Rensel v. Centra Tech, Inc. et al
Filing
202
OMNIBUS ORDER granting 140 Motion to Dismiss; granting 141 Motion to Dismiss; granting 142 Motion to Dismiss; and granting 157 Motion to Dismiss. Signed by Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr. on 5/13/2019. See attached document for full details. (ar2)
United States District Court
for the
Southern District of Florida
Jacob Zowie Thomas Rensel and
others, Plaintiff,
v.
Centra Tech, Inc. and others,
Defendants.
)
)
)
) Civil Action No. 17-24500-Civ-Scola
)
)
)
Omnibus Order on Defendants’ Motions to Dismiss
This matter comes before the Court on Defendant Floyd Mayweather’s
motion to dismiss (ECF No. 141), Defendant Khaled Khaled’s motion to dismiss
(ECF No. 142), Defendant Steven Sykes’ motion to dismiss (ECF No. 140), and
Defendant Steven Stanley’s motion to dismiss (ECF No. 157) the Plaintiffs’ First
Amended Complaint. After reviewing the parties’ written submissions, the
record, and the applicable law, the Court grants the Defendants’ motions. (ECF
Nos. 140, 141, 142, 157.)
I.
Background
Defendant Centra Tech was a company founded in May 2016 which
purported to sell CTR Tokens in an initial coin offering (“ICO”). The ICO allegedly
raised funds for, among other things, a debit card backed by Visa and
Mastercard that would allow users to instantly use cryptocurrencies to make
purchases. Between July 23, 2017 and April 20, 2018, Centra Tech’s ICO raised
more than $32 million from thousands of investors. The founders of Centra Tech,
Defendants Sharma, Farkas, and Trapani are currently the subjects of an SEC
enforcement action (S.E.C. v. Sharma et al., No. 18-cv-2909-DLC (S.D.N.Y.)1 and
are being criminally prosecuted in the Southern District of New York for the
fraudulent Centra Tech scheme (United States v. Sharma et al., No. 18-cr-340LGS (S.D.N.Y.)). (Compl. at ¶¶ 60-61, ECF No. 1.) The Plaintiffs’ Amended
Complaint in this case incorporates by reference the SEC complaint and the
criminal complaint. (Id. at ¶ 61 n.9.)
In order to promote their product, the founders of Centra Tech engaged in
a marketing campaign. In a July 2017 press release, Centra Tech stated that it
had created “the world’s first Debit Card that is designed for use with
compatibility on 8+ major cryptocurrency blockchain assets. . . [this is] truly a
The SEC action is currently stayed during the pendency of the criminal
prosecution.
1
ground floor opportunity . . . that offers a comprehensive rewards program for
both token and card holders while giving the ability to spend your cryptocurrency
in real time with no fees.” (Id. at ¶ 91.) Centra Tech also advertised that it worked
“anywhere that accepted Visa and Mastercard.” (Id. at 92.) Centra Tech also
published a series of white papers which touted the profit potential of investing
in the ICO. (Id. at ¶¶ 94-95.) None of the claims made by Centra Tech were true.
(Id. at ¶ 98.)
To further promote its product, Centra Tech created fictional executives
with impressive backgrounds. (Id. at ¶ 270.) For example, Centra Tech listed
Michael Edwards as its CEO and Co-Founder. Centra Tech created a LinkedIn
profile for Mr. Edwards using the picture of a Canadian professor with no
relationship to the company. (Id.) Mr. Edward’s LinkedIn profile stated that he
had “established licensing and other partnership terms with Visa & Mastercard”
and that he had an MBA from Harvard University. (Id. at ¶¶ 271, 275.) Centra
Tech also created Jessica Robinson, the Chief Financial Officer, who had
previously been the CFO of Johnson Communications. (Id. at ¶¶ 272-74.) The
presentations made to potential investors also included bios for Edwards and
Robinson. (Id. at ¶ 281.)
Centra Tech had some real employees, including Defendant Sykes and
Defendant Stanley. Sykes was the Chief Technology Officer (“CTO”) of Centra
Tech from August 2017 through April 2018. (Id. at ¶ 64.) Sykes was responsible
for “driving the delivery of the Centra product to completion.” (Id. at ¶ 244.)
According to the complaint, Sykes was responsible for all customer experiences
related to Centra Tech’s website, personally familiar with the content and
maintenance of Centra Tech’s website, and personally familiar with the process
customers had to complete to purchase Centra Tokens during the Centra Tech
ICO. (Id. at ¶ 243.)
Another real employee was Defendant Stanley. Stanley was Centra Tech’s
Director of Public Relations. (Id. at ¶ 63.) Stanley promoted Centra Tech through
message boards on Bitcointalk. (Id. at ¶ 186.) On July 31, 2017, Stanley posted
an announcement on Bitcointalk directing readers to a link used to sell CTR
Tokens. (Id.) Stanley also answered investor’s questions and responded to
inquiries on behalf of Centra Tech. (Id. at ¶ 190.)
Centra Tech also recruited celebrities to promote its product. Defendant
Floyd Mayweather, a professional boxer, was compensated for promoting Centra
Tech. (Id. at ¶ 208.) On September 14, 2017, Mayweather posted a tweet with a
picture of himself holding a Centra Tech debit card and captioned the picture:
“Spending bitcoins Ethereum and other types of cryptocurrency in Beverly
Hills…” (Id. at ¶ 209.) On September 18, 2017, Mayweather tweeted “Centra’s
(CTR) ICO starts in a few hours. Get yours before they sell out, I got mine.” (Id.
at ¶ 210.) He also participated in a video for Centra Tech which showed him
using the Centra Tech debit card. (Id. at ¶ 251.)
Defendant Khaled, a well-known celebrity and music producer, also
promoted Centra Tech. (Id. at ¶ 213.) For example, in September 2017, Khaled
posted a picture of himself holding the Centra Tech debit card on his Instagram
account and the caption read, “I just received my titanium centra debit card. The
Centra Card & Centra Wallet app is the ultimate winner in Cryptocurrency debit
cards powered by CTR tokens! Use your bitcoins, ethereum, and more
cryptocurrencies in real time across the globe. This is a game changer here. Get
your CTR tokens now!” (Id. at ¶ 213.) Khaled posted another picture of himself
with the same caption on September 27, 2018. (Id. at ¶ 214.)
The Plaintiffs filed a four-count complaint for securities fraud based on the
sale of unregistered securities in the form of CTR Tokens. Counts I and III are
asserted against all Defendants. Counts II and IV are asserted against
Defendants Sharma, Farkas, and Trapani only. This opinion only addresses the
motions to dismiss Counts I and III by Defendants Mayweather, Khaled, Sykes,
and Stanley.
II.
Legal Standard
When considering a motion to dismiss under Federal Rule of Civil
Procedure 12(b)(6), the Court must accept all the complaint’s allegations as true,
construing them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. Pielage v. McConnell,
516 F.3d 1282, 1284 (11th Cir. 2008). A pleading must only contain “a short and
plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed.
R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). A motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) challenges the legal
sufficiency of a complaint. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). In assessing the legal
sufficiency of a complaint’s allegations, the Court is bound to apply the pleading
standard articulated in Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007) and
Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009). That is, the complaint “must . . .
contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a claim to relief that
is plausible on its face.” Am. Dental Ass’n v. Cigna Corp., 605 F.3d 1283, 1289
(11th Cir. 2010) (quoting Bell Atlantic Corp, 550 U.S. at 570). “Dismissal is
therefore permitted when on the basis of a dispositive issue of law, no
construction of the factual allegations will support the cause of action.” Glover
v. Liggett Grp., Inc., 459 F.3d 1304, 1308 (11th Cir. 2006) (internal quotations
omitted). “A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content
that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable
for the misconduct alleged.” Ashcroft, 556 U.S. at 678. “The plausibility standard
is not akin to a ‘probability requirement,’ but it asks for more than a sheer
possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully.” Id.
III.
Analysis
A. Mayweather’s Motion to Dismiss
1. Count I - Violation of Section 12(a)(1) of the Securities Act
Count I is a claim for violation of Section 12(a)(1) of the Securities Act, 15
U.S.C. § 77l. (ECF No. 1 at ¶ 314.) Section 12(a)(1) makes it unlawful to offer or
sell an unregistered security. 15 U.S.C. § 77l(a)(1). To establish a prima facie
case under Section 12, the plaintiff must allege (1) the sale or offer to sell
securities; (2) the absence of a registration statement covering the securities; and
(3) the use of the mails or facilities of interstate commerce in connection with the
sale or offer. Swenson v. Engelstad, 626 F.2d 421, 424-25 (5th Cir. 1980). In
Pinter v. Dahl, the Supreme Court articulated two circumstances in which a
defendant can be considered one who “sold” unregistered securities. 486 U.S.
622 (1988). The defendant must either (1) “be the person who transfers title to,
or other interest in, that property;” or (2) “successfully solicits the purchase,
motivated at least in party by a desire to serve his own financial interests or
those of the securities owner.” Id. at 642, 647.
The parties do not dispute that the CTR Tokens are unregistered securities
and that the Defendant used the facilities of interstate commerce. The question
is whether Mayweather qualifies as someone who “sold or offered to sell”
securities. The Defendant argues that there is no evidence that Mayweather
transferred title to the CTR Tokens. Therefore, Mayweather would fall under the
second category articulated in Pinter, one who successfully solicits the purchase
of unregistered securities. 486 U.S. at 647. However, according to Mayweather,
the Plaintiffs fail to allege successful solicitation because there is no evidence
that Mayweather’s tweets actually resulted in the purchase of CTR Tokens. (ECF
No. 141 at 10.) Furthermore, the Defendant argues that direct communication
between the seller and buyer is required under Section 12(a)(1). (Id.)
The Plaintiffs respond by arguing that causation is not a necessary
element under Section 12. The only two elements necessary to make Mayweather
a “seller” are: (1) he solicited the purchase and (2) the participant or the owner
of the security sold benefited. (ECF No. 162 at 12.) Because Mayweather solicited
the purchase by encouraging his followers to buy the CTR Tokens and he
benefited financially by making this public endorsement, he is a “seller” for
purposes of Section 12(a). Upon careful review, the Court agrees with the
Defendant.
The authoritative case on this issue is the Supreme Court’s decision in
Pinter v. Dahl, 486 U.S. 622 (1988). In Pinter, the Supreme Court addressed the
issue of who qualifies as a “seller” within the meaning of Section 12 of the
Securities Act. Id at 647. In defining the scope of liability for those who “solicit”
the purchase of securities, the Pinter Court held that the language of Section 12
extends liability to “the person who successfully solicits the purchase, motivated
at least in part by a desire to serve his own financial interests or those of the
securities owner.” Id. The Court explained that the “solicitation of a buyer is
perhaps the most critical stage of the selling transaction. It is the first stage of a
traditional securities sale to involve the buyer, and it is directed at producing the
sale.” Id. at 646. In defining this test, the Court rejected the Fifth Circuit’s
“substantial-factor” test which imposed liability if the seller’s participation in the
buy-sell transaction “is a substantial factor in causing the transaction to take
place.” Id. at 649. The Court held that this would impose liability on “participants
collateral to the offer or sale.” Id. at 650. Instead, the Pinter test focuses on “the
defendant’s relationship with the plaintiff-purchaser” rather than the
“defendant’s degree of involvement in the securities transaction.” Id. at 651.
The Eleventh Circuit in Ryder Int’l Corp. v. First Am. Nat’l Bank, 749 F.
Supp. 1569 (11th Cir. 1990) focuses on this relationship between the plaintiff
and defendant. In applying this test, the Eleventh Circuit refers to a scholarly
article which states that “Pinter apparently requires someone to be an issuer or
a paid participant who actually contacted a buyer and urged the buyer to
purchase before such participation would meet the first prong of the solicitation
test.” Id. at 1579 (emphasis in original). Therefore, “a plaintiff must allege not
only that the defendant actively solicited investors, but that the plaintiff
purchased securities as a result of that solicitation. Mere conclusory allegations
that a defendant solicited the sale of stock and was motivated by financial gain
to do so are insufficient to state a claim under Section 12.” In re CNL Hotels &
Resorts, Inc., No. 04-cv-1231ORL-31KRS, 2005 WL 2291729, at *5 (M.D. Fla.
Sept. 20, 2005).
The Plaintiff’s complaint fails to establish that Mayweather “successfully
solicited” the Plaintiffs to purchase CTR Tokens. The allegations against
Mayweather establish that he posted two tweets from his Twitter account related
to CTR Tokens. (ECF No. 97 at 64-65.) One of the posts urges his followers to
“get yours before they sell out, I got mine.” (Id. at ¶ 210.) This is the closest thing
to “solicitation” in the complaint. However, there are no allegations that this was
a successful solicitation, that Mayweather had any contact with Plaintiffs, or that
Plaintiffs even saw the posts. See Pinter, 486 U.S. at 647. In order to be
considered a seller under Section 12, Pinter requires the Court to look at the
defendant’s relationship with the plaintiff-purchaser. Id at 651; see In re CNL
Hotels & Resorts, 2005 WL 2291729 at *5 (the plaintiff’s assertions “must be
supported by specific factual allegations demonstrating a direct relationship
between the defendant and the plaintiff-purchaser.”). Mayweather has no
relationship with the Plaintiffs. The complaint does not allege that Plaintiffs
follow Mayweather’s twitter account or that they saw his posts or video with
Centra Tech. In fact, two of the Plaintiffs, Fung Poo and Lee, made their
purchases before Mayweather posted on Twitter about Centra Tech. (ECF No. 1
at ¶¶ 42-45.)
The Plaintiffs point to the following paragraph as evidence that “each of
the Plaintiffs who purchased CTR following Mayweather’s endorsement were
successfully solicited to purchase CTR Tokens by Mayweather.” (Id. at 12.):
Each of the Plaintiffs actively researched Centra Tech
and the Centra Products, prior to making their
purchases of CTR Tokens and throughout the period in
which they held their CTR Tokens. Accordingly, each of
the Plaintiffs were personally, and successfully,
solicited by each of the Defendants in connection with
Defendants’ public representations and active
solicitations to purchase CTR Tokens outlined herein.
(Id. at 12-13 (quoting ECF No. 1 at ¶ 33).) This type of conclusory allegation,
vaguely referring to “research,” fails to establish that Mayweather reached out to
the Plaintiffs and successfully solicited Plaintiffs to purchase CTR Tokens.
Accordingly, Count I is dismissed as to Defendant Mayweather.
2. Count III – Violation of Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act
Count III is a claim against all Defendants for violation of Section 10(b) of
the Exchange Act, 15 U.S.C. § 78j(b), and Rule 10b-5, 17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5,
promulgated thereunder by the SEC. (ECF No. 1 at ¶ 335.) A claim brought under
Rule 10b-5 must satisfy the special fraud pleading requirements of Federal Rule
of Civil Procedure 9(b) and the heightened pleading requirements set forth in the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (“PSLRA”). In re Galectin Therapeutics,
Inc. Securities Litigation, 843 F.3d 1257, 1269 (11th Cir. 2016). Rule 9(b) requires
the complaint to set forth:
(1) precisely what statements or omissions were made
in which documents or oral representations; (2) the time
and place of each such statement and the person
responsible for making (or, in the case of omissions, not
making) them; (3) the content of such statements and
the manner in which they misled the plaintiff, and; (4)
what the defendant obtained as a consequence of the
fraud.
Id. In addition, the PSLRA requires heightened pleading requirements for Rule
10b-5(b) claims. The PSLRA requires that the plaintiff “specify each statement
alleged to have been misleading, the reason or reasons why the statement is
misleading, and, if an allegation regarding the statement or omission is made on
information and belief, the complaint shall state with particularity all facts on
which that belief is formed.” Id.
There are three subsections to Rule 10b-5. While there is disagreement in
the briefs as to whether the Plaintiffs are asserting a claim under subsection a,
b, or c, the Court will assume that Plaintiffs intended to assert a claim under all
three subsections. Under Rule 10b-5(b), it is unlawful to make any “untrue
statement of a material fact or to omit to state a material fact necessary in order
to make the statements made . . . not misleading.” This is considered
“misrepresentation” liability. Under Rule 10b-5(a) and (c), it is unlawful to
“employ any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud” or “to engage in any act,
practice, or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or
deceit upon any person.” These subsections are considered “scheme” liability.
See In re: Altisource Portfolio Solutions, S.A. Securities Litigation, No. 14-81156,
2015 WL 11988900, at *5 (S.D. Fla. Dec. 22, 2015) (Dimitrouleas, J.). Under all
three subsections of 10b-5, the plaintiff must plead reliance. Dura Pharm., Inc.
v. Broudo, 544 U.S. 336, 342 (2005); In re: Altisource, 2015 WL 11988900 at *5.
Mayweather’s motion argues that plaintiffs have failed to plead the element
of reliance because, as is the case with Count I, there are no allegations that the
Plaintiffs even saw Mayweather’s posts or video, much less relied on them to
make investment decisions. Plaintiffs attempt to rely on the presumption of
reliance under the “fraud-created-the-market” exception. (ECF No. 141 at 1819.) This theory is premised on the idea that “it is reasonable to rely on the
market to screen out securities that are so tainted by fraud as to be totally
unmarketable.” Ross v. Bank South, N.A., 885 F.2d 723, 729 (11th Cir. 1989).
According to the Plaintiffs, Mayweather is alleged to have engaged in the
fraudulent scheme that created the market for CTR Tokens. (ECF No. 162 at 18.)
“Here, the alleged fraud was Defendants’ scheme to unload patently worthless
CTR Tokens by pretending, as Mayweather did, that the Centra Debit Card
functioned and thus CTR Tokens had value.” (Id.) Mayweather responds that he
cannot be held liable under this theory because he did not participate in the
“scheme” to bring the tokens to market. (ECF No. 182 at 6.) In fact, the
allegations in the complaint indicate that most of the Plaintiffs purchased CTR
Tokens before Mayweather is alleged to have done anything. (Id. at 7.)
For the reasons stated by the Court in dismissing Count I, a claim under
Rule 10b-5(b) also fails. The Plaintiffs fail to allege actual reliance because
Mayweather had no contact with Plaintiffs and Plaintiffs are not alleged to have
even seen Mayweather’s social media activity. (ECF No. 162 at 16.) Therefore,
the Court must determine whether the fraud-created-the-market presumption
of reliance is applicable to Mayweather under Rule 10b-5(a) and (c). Upon careful
consideration, the Court holds that it is not.
In order to sustain a claim based on the fraud-created-the-market theory,
the Plaintiffs must show that but for Mayweather’s fraud, the securities in
question could not have been marketed. Ross v. Bank South, N.A., 885 F.2d 723,
729 (11th Cir. 1989); In re Amerifirst Securities Litigation, 129 F.R.D. 423, 432
(S.D. Fla. 1991) (Hoeveler, J.). The complaint alleges that Mayweather posted two
items on Twitter on September 14, 2017 and September 18, 2017 and
participated in a video in “mid-September” of 2017. (ECF No. 1 at 64-65, 79.)
Plaintiffs’ allegations, however, establish that the CTR Tokens were selling before
Mayweather was even involved. (Id. at ¶¶ 34, 40, 42, 44, 46.) For example,
Plaintiff Rensel purchased CTR Tokens on July 30, 2017. (Id. at ¶ 34.) Plaintiff
Chi Hao Poon purchased CTR Tokens on August 17, 2017. (Id. at ¶ 40). And
Plaintiff King Fung Poon purchased CTR Tokens on September 12, 2017. (Id. at
¶ 44.) It is clear that Mayweather’s “fraud” did not create the market nor was his
fraud a but for cause of bringing the securities to market. “If a plaintiff proves
no more than that the [securities] would have been offered at a lower price or at
higher rate, rather than they would never have been issued or marketed, he
cannot recover.” In re Amerifirst, 129 F.R.D. at 432. Accordingly, Plaintiffs are
unable to establish reliance based on the fraud-created-the-market theory and
Count III must be dismissed as to Mayweather.
B. DJ Khaled’s Motion to Dismiss
Counts I and III of the Plaintiffs’ complaint are also asserted against
Defendant Khaled. Khaled’s motion to dismiss puts forth largely the same
arguments as Mayweather’s motion to dismiss. (ECF No. 142.) With regard to
Count I, Khaled argues that Pinter’s “successfully solicited” test “focuses on the
defendant’s relationship with the plaintiff-purchaser.” (ECF No. 142 at 6.) As is
the case with the Plaintiffs’ claims against Mayweather, the complaint fails to
allege that the Plaintiffs followed Khaled on social media or even saw Khaled’s
two social media posts. Therefore, Plaintiffs cannot assert that Khaled
“successfully solicited” the Plaintiffs to purchase CTR Tokens. For the reasons
stated above, the Court dismisses Count I as to Khaled.
As to Count III, the Court applies the same analysis it applied to the claims
against Mayweather. The Plaintiffs’ claim under Rule 10b-5(b) fails because there
are no allegations that the Plaintiffs relied on Khaled’s posts. The complaint does
not allege that the Plaintiffs follow Khaled on social media or even saw the posts
before they purchased the CTR Tokens. Therefore, the Plaintiffs are relying on
the fraud-created-the-market exception to sustain a claim under Rule 10b-5(a)
or (c). (ECF No. 161 at 20.) The Plaintiffs’ response brief, however, does not even
bother to address the reliance argument in Khaled’s motion to dismiss. Instead,
in a footnote, the Plaintiffs incorporate by reference their arguments in response
to Mayweather’s motion to dismiss, “in particular those relating to reliance.” (Id.
at 20 n.9.) As the Court held with regard to Mayweather, the Plaintiffs cannot
sustain their claim based on a fraud-created-the-market theory of reliance. Like
Mayweather, Khaled’s two posts occurred in September 2017, after some of the
purchases of CTR Tokens had already taken place. (ECF No. 97 at ¶¶ 213-214.)
Plaintiffs cannot assert that Khalid’s alleged fraud created the market for CTR
Tokens nor was his fraud a but for cause of bringing the securities to market.
Accordingly, Count III must be dismissed as to Khaled.
C. Steven Sykes’ Motion to Dismiss
Also before the Court is Defendant Steven Sykes’s motion to dismiss
Counts I and III of the complaint. (ECF No. 140.) Sykes was Centra Tech’s CTO
from August 2017 through April 2018. (ECF No. 1 at ¶ 64.) He was responsible
for the content and maintenance of Centra Tech’s website, including the
website’s “customer experience.” (Id.) Sykes’s motion to dismiss argues that his
involvement with Centra Tech’s website does not make him a seller of securities
under Section 12(a)(1) of the Securities Act. (ECF No. 140 at 4.) In response, the
Plaintiffs argue that “any and all solicitations for the purchase of CTR Tokens
contained on the Centra Tech website are equally attributable to him and hence,
he was a ‘seller’ of unregistered securities.” (ECF No. 163 at 6.)
As discussed above, Pinter held that “[b]eing merely a ‘substantial factor’
in causing the sale of unregistered securities is not sufficient in itself to render
a defendant liable under § 12(1).” 466 U.S. at 654. To state a claim under Section
12(1), the “plaintiff must allege not only that the defendant actively solicited
investors, but that the plaintiff purchased securities as a result of that
solicitation. Mere conclusory allegations that a defendant solicited the sale of
stock and was motivated by financial gain to do so are insufficient to state a
claim under Section 12.” In re CNL Hotels & Resorts, Inc., No. 04-cv-1231ORL31KRS, 2005 WL 2291729, at *5 (M.D. Fla. Sept. 20, 2005). Sykes’s general
involvement with the company in his capacity as CTO does not establish that he
had any contact with investors or in any way solicited investors to purchase CTR
Tokens. See Ryder, 749 F. Supp. 1569 at 1579 (“Such general solicitation of
business does not convert a broker into a . . . ‘seller,’ ‘offeror,’ or ‘solicitor.’”).
While a functional website may have helped convince customers that Centra
Tech was a legitimate business, the Plaintiffs’ allegations fall short of establishing
that Sykes successfully solicited the purchase of CTR Tokens directly from the
Plaintiffs. Therefore, the Court must dismiss Count I as to Defendant Sykes.
Count III is also asserted against Sykes for violation of Section 10(b) of the
Exchange Act, 15 U.S.C. § 78j(b), and Rule 10b-5. Plaintiffs’ complaint does not
make clear which subsection of Rule 10b-5 they are pursuing, nor does Sykes’
motion help provide clarity as to the applicable law. The parties’ positions can
be summarized as follows. Sykes was responsible for Centra Tech’s website and
for the technology behind the Centra debit card. Therefore, any statements on
Centra Tech’s website about the credit card’s functionality was necessarily a
misrepresentation by Sykes. (ECF No. 163 at 8.) Sykes’s motion to dismiss,
without a single citation to relevant legal authority, states that “there is simply
no objective basis in which one can conclude, based on the information asserted,
that Sykes made any false statements.” (ECF No. 140 at 5.)
As discussed above, a claim brought under Rule 10b-5 must satisfy the
pleading requirements of Rule 9(b) and the heightened pleading requirements
set forth in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (“PSLRA”). In re Galectin
Therapeutics, Inc. Securities Litigation, 843 F.3d 1257, 1269 (11th Cir. 2016).
Rule 9(b) requires the complaint to set forth:
(1) precisely what statements or omissions were made
in which documents or oral representations; (2) the time
and place of each such statement and the person
responsible for making (or, in the case of omissions, not
making) them; (3) the content of such statements and
the manner in which they misled the plaintiff, and; (4)
what the defendant obtained as a consequence of the
fraud.
Id. Here, the complaint fails to meet the heightened pleading requirements of
Rule 9(b). The allegations against Sykes are based on his involvement with the
website. The Complaint, however, is devoid of any specificity with regard to the
content of the website, when the website was launched, the alleged
misstatements on the website, who determined the content on the website, and
if the Plaintiffs ever even visited the website. Accordingly, the Count III is
dismissed as to Defendant Sykes.
D. Steven Stanley’s Motion to Dismiss
Also before the Court is Defendant Stanley’s pro se motion to dismiss
Counts I and III of Plaintiffs’ complaint. (ECF No. 157.) Similar to their claims
against Khaled and Mayweather, the Plaintiffs’ claims against Stanley are based
on Stanley’s online posts or public representations about Centra Tech. (ECF No.
1 ¶¶ 186-94.) As Centra Tech’s Director of Public Relations, Stanely answered
questions in online forums and posted press releases about Centra Tech. (Id.)
However, as was the case with Khaled and Mayweather, there are no allegations
that Stanley directed his communications to any particular Plaintiff or that
Plaintiffs read this information. Instead, the Complaint generally refers to
Stanley publicly posting answers to questions posed by a “a user on the
Bitcointalk online forum.” (Id. at ¶ 187.)
Although the [company] may make public statements .
. . these statements are usually not directed at any
particular investor. The [company] therefore does not
engage in the type of one-to-one exchange of
information which is typical of the broker-investor
relationship and which the Supreme Court viewed as
the most typical example of solicitation. To find
“solicitation” in a case in which no attempt has been
made by a defendant to channel information to the
particular plaintiff would result in the broadening of the
definition of a statutory “seller” to such an extent as to
render meaningless the Supreme Court's statement
that “a buyer cannot recover against his seller’s seller.”
PPM America, Inc. v. Marriot Corp., 853 F. Supp. 860, 875 (D. Md. 1994) (citing
Pinter, 786 U.S. at 644, n.21).
Referring to its analysis above, the Court also dismisses Count III as to
Stanley. With regard to the element of reliance necessary to state a claim under
Rule 10b-5(b), the Complaint fails to allege that the Plaintiffs saw Stanley’s online
posts, frequented the forums, or relied on this information in any way. Similarly,
the Plaintiffs cannot rely on the-fraud-created-the-market presumption of
reliance for a claim under Rule 10b-5(a) and (c) because there is no indication
that but for Stanley, a person posting in online investor forums, the CTR Tokens
could not have been offered on the market. See Ross, 885 F.2d at 729.
IV.
Conclusion
Based on the foregoing, the Court grants the Defendants’ motions to
dismiss Counts I and III of the Plaintiffs’ First Amended Complaint as to
Defendants Mayweather, Khaled, Sykes and Stanley. (ECF Nos. 140, 141, 142,
157.)
Done and ordered, in chambers, in Miami, Florida on May 13, 2019.
Robert N. Scola, Jr.
United States District Judge
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