The SEC charged a husband and wife who raised millions of dollars selling investments for a purported charitable organization in Tallahassee, Fla., while defrauding senior citizens and significantly exaggerating the amount of contributions actually made to charity.
The SEC alleges that after the couple were hired at We The People Inc., the organization obtained $75 million from more than 400 investors in Florida, Colorado, and Texas among more than 30 states across the country by selling an investment product they described as a charitable gift annuity (CGA). However, the CGAs issued by We The People differed in several ways from CGAs issued legitimately, namely that they were issued primarily to benefit the couple and other third-party promoters and consultants. Only a small amount of the money raised was actually directed to charitable services. Meanwhile the couple received more than $1.1 million in salary and commissions, and they also siphoned away investor funds for their personal use.
The SEC further alleges that the couple lured elderly investors with limited investing experience into the scheme by making a number of false representations about the purported value and financial benefits of We The People’s CGAs. The Olives also lied about the safety and security of the investments.
“The [couple] raised millions from senior citizens by claiming that We The People’s so-called CGAs provided attractive financial benefits and were re-insured and backed by assets held in trust,” said Julie Lutz, Associate Director of the SEC’s Denver Regional Office. “Investors were not given the full story about the true value and security of their investments.”
For more information on the charge, visit SEC Charges Husband and Wife in Florida with Defrauding Seniors Investing in Purported Charity.
