Announcements

The Mediation-Settlement Conference previously scheduled for November 20, 2020 has been postponed following an Order from the Court and will be rescheduled by separate Order from the Court.

The Settlement Conference previously scheduled for 11/13/2020 is rescheduled. New scheduling date and time: Settlement Conference set for 11/20/2020 at 10:00 AM in Tampa Courtroom 10 A before Magistrate Judge Anthony E. Porcelli. Mediation summaries due on or before 11/13/2020. The Settlement Conference will be conducted via Zoom, and the new login information will be sent separately. Click Here to view Order [205] for all other details.

On July 31, 2020, the Court held a show cause hearing to address whether the temporary restraining Order granted by the Court on February 14, 2020, should be converted to a preliminary injunction. The Court granted the SEC’s motion in an Order dated August 17, 2020, making the following findings:

• The Defendants most likely operated as a Ponzi scheme using new investor funds to pay old investor obligations while simultaneously siphoning funds for their own benefit far and above any amount that anyone might reasonably believe was disclosed to investors;
• The Commission [SEC] will likely be able to prove that Defendants Davison and Rybicki used the investor money to purchase high-end luxury items;
• The Commission has demonstrated a substantial likelihood of proving it will prevail on its Section 5 and Section 10(b) claims based on the affirmative evidence developed to date demonstrating fraud, the sale of unregistered securities, and representations to investors that were materially false;
• Defendants Davison and Rybicki are controlling individuals of Defendant EquiAlt and the other Corporate Defendants; and
• Defendants [Davison and Rybicki] appear to have had equally shared responsibilities and acted in concert to successfully perpetrate the Ponzi scheme.

Additionally, the Court granted the Receiver’s motion to expand the receivership to include the REIT and Qualified Opportunity Zone (“QOZ”).

View Order on Motion for Preliminary Injunction

The Court conducted a full hearing on July 31, 2020 on all outstanding issues.  The Court’s rulings will be posted on this website as they are issued. The Receiver is continuing his efforts to maximize the Receivership estate for the benefit of the investors and creditors.

The press and the public can request remote access to the Show Cause Hearing scheduled for Friday, July 31, 2020 at 10:00 AM. The approval of such requests is in the Court’s discretion. You can request remote access through the following link – https://www.flmd.uscourts.gov/webforms/request-remote-access-courtroom-proceedings-press-and-public

The Court has rescheduled the Show Cause Hearing to Thursday, July 16, 2020 at 1:30 PM in Tampa Courtroom 7. The Court has set aside two hours for the hearing. See Court’s Notice (Doc. 104) here.

On May 8, 2020, the Receiver filed is First Quarterly Status Report.  The Report may be viewed here.

View Letter

The Show Cause Hearing previously scheduled for Thursday,  February 27, 2020, at 1:30 p.m., is rescheduled for Wednesday, May 13, 2019 at 1:30 PM.

Federal regulators say two EquiAlt executives used millions of dollars for luxury cars, fancy watches and chartered jets.

By Richard Danielson – Tampa Bay Times

TAMPA — The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is accusing a Tampa real estate investment firm and its founder of running a Ponzi scheme that raised $170 million from about 1,140 investors and misappropriated millions of dollars to pay for sports cars, collector wristwatches and chartered jets.

Federal regulators sued EquiAlt, its owner and chief executive officer, Brian Davison of Tampa, and its managing director, Barry Rybicki, of Phoenix, Ariz., in federal court in Tampa last week. U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven has since frozen EquiAlt’s assets, ordered the company not to destroy documents and appointed a receiver to manage its affairs while the case is pending.

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