Securities and Exchange Commission v. Hu et al

Filing 107

Order by Hon. Ronald M. Whyte granting 101 Motion for Final Judgment Against All Defendants(rmwlc1, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 4/26/2013) Modified on 4/26/2013 (rmwlc1, COURT STAFF).

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E-FILED on

4/26/13

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NOT FOR CITATION

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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United States District Court
For the Northern District of California

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SAN JOSE DIVISION

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No. C-09-01177 RMW

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION,
Plaintiff,
v.
ALBERT K. HU,
ASENQUA, INC.,
ASENQUA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC,
AQC ASSET MANAGEMENT, LTD., and
FIRESIDE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LTD.

ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF'S
MOTION FOR FINAL JUDGMENT
AGAINST ALL DEFENDANTS

[Re: Docket No. 101]

Defendants.
Plaintiff, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission"), moved for final
judgement against all defendants. On March 1, 2013, the court entered a default judgment against
defendants Asenqua, Inc., Asenqua Capital Management, LLC, AQC Asset Management, Ltd, and
Fireside Capital Management, Ltd. Dkt. No. 105. The only remaining defendant, Albert K. Hu,
failed to respond to the plaintiff's motion [or appear at the hearing].
I. BACKGROUND
The Commission alleges that Hu violated the antifraud provisions of the Securities Act of
1944 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (counts 1 and 2) and violated the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940 (counts 3 and 4). The Commission seeks a final judgment against defendant
Hu on the basis that Hu's recent criminal conviction is based on the same relevant facts, United
ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF'S MOTION FOR FINAL JUDGMENT AGAINST ALL DEFENDANTS—No. C-09-01177 RMW

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States v. Hu, No. 09-cr-487 RMW (N.D. Cal.), and thus works as an estoppel in favor of the

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government in this civil action. The Commission also seeks: (1) a permanent injunction against all

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defendants for future violation of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act and Section 10(b) of the

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Securities Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder; (2) a permanent injunction against Hu for

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violations of Sections 206(1), 206(2), and 206(4) of the Investment Advisers Act and Rule 206(4)-8

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thereunder; (3) disgorgement and prejudgement interest in the amount of $6,624,238; and (4) civil

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money penalties.

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II. ORDER
Because Hu does not oppose the motion, and upon good cause shown, the court GRANTS

United States District Court
For the Northern District of California

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the Government's motion for final judgment against Hu and grants relief as follows:
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IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that defendant Albert K. Hu and
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defendants Asenqua, Inc., Asenqua Capital Management, LLC, AQC Asset Management, Ltd., and
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Fireside Capital Management, Ltd., and their respective officers, agents, servants, employees,
attorneys, and those persons in active concert or participation with any of them, who receive actual
notice of this Order, by personal service or otherwise, and each of them, are permanently restrained
and enjoined from violating, directly or indirectly, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 (the “Exchange Act”) [15 U.S.C. § 78j(b)] and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder [17 C.F.R.
§ 240.10b-5], by using any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce, or of the mails, or of

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any facility of any national securities exchange, in connection with the purchase or sale of any

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security:

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(a)

to employ any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud;

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(b)

to make any untrue statement of a material fact or to omit to state a material fact

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necessary in order to make the statements made, in the light of the circumstances under which they

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were made, not misleading; or

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(c)

to engage in any act, practice, or course of business which operates or would operate

as a fraud or deceit upon any person.

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ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF'S MOTION FOR FINAL JUDGMENT AGAINST ALL DEFENDANTS—No. C-09-01177 RMW

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IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that defendant Albert K. Hu and
defendants Asenqua, Inc., Asenqua Capital Management, LLC, AQC Asset Management, Ltd., and

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Fireside Capital Management, Ltd., and their respective officers, agents, servants, employees,
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attorneys, and those persons in active concert or participation with any of them, who receive actual
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notice of this Order, by personal service or otherwise, and each of them, are permanently restrained
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United States District Court
For the Northern District of California

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and enjoined from violating Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”)
[15 U.S.C. § 77q(a)] in the offer or sale of any security by the use of any means or instruments of
transportation or communication in interstate commerce or by use of the mails, directly or indirectly:
(a)

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to obtain money or property by means of any untrue statement of a material fact or

any omission of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or
(c)

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to employ any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud;

(b)

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to engage in any transaction, practice, or course of business which operates or would

operate as a fraud or deceit upon the purchaser.

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IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that defendant Albert K. Hu and his

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officers, agents, servants, employees, attorneys, and those persons in active concert or participation

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with any of them, who receive actual notice of this Order, by personal service or otherwise, and each

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of them, is permanently restrained and enjoined from violating Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the

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Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”) [15 U.S.C. §§ 80b-6(1) and 80b-6(2)], by the use

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of any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce, directly or indirectly:
(a)

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to employ any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud any client or prospective client;

(b)

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to engage in any transaction, practice or course of business which operates as a fraud

or

or deceit upon any client or prospective client.

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ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF'S MOTION FOR FINAL JUDGMENT AGAINST ALL DEFENDANTS—No. C-09-01177 RMW

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IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that defendant Albert K. Hu and his
officers, agents, servants, employees, attorneys, and those persons in active concert or participation

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with any of them, who receive actual notice of this Order, by personal service or otherwise, and each
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of them, is permanently restrained and enjoined from violating Section 206(4) of the Advisers Act
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[15 U.S.C. § 80b-6(4)] and Rule 206(4)-8 thereunder [17 C.F.R. § 275.206(4)-8], by the use of any
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means or instrumentality of interstate commerce, directly or indirectly:
(a)

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United States District Court
For the Northern District of California

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to make any untrue statement of a material fact or omitting to state a material fact

necessary in order to make the statements made, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading, to any investor or prospective investor in a pooled investment vehicle;
or
(b)

otherwise to engage in any act, practice or course of business that is fraudulent,

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deceptive, or manipulative with respect to any investor or prospective investor in a pooled

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investment vehicle.

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IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that defendant Albert K. Hu and

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defendants Asenqua, Inc., Asenqua Capital Management, LLC, AQC Asset Management, Ltd., and

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Fireside Capital Management, Ltd., are jointly and severally liable for disgorgement of $4,980,000,

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representing profits gained as a result of the conduct alleged in the Complaint, together with

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prejudgment interest thereon in the amount of $1,644,238, for a total of $6,624,238. Defendants

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shall satisfy this obligation by paying $6,624,238 to plaintiff Securities and Exchange Commission

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within 14 days after entry of this Final Judgment.

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Defendant may transmit payment electronically to the Commission, which will provide

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detailed ACH transfer/Fedwire instructions upon request. Payment may also be made directly from

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a bank account via Pay.gov through the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov/about/offices/ofm.htm.

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Defendants may also pay by certified check, bank cashier’s check, or United States postal money

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order payable to the Securities and Exchange Commission, which shall be delivered or mailed to
ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF'S MOTION FOR FINAL JUDGMENT AGAINST ALL DEFENDANTS—No. C-09-01177 RMW

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Enterprise Services Center
Accounts Receivable Branch
6500 South MacArthur Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73169

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and shall be accompanied by a letter identifying the following: the case title; the civil action

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number; the name of this Court; defendants Albert K. Hu, Asenqua, Inc., Asenqua Capital

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Management, LLC, AQC Asset Management, Ltd., and Fireside Capital Management, Ltd. as

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defendants in this action; and specifying that payment is made pursuant to this Final Judgment.

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United States District Court
For the Northern District of California

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Defendants shall simultaneously transmit photocopies of evidence of payment and case
identifying information to the Commission’s counsel in this action. By making this payment,
Defendant relinquishes all legal and equitable right, title, and interest in such funds and no part of
the funds shall be returned to Defendant.
The Commission shall hold the funds (collectively, the “Fund”) and may propose a plan to
distribute the Fund subject to the Court’s approval. The Court shall retain jurisdiction over the

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administration of any distribution of the Fund. If the Commission staff determines that the Fund
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will not be distributed, the Commission shall send the funds paid pursuant to this Final Judgment to
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the United States Treasury.
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The Commission may enforce the Court’s judgment for disgorgement and prejudgment
interest by moving for civil contempt (and/or through other collection procedures authorized by law)
at any time after 14 days following entry of this Final Judgment. Defendants shall pay postjudgment interest on any delinquent amounts pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1961.

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ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF'S MOTION FOR FINAL JUDGMENT AGAINST ALL DEFENDANTS—No. C-09-01177 RMW

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IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that defendant Albert K. Hu and
defendants Asenqua, Inc., Asenqua Capital Management, LLC, AQC Asset Management, Ltd., and

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Fireside Capital Management, Ltd., shall jointly and severally pay a civil penalty in the amount of
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$1,300,0000 to plaintiff Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 20(d) of the
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Securities Act [15 U.S.C. § 77t(d)], Section 21(d) of the Exchange Act [15 U.S.C. § 78u(d)], and
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United States District Court
For the Northern District of California

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Section 209(e) of the Advisers Act [15 U.S.C. § 80b-9(e)]. Defendants shall make this payment
within 14 days after entry of this Final Judgment.
Defendants may transmit payment electronically to the Commission, which will provide
detailed ACH transfer/Fedwire instructions upon request. Payment may also be made directly from
a bank account via Pay.gov through the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov/about/offices/ofm.htm.
Defendant may also pay by certified check, bank cashier’s check, or United States postal money
order payable to the Securities and Exchange Commission, which shall be delivered or mailed to
Enterprise Services Center
Accounts Receivable Branch
6500 South MacArthur Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73169

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and shall be accompanied by a letter identifying following: the case title; the civil action number;

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the name of this Court; defendants Albert K. Hu, Asenqua, Inc., Asenqua Capital Management,

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LLC, AQC Asset Management, Ltd., and Fireside Capital Management, Ltd. as defendants in this

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action; and specifying that payment is made pursuant to this Final Judgment.

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Defendants shall simultaneously transmit photocopies of evidence of payment and case

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identifying information to the Commission’s counsel in this action. By making this payment,

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defendants relinquishes all legal and equitable right, title, and interest in such funds and no part of

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the funds shall be returned to defendants. The Commission shall send the funds paid pursuant to this

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Final Judgment to the United States Treasury. Defendants shall pay post-judgment interest on any

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delinquent amounts pursuant to 28 USC § 1961.

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ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF'S MOTION FOR FINAL JUDGMENT AGAINST ALL DEFENDANTS—No. C-09-01177 RMW

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IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that this Court shall retain
jurisdiction of this matter for the purposes of enforcing the terms of this Final Judgment.

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DATED:

April 26, 2013
RONALD M. WHYTE
United States District Judge

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United States District Court
For the Northern District of California

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ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF'S MOTION FOR FINAL JUDGMENT AGAINST ALL DEFENDANTS—No. C-09-01177 RMW

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