Alternative Market Briefing

SEC halts fraudulent investment scheme by New York-based fund manager

Monday, May 28, 2012

Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has halted a fraudulent investment scheme being run by Jason J. Konior and his two firms. The SEC alleges that since at least November 2011, the two firms raised approximately $11 million by selling investors limited partnership interests in Absolute Fund LP. Investors would then be able to take advantage of matched funds and a "first loss" trading program. Instead, Konior siphoned off approximately $2 million of the proceeds to pay redemptions from earlier investors and to pay their personal and business expenses.

Konior's personal and business assets have been frozen by the SEC after it brought charges in court yesterday. According to the complaint, Konior represented that the fund would allocate capital up to nine times the amount of the investors original contribution; place the combined funds in a sub-account at a broker-dealer through which the investor could trade securities; and allocate any trading losses first to the investor’s contribution amount, and then any trading profits would be shared between Absolute Fund and the investor.

In reality, Konior never operated this type of trading program or provided matching funds. Redemptions requested by investors were also never paid out. Konior agreed to having his personal and business assets frozen and an injunction placed against his tradi......................

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