District-Based mostly Fiscal Services Experienced Pleads Responsible to Federal Demand of Insider Buying and selling | USAO-DC

            WASHINGTON – George Haywood, 69, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty these days to a person rely of insider investing, introduced U.S. Lawyer Matthew M. Graves and Wayne A. Jacobs, Exclusive Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Area Business office Legal Division.

            Haywood pleaded responsible in the U.S. District Court docket for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Reggie B. Walton scheduled sentencing for Nov. 9, 2022.

            “Insider investing undermines religion in our economical marketplaces and harms regular buyers who participate in by the principles,” explained U.S. Legal professional Graves. “George Haywood placed himself over the law by using data to which he experienced privileged accessibility to cheat the marketplace and other traders. Our Business office will proceed to perform with our regulation enforcement partners to sustain the integrity of the financial markets.”

            “Mr. Haywood set himself and his very own financial passions previously mentioned the rule of regulation,” said Exclusive Agent in Cost Jacobs. “The FBI will not stand by while people today attempt to abuse access to non-community info. I’d like to thank all those who investigated this situation and who do the job each and every day to assure people today are held accountable for harming the integrity of our economical marketplaces.”

            According to court docket paperwork, Haywood is a District of Columbia-based mostly financial expert services expert who managed investments on behalf of his family members and good friends. On Jan. 22, 2020, at about 9 a.m., Neurotrope, a medical-stage biopharmaceutical enterprise (now known as Synaptogenix) introduced that it was staying awarded a $2.7 million grant from the Countrywide Institutes of Health and fitness pursuing favourable medical trial final results for a medication for the procedure of Alzheimer’s sickness. This resulted in an improve of its stock selling price to a large of $3.85 per share.

            Later on that day, at approximately 12:50 p.m., Haywood spoke to a consultant of Neurotrope by telephone. The man or woman provided to share product non-general public details relating to Neurotrope with Haywood so very long as Haywood agreed not to execute or try to execute any inventory trades with the info. Haywood agreed to acquire substance non-general public information, issue to these ailments. The agent then knowledgeable Haywood that Neurotrope would problem a registered immediate featuring later on that day and invited him to participate in it. The featuring was envisioned to bring about Neurotrope’s stock selling price to drop.

            Promptly right after receiving substance non-community info, Haywood bought or attempted to offer shares of Neurotrope worthy of around $328,701.16, in spite of getting agreed to get the details, and not to execute or endeavor to execute any stock trade with it. Centered on the every day closing value of $1.42 for each share, Haywood averted a decline of at minimum $179,297.18 on the sale of those shares in between the time he received the content non-community information, and the time the registered immediate presenting was introduced to the public.

            The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Subject Business office and is remaining prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Lawyers Elizabeth Aloi and John Borchert.

            A parallel civil enforcement proceeding was submitted by the Securities and Trade Commission’s Philadelphia Regional Office, below the direction of Norman P. Ostrove: https://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/2022/lr25440.htm