2024-02-13 sec-litreleases litigation_release 66 KB 2,799 chars

SEC v. Christopher R. Esposito; Anthony Jay Pignatello; Renee Galizio; Gondolfe; Cannabiz Mobile, Inc.; and Lionshare Ventures LLC, No. LR-25941, District of Massachusetts (Feb. 13, 2024) — Press Release

raw: Christopher R. Esposito, et al.

Christopher R. Esposito, et al., No. 1:16-cv-10960 (Feb. 13, 2024)

Caption
Securities & Exchange Commission v. Esposito
summary

Anthony Jay Pignatello secured a final judgment for his role in a scheme to defraud Cannabiz Mobile, Inc. investors by concealing ownership to evade SEC Rule 144 restrictions.

paragraph

Pignatello, a consultant for Cannabiz Mobile, Inc., was charged with violating various anti-fraud and registration provisions of the Securities Act and Exchange Act. The scheme facilitated the sale of hundreds of millions of shares and approximately $304,000 in convertible debt. The court ordered Pignatello to pay $43,337 in disgorgement and interest, which was satisfied via a parallel criminal forfeiture order.

narrative

Anthony Jay Pignatello, a consultant and Secretary for Cannabiz Mobile, Inc., participated in a scheme to defraud investors by concealing Christopher Esposito’s de facto control of the company. This concealment allowed the defendants to evade SEC Rule 144 restrictions while selling hundreds of millions of shares and $304,000 in convertible debt into the public market. Pignatello was charged with violating multiple registration and anti-fraud provisions of the Securities Act and Exchange Act. In a parallel criminal case, Pignatello pled guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud. The final judgment enjoins him from future securities law violations and bars him from serving as an officer or director of a registered issuer or participating in penny stock offerings. His $43,337 disgorgement obligation was deemed fully satisfied by a forfeiture order from his criminal case. This final judgment concludes the litigation for all named defendants.

Enriched metadata

Scheme
financial-fraud (95%)
Court
District of Massachusetts
Case No.
1:16-cv-10960
Outcome
pleaded
Entity
Anthony Jay Pignatello
Classified financial-fraud(confidence 95%). EDGAR detection: forms 10-K/10-Q/8-K/NT 10-K· recall 67% / precision 23%. detection rule →
Parties
Securities & Exchange CommissionChristopher R. EspositoChristopher EspositoRenee GalizioAnthony Jay PignatelloGondolfeCannabiz Mobile, Inc.Lionshare Ventures LLC
Keywords
pignatelloespositosecuritiescannabizchristopher espositofinalsecurities exchangeentered finalsecchristopherexchangeagainstenteredexchange commissionfinal against

Exhibits & Attached Documents (1)

Extracted insights

Dollar amounts 2
  • $304K $304,000 $100K–$1M
  • $43K $43,337 $10K–$100K
Entities 7
  • person Anthony Jay Pignatello
  • company consultant for cannabiz mobile, inc.
  • person final judgment
  • scheme_term one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud
  • agency sec complaint
  • company secretary for cannabiz mobile, inc.
  • court u.s. district court for the district of massachusetts
Triples 16
  • U.S. District Court For The District Of Massachusetts Entered Final Judgment Against Anthony Jay Pignatello
  • Anthony Jay Pignatello Was Consultant For Cannabiz Mobile, Inc.
  • Anthony Jay Pignatello Was Secretary For Cannabiz Mobile, Inc.
  • SEC Complaint Alleged Pignatello Engaged In Scheme To Defraud Investors
  • Anthony Jay Pignatello And Christopher Esposito Concealed Esposito’s Ownership And Control Of Cannabiz
  • Anthony Jay Pignatello And Christopher Esposito Concealed Esposito’s De Facto Control Of Cannabiz And Large Percentage Of Cannabiz Securities
  • Pignatello’s Actions Allowed Esposito To Sell Significant Amounts Of Cannabiz Convertible Debt For Almost $304,000
  • Anthony Jay Pignatello, Christopher Esposito, And Renee Galizio Sold Millions Of Shares Of Cannabiz Stock Directly Into Public Market
  • Final Judgment Enjoins Pignatello From Future Violations Of Registration And Antifraud Provisions
  • Judgment Bars Pignatello From Acting As Officer Or Director Of Any Issuer
  • Judgment Bars Pignatello From Participating In Offering Of Penny Stock
  • Judgment Orders Pignatello To Pay Disgorgement And Pre-Judgment Interest Of $43,337
  • Anthony Jay Pignatello Pleaded Guilty One Count Of Conspiracy To Commit Securities Fraud
  • Court Entered Final Default Judgments Against Gondolfe, Cannabiz, Lionshare Ventures LLC, And Christopher Esposito
  • Court Entered Final Judgment By Consent Against Renee Galizio
  • Litigation Is Concluded All Defendants
Text layers
Extracted body text (2,799c)
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 25941 / February 13, 2024 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Christopher R. Esposito, et al., No. 1:16-cv-10960 (D. Mass. filed May 26, 2016) Court Enters Final Judgment Against Microcap Consultant Involved in Fraudulent Scheme On February 12, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts entered a final judgment against Anthony Jay Pignatello of Winchester, Virginia. Pignatello was a consultant and Secretary for Cannabiz Mobile, Inc., a publicly traded company purportedly servicing medical marijuana businesses. The SEC’s complaint, filed on May 26, 2016, alleged that Pignatello, along with other named defendants, engaged in a scheme to defraud investors. According to the SEC’s complaint, Pignatello and Christopher Esposito of Topsfield, Massachusetts, concealed Esposito’s ownership and control of Cannabiz to enrich themselves by facilitating the sale of hundreds of millions of shares of Cannabiz stock into the public market. The SEC alleged that, between early 2014 and August 2015, Pignatello and Esposito concealed Esposito’s de facto control of Cannabiz and a large percentage of Cannabiz’s securities in attempt to evade SEC Rule 144, which limits securities sales by affiliates, such as control persons. According to the SEC’s complaint, Pignatello’s actions allowed Esposito to sell significant amounts of Cannabiz convertible debt for almost $304,000. In addition, Pignatello, Esposito, and Renee Galizio of Loxahatchee, Florida, sold millions of shares of Cannabiz stock directly into the public market. The final judgment, which was entered by consent, enjoins Pignatello from future violations of the registration and antifraud provisions of Sections 5(a), 5(c), and 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The judgment also bars Pignatello from acting as an officer or director of any issuer that has a class of securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and permanently bars him from participating in an offering of a penny stock. In addition, the judgment orders Pignatello to pay disgorgement and pre-judgment interest in the total amount of $43,337, but deems this obligation fully satisfied by the entry of a forfeiture order in a parallel criminal case filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, in which Pignatello pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. The court previously entered final default judgments against Gondolfe, Cannabiz, Lionshare Ventures LLC, and Esposito and entered a final judgment by consent against Galizio. The litigation is now concluded as to all the defendants. Final Judgment - Anthony Jay Pignatello
OCR text (2,799c · html-text · 99% conf)
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 25941 / February 13, 2024 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Christopher R. Esposito, et al., No. 1:16-cv-10960 (D. Mass. filed May 26, 2016) Court Enters Final Judgment Against Microcap Consultant Involved in Fraudulent Scheme On February 12, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts entered a final judgment against Anthony Jay Pignatello of Winchester, Virginia. Pignatello was a consultant and Secretary for Cannabiz Mobile, Inc., a publicly traded company purportedly servicing medical marijuana businesses. The SEC’s complaint, filed on May 26, 2016, alleged that Pignatello, along with other named defendants, engaged in a scheme to defraud investors. According to the SEC’s complaint, Pignatello and Christopher Esposito of Topsfield, Massachusetts, concealed Esposito’s ownership and control of Cannabiz to enrich themselves by facilitating the sale of hundreds of millions of shares of Cannabiz stock into the public market. The SEC alleged that, between early 2014 and August 2015, Pignatello and Esposito concealed Esposito’s de facto control of Cannabiz and a large percentage of Cannabiz’s securities in attempt to evade SEC Rule 144, which limits securities sales by affiliates, such as control persons. According to the SEC’s complaint, Pignatello’s actions allowed Esposito to sell significant amounts of Cannabiz convertible debt for almost $304,000. In addition, Pignatello, Esposito, and Renee Galizio of Loxahatchee, Florida, sold millions of shares of Cannabiz stock directly into the public market. The final judgment, which was entered by consent, enjoins Pignatello from future violations of the registration and antifraud provisions of Sections 5(a), 5(c), and 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The judgment also bars Pignatello from acting as an officer or director of any issuer that has a class of securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and permanently bars him from participating in an offering of a penny stock. In addition, the judgment orders Pignatello to pay disgorgement and pre-judgment interest in the total amount of $43,337, but deems this obligation fully satisfied by the entry of a forfeiture order in a parallel criminal case filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, in which Pignatello pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. The court previously entered final default judgments against Gondolfe, Cannabiz, Lionshare Ventures LLC, and Esposito and entered a final judgment by consent against Galizio. The litigation is now concluded as to all the defendants. Final Judgment - Anthony Jay Pignatello