SEC v. Edwin Emmett Lickiss, Jr., No. LR-26360, Northern District of California (July 22, 2025) — Press Release

U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 26360 / July 22, 2025 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Edwin Emmett Lickiss, Jr., No. 4:25-cv-06126, (N.D. Cal. filed July 21, 2025) SEC Charges California Man with Operating a $12.7 Million Ponzi Scheme On July 21, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Danville, California resident Edwin Emmett Lickiss, Jr., with selling fraudulent promissory note investments to approximately 80 investors as part of a Ponzi scheme that lasted over 25 years. According to the SEC’s complaint, between 1998 and August 2024, Lickiss fraudulently offered and sold to investors approximately $12.7 million in promissory notes, which purported to pay interest rates of between 9 and 32 percent per annum. The complaint alleges that Lickiss falsely represented to investors that their monies would be invested in limited opportunity, high-yield government bonds or other high-yield investment opportunities to which only he had select access. In reality, as alleged, Lickiss used money from new investors to make Ponzi payments to earlier investors or for his personal expenses. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, charges Lickiss with violating Section 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 complaint seeks permanent injunctive relief, including conduct-based injunctions against Lickiss, disgorgement with prejudgment interest, and a civil penalty. In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California announced charges against Lickiss. The criminal case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) encourages investors to check the background of anyone selling or offering them an investment using the free and simple search tool on Investor.gov. The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Sean S. Deitrick and Krysta M. Cannon and supervised by Stephen E. Donahue and Justin C. Jeffries of the SEC’s Atlanta Regional Office. The examination that led to the investigation was conducted by Deborah Shaw, Caneka F. Hardon, and Layla E. Mayer of the SEC’s Division of Examinations. The litigation will be led by Paul Kim and will be supervised by M. Graham Loomis, also of the SEC’s Atlanta Regional Office.

U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 26360 / July 22, 2025 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Edwin Emmett Lickiss, Jr., No. 4:25-cv-06126, (N.D. Cal. filed July 21, 2025) SEC Charges California Man with Operating a $12.7 Million Ponzi Scheme On July 21, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Danville, California resident Edwin Emmett Lickiss, Jr., with selling fraudulent promissory note investments to approximately 80 investors as part of a Ponzi scheme that lasted over 25 years. According to the SEC’s complaint, between 1998 and August 2024, Lickiss fraudulently offered and sold to investors approximately $12.7 million in promissory notes, which purported to pay interest rates of between 9 and 32 percent per annum. The complaint alleges that Lickiss falsely represented to investors that their monies would be invested in limited opportunity, high-yield government bonds or other high-yield investment opportunities to which only he had select access. In reality, as alleged, Lickiss used money from new investors to make Ponzi payments to earlier investors or for his personal expenses. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, charges Lickiss with violating Section 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 complaint seeks permanent injunctive relief, including conduct-based injunctions against Lickiss, disgorgement with prejudgment interest, and a civil penalty. In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California announced charges against Lickiss. The criminal case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) encourages investors to check the background of anyone selling or offering them an investment using the free and simple search tool on Investor.gov. The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Sean S. Deitrick and Krysta M. Cannon and supervised by Stephen E. Donahue and Justin C. Jeffries of the SEC’s Atlanta Regional Office. The examination that led to the investigation was conducted by Deborah Shaw, Caneka F. Hardon, and Layla E. Mayer of the SEC’s Division of Examinations. The litigation will be led by Paul Kim and will be supervised by M. Graham Loomis, also of the SEC’s Atlanta Regional Office.