Defendant in NJ deli stock fraud case makes $2,500 a month from similar shell company

One of the men charged successful an alleged banal manipulation strategy involving ammunition companies and a small-town New Jersey deli is making thousands of dollars from different ammunition company, according to a securities filing. 

James Patten, was charged with national crimes past period for allegedly inflating the worth of Hometown International, which owned the deli, and E-Waste, which had nary existent business.

Patten is besides progressive successful a institution called Med Spa Vacations, which reported expenses of $93,999 and nary gross during the 4th that ended Sept. 30. Med Spa, which wasn't named successful the indictment, besides pays $2,500 a period successful consulting fees to Patten's steadfast Benchmark Capital.

Benchmark Capital besides utilized to person $5,000 a period successful consulting fees from E-Waste, according to the Justice Department. A ailment from the Securities and Exchange Commission said the Benchmark Capital statement with E-Waste "failed to disclose the narration betwixt Patten and E-Waste."

Patten's sanction hasn't appeared successful Med Spa filings.

Patten lawyer Ira Sorkin declined to comment. A spokesperson for the Justice Department could "only corroborate the presently pending charges."

Prosecutors accused Patten, on with father-and-son duo Peter Coker Sr. and Peter Coker Jr., of enriching themselves done consulting agreements that the SEC says lacked due disclosure. Authorities besides said they artificially inflated the marketplace worth of Hometown International and E-Waste by 939% and 19,900% respectively.

Around fractional of Med Spa's shares are owned by Global Equity Limited, wherever Patten is simply a elder vice president. About 10% of the institution is held by Coker Sr.'s wife, Dina Coker, and 16.63% is owned by Hometown Global Services, which is controlled by Coker Sr.

Coker Sr. had a akin consulting statement with Med Spa that paid him $2,500 betwixt February and June 2021 done Tryon Capital. Tryon was besides Coker Sr.'s vas of prime for funneling funds from some Hometown International and E-Waste, according to his indictment.

The SEC said the consulting agreements for E-Waste and Hometown International were utilized to "reap ill-gotten gains from the scheme" and that the consulting services promised were either "unnecessary, not performed, oregon were successful furtherance of the scheme."

Med Spa, contempt its zero revenue, has a agelong database of consulting agreements. One since-terminated woody paid $4,000 a period to Med Spa's erstwhile president Elliot Mermel done his company, Benzions. The statement was terminated successful 2021.

Mermel, who served arsenic president for some E-Waste and Med Spa Vacations, has a colorful concern career, including a institution that raised crickets arsenic quality food and a cannabis company that partnered with Paul Pierce, the former Boston Celtics superstar. 

Med Spa was besides concisely led by Patten's longtime person John Rollo, different erstwhile E-Waste president and a Grammy-award winning shaper who worked astir precocious arsenic a diligent transporter astatine a New Jersey hospital.

Neither Mermel nor Rollo were indicted alongside their associates for the E-Waste fraud allegations. They were succeeded successful their Med Spa enactment by Irwin Schneidmill.

Schneidmill declined to remark erstwhile contacted by CNBC. Rollo's telephone number, listed by the SEC, had been disconnected, and Mermel did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Like the different 2 ammunition companies, Med Spa Vacations had an archetypal concern goal—in this case, "specialized wellness abrogation packages"—that was abandoned successful favour of initiating a reverse merger. The indictment notes the E-Waste and Hometown International reverse mergers arsenic the method by which the men would gain "significant nett resulting from marketplace manipulation."

Med Spa is presently successful hunt of a institution with which to implicit a reverse merger.