
securities as to which no registration statement had been filed.
86. No valid registration statement was filed with the Commission in
connection with Custable, Suburban Capital, Wetzel, Widen, Wasatch, Heesch
and Giles' sales of, and offers to sell, securities in the issuers
identified in this complaint.
87. By reason of the foregoing, Custable, Suburban Capital, Wetzel, and
Widen have violated and are violating Sections 5(a) and (c) of the
Securities Act [15 U.S.C. § 77e(a) and (c)].
COUNT V
Violations of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act [15
U.S.C. § 78m(d)], and Rule 13d-1 and 13d-2 thereunder [17 CFR 240.13d-1,
13d-2]
88. Paragraphs 1 through 87 above are realleged and incorporated herein
by reference.
89. Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and Rule 13d-1 thereunder require
that any person that acquires more than 5% of a company's class of stock
registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act must notify the issuer and
the Commission within 10 days of the acquisition. Exchange Act Rule 13d-2
requires that the person notify the issuer and the Commission of any
material increases or decreases in the percentage of beneficial ownership.
90. From at least November 2001 to the present, Defendant Custable 1)
beneficially owned more than 5% of the issued and outstanding stock of
Sharecom, Wasatch, Pacel, Premier Axium, Gateway, and ThermoElastic; and 2)
failed to file a Schedule 13D, or any other report or schedule, disclosing
his beneficial ownership interest in Sharecom, Wasatch, Pacel, Premier Axium,
Gateway, and ThermoElastic.
91. By reason of foregoing, Custable violated and, unless enjoined, will
continue to violate Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act [15 U.S.C. §78m(d)]
and Rules 13d-1 and 13d-2 thereunder [17 C.F.R. 240.13d-1, 13d-2].
RELIEF REQUESTED
WHEREFORE, the Commission respectfully requests that the Court:
A. Grant a Temporary Restraining Order, Order of Preliminary Injunction,
and Order of Permanent Injunction, in forms consistent with Rule 65(d) of
the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, restraining and enjoining: