【夏园-Lincoln】EB-5问题项目 涉嫌欺诈中国投资人
浏览次数：7116 添加时间：2016/12/28 来源：Frank Tsang臧煜卓
美国证券交易委员会（SEC）于2016年12月27日）对加州律师Mr. Emilio
Francisco及其拥有的PDC Capital公司提起诉讼，指控他盗用中国EB-5投资人的7,200万美元供其私人用途如购买游艇和投资个人其他的生意。
被告Emilio Francisco是一位美国执业律师，设立PDC
Capital投资公司，借着与国外中介的推广，在国外市场上募集了7,200万美元，以几个完全不同的项目来吸收投资人，项目中文名称为：夏园，包括了旗下20家公司的项目都被SEC紧急冻结所有资金，并请洛杉矶法院指派一名接管人全权接管这些公司的事务。这些公司触犯了美国SEC
Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5. 等证劵法规。
根据SEC的指控，Francisco把投资人资金从一个项目私自挪到另一个项目，并直接在其中提取了至少960万美元，用于他本人的生意以及维持他个人的奢华生活。
这20家公司包括四类项目：餐厅（Caffe Primo
restaurants）、生活设施开发和环保农业与生产清洁产品企业改造。而由于被告私自挪用及乱用公款，势必违背了当初向移民局申请投资移民的商业计划及就业计算，因此，目前已经批复核准的申请资格可能都会受到拒签的影响。被告Francisco是执业律师，他本人清楚这样的做法是违反联邦的许多法律，也危及了所有海外投资人申请签证的资格。他的律师执照不但会被吊销，而且将面临许多联邦重罪的控诉和民事起诉。
美国证监局SEC洛杉矶办公室主任Michele Wein Layne陈述：“正如我们在诉状中的指控，被告Emilio
Francisco非法盗用了投资EB-5项目的资金并应该创造美国就业的投资人的资金扩充其个人财富。”
目前SEC已指派个别调查，监管，诉讼的任务给相关人员积极办理当中，Frank在这里持续呼吁所有投资人，项目的来源及尽职调查非常重要，资金监管到该用的地方，预算把关，工程进度把关，运营把关，资金流把关，退场机制及运作更要把关，一个负责的区域中心，以上这些事务都会为投资人做到，宁可在投资前找独立的律师做投资前的投资报告，也不要在事后找律师打官司。
以下是SEC的英文新闻全文。
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2016-281
Washington D.C., Dec. 27, 2016
The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged a California-based
attorney with defrauding investors seeking to participate in the EB-5 immigrant
investor program, stealing their money to buy a yacht and prop up his other
businesses.
The SEC alleges that Emilio Francisco raised $72 million from investors in
China solicited through his marketing firm PDC Capital to invest in EB-5
projects that included opening Caffe Primo restaurants, developing assisted
living facilities, and renovating a production facility for environmentally
friendly agriculture and cleaning products. Under the EB-5 program, foreign
investors can apply to permanently live and work in the U.S. by investing money
in certain projects that bring about American jobs.
According to the SEC’s complaint, Francisco and PDC Capital diverted
investor funds from one project to another and outright stole at least $9.6
million that was used to finance Francisco’s own businesses and luxury
lifestyle. Francisco was allegedly aware that doing so would violate federal
regulations and jeopardize any visas for the foreign investors.
“As alleged in our complaint, Emilio Francisco illegally enriched himself
with investor money intended for specific EB-5 projects that create jobs for
U.S. workers,” said Michele Wein Layne, Director of the SEC’s Los Angeles
Regional Office.
The SEC’s complaint charges Francisco, PDC Capital, and 20 other
Francisco-controlled businesses 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. The SEC is seeking an emergency asset freeze and a court-appointed
receiver over Francisco’s businesses involved in the schemes.
The SEC’s investigation has been conducted in the Los Angeles office by
Adrienne D. Gurley, Jasmine Starr, and Christopher M. Conte, and the case has
been supervised by Spencer Bendell, Alka N. Patel, and John W. Berry. The SEC’s
litigation is being led by John B. Bulgozdy. The SEC appreciates the assistance
of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
作者：Frank Tsang臧煜卓
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