The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged the former CEO of a Houston-based investor relations firm with insider trading.
The SEC alleges Stephen B. Gray obtained confidential information about several companies while his firm assisted them with drafting and publishing press releases. These releases announced quarterly and annual earnings, mergers and acquisitions, and other major events.
It adds Gray traded on the basis of that material, non-public information for profits, saying he avoided losses of more than $313,000 during a 13-month period.
SEC says Gray disregarded the firm’s standard agreements with clients to protect confidential information. It says he also flouted the firm’s “statement of policy regarding securities trades” that prohibited trading by firm personnel when in possession of non-public information about clients.
SEC says Gray was fired last October after the firm learned about its investigation.
David Woodcock, director of the SEC’s Fort Worth Regional Office, says, “As head of an investor relations firm that helped clients prepare announcements of material events, Gray had unique access to extremely sensitive and confidential information before the rest of the world received it.”
David L. Peavler, associate director of the Fort Worth Regional Office, adds, “While Gray was personally requiring firm employees to sign copies of the policies he wrote, he was insider trading himself.”
According to the SEC’s complaint filed in federal court in Houston, Gray illegally traded in the securities of at least six firm clients. Employees often asked Gray for advice on press releases based on his status as the firm’s CEO, as well as on his experience as a former CEO of a public company.
SEC adds Gray asked employees about forthcoming material transactions or announcements before they became public, and he sometimes met directly with clients to discuss confidential information with them. Gray also allegedly helped maintain the firm’s shared computer network drive, which included drafts and final versions of all relevant press releases.
According to the SEC’s complaint, Gray opened his only trading account in September 2009 and borrowed funds from his life insurance policy to fund his trading activity. Read the release for more detail.
The SEC’s complaint charges Gray with violations of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5, and seeks a final judgment ordering him to disgorge all of his ill-gotten gains with prejudgment interest and pay financial penalties. The complaint also seeks permanent injunctive relief.
The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Todd Baker, Ty Martinez, and Jonathan Scott of the Fort Worth Regional Office. The litigation will be led by Jennifer Brandt and Mr. Baker.