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Wealth Strategy Partners, LC, Harvey Altholtz, Stevens Resource Group, LLC and George Stevens – Boca Raton, Florida Investment Fund and Investment Advisor Fraud and Mismanagement Litigation and Arbitration Attorney
Securities and Exchange Commission v. Wealth Strategy Partners, LC, et al., Civil Action No. 14-CV-02427-JDW-TGW
SEC Charges General Partner and Investment Advisers to the Stealth and Adamas Funds with Fraud
The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil injunctive action on September 25, 2014 charging Wealth Strategy Partners, LC (“Wealth Strategy”), a Sarasota, Florida company, and its principal, Harvey Altholtz of Sarasota, Florida, and Stevens Resource Group, LLC (“Stevens Resource”), a Washington company, and its principal, George Stevens of Lacey, Washington, with securities fraud involving the fraudulent offers and sales of securities in two investment funds – The Stealth Fund, LLLP and The Adamas Fund, LLLP. Wealth Strategy and Altholtz controlled and managed the two funds and later served as investment advisers to the funds. Stevens Resource and Stevens also served as investment advisers to both funds.
According to the Commission’s complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the Stealth and Adamas Funds, combined, raised approximately $30.8 million from over 143 investors nationwide between 2007 and November, 2009. The complaint alleges that, from October 2008 through April 2010, the defendants failed to disclose in offering materials distributed to investors that Stealth’s assets could be used to guarantee certain loans that Altholtz’s family made to two portfolio companies that Stealth invested in and that his family also made loans to Adamas and Stealth in violation of the funds’ operating agreements. The complaint also alleges that Wealth Strategy and Altholtz committed fraud by giving an Altholtz family trust, who was an investor in Adamas, preferential treatment with regard to redemptions over other investors. The complaint further alleges that the defendants made misstatements and omissions in newsletters to investors regarding the financial condition of some of the funds’ portfolio companies.
The SEC’s complaint charges the defendants with violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 206(4) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and Rule 206(4)-8 thereunder. The complaint seeks permanent injunctions, disgorgement plus prejudgment interest, and civil penalties against all of the defendants, and officer and director bars against Altholtz and Stevens. Stevens and Stevens Resource have agreed to settle the case against them by consenting to, among other things, the entry of a judgment permanently enjoining them from future violations of the securities laws, imposing a permanent officer and director bar against Stevens, and ordering them to pay disgorgement and civil penalties, in amounts to be determined by the Court later.
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