Introduction
David Schottenstein is a prominent businessman, investor, and entrepreneur who has been accused of insider trading. The charges allege that he traded on information not available to the public, which gave him an unfair advantage in the stock market. As a result, the SEC has brought charges against him for violating federal securities laws. In this article, we will take a look at the charges, and the outcome of the case.
David Schottenstein
American-born businessman, investor, and philanthropist David Schottenstein is a household name in his field. He is president and CEO of venture capital firm DSAM Partners. He is not only the company’s leader but also its chairman.
From 1983 to 1987, Schottenstein studied at The Ohio State University. The Columbus, Ohio, area provided a stable early environment for him. He belonged to the fraternity Sigma Alpha Mu. When he graduated from college, he went to work for the family business. American Eagle Outfitters, which he eventually helped expand into a multibillion-dollar empire.
In 1999, Schottenstein established Astor & Black as a business offering tailor-made suits, shirts, and other garments. The company has grown rapidly since its inception. Now recognized as a world leader in the specialized clothing market. Along with this, Schottenstein also founded the venture capital firm DSAM Partners, which is an investor in new businesses.
The philanthropy of Schottenstein is also noteworthy. LaunchHouse, the Columbus Foundation, and The Ohio State University are among the many recipients of his multimillion-dollar donations. In addition, he is a director at the Jewish Community Center of Columbus.
Schottenstein has been honored for his philanthropic and business endeavors. He was named 2012 Consumer Products and Retail Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young. He is not only a member of the Ohio Business Hall of Fame but also the Columbus Business Hall of Fame.
What Role Did David Schottenstein Have In The Insider Trading Scandal?
In 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission investigated David Schottenstein and discovered that he had traded confidential information related to the proposed merger of two medical device companies. As a result of this investigation, the SEC charged him with engaging in insider trading. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) claims that Schottenstein made a significant profit after purchasing shares in one of the companies. Shortly before the merger announcement and then selling those shares shortly after the announcement. It is further alleged that Schottenstein divulged the secret information to members of his family as well as other individuals. They subsequently profited from the information.
Trading on material nonpublic information is considered a violation of federal securities laws, which Schottenstein is accused of breaking. He refuted the allegations and said that the information in question was neither pertinent nor confidential. Additionally, he contended that the inquiry conducted by the SEC was defective . Because it did not take into account other factors that may have influenced the price of the shares.
Who Are The People Involved In David Schottenstein Insider Trading?
Abe Schottenstein
Abe Schottenstein was the chairman of the retail and apparel company DSW and the father of David Schottenstein. In 2016, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged both Abe and David with insider trading for buying DSW stock shortly before the company announced a major acquisition. The SEC alleged that Abe and David had used confidential information to determine that the acquisition would be made. And had used that information to their advantage to purchase DSW stock at a lower price. The Schottensteins settled the charges and paid $1.5 million in civil penalties and disgorgement.
Richard Schottenstein
Richard Schottenstein was involved in the David Schottenstein insider trading scandal in 2011. He was the brother of David Schottenstein, who was the chairman and CEO of the former apparel company, AZCO. Richard was found to have made $2.5 million in profits from trading on inside information from his brother. He was charged with conspiracy, securities fraud, and money laundering. He was sentenced to two years of probation . And was ordered to pay a $200,000 fine and an additional $2.5 million restitution.
Michael Schottenstein
Michael Schottenstein is the CEO and Chair of DSW Inc., a global footwear and accessories retailer. He is the son of the company’s founder, David Schottenstein.
In 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Michael Schottenstein and his father David with insider trading. The SEC alleged that the two had traded on material and non-public information about DSW’s financial results. Specifically, the SEC alleged that Michael Schottenstein had used his access to DSW’s financial information to purchase DSW stock. In advance of the company’s earnings announcements increased the Schottenstein family’s wealth by more than $1.2 million.
Michael Schottenstein paid a civil penalty of $1.2 million. And was barred from serving as an officer or director of a public company for five years. He also agreed to disgorge the profits he had made from the insider trades.
The case serves as a reminder that even well-known and established business people can be held accountable for their actions when it comes to insider trading. It also serves as a reminder that the SEC will continue to pursue those who fail to comply with the securities laws.
Philip Schottenstein
Philip Schottenstein is also the son of David Schottenstein and the CEO of American Eagle Outfitters. In 2017, Philip Schottenstein was found to have been involved in insider trading related to his father’s company, Little General Stores Inc. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Philip Schottenstein with violating Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5 of the SEC.
According to the SEC, Philip Schottenstein acquired confidential information about Little General Stores from his father. Then used that information to purchase and sell securities for the company. Philip Schottenstein allegedly sold more than $400,000 worth of Little General Stores stock before the company announced its merger with Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. The SEC alleged that Philip Schottenstein had traded based on material and non-public information. It is a violation of federal securities laws.
The SEC ultimately reached a settlement with Philip Schottenstein, in which he agreed to pay a total of $599,900 in disgorgement, interest, and penalties. In addition, Philip Schottenstein agreed to be barred from serving as an officer or director of any publicly traded company for five years.
Robert Schottenstein
Robert Schottenstein is a prominent businessman and investor from Columbus, Ohio. He is the founder and Chairman of the Schottenstein Real Estate Group. He is the owner of the Columbus Blue Jackets NHL team.
In 2020, Robert Schottenstein was involved in an insider trading scandal. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Robert Schottenstein and his son, David Schottenstein, with engaging in illegal insider trading. According to the SEC, Robert Schottenstein and David Schottenstein purchased shares of DSW Inc. based on non-public information they had obtained as board members of the company. The SEC also alleges that the Schottensteins attempted to conceal their insider trading activities by using family members and trusts to purchase the DSW Inc. shares.
The SEC has charged Robert Schottenstein and David Schottenstein with violating the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws. Robert Schottenstein has agreed to pay nearly $2 million in disgorgement, interest, and civil penalties to settle the charges.
Paul Schottenstein
Paul Schottenstein was involved in the David Schottenstein Insider Trading scandal in 2017. David Schottenstein was accused of trading on insider information and using privileged information to make illegal profits. Paul Schottenstein was aware of his father’s activities but did not report them to authorities.
The investigation revealed that David Schottenstein had been trading on information he received from his contacts within the company. He used this information to purchase stock in several companies, including Lululemon and Abercrombie & Fitch. He then sold the stocks when the prices increased, resulting in an illegal profit of more than $6 million.
Paul Schottenstein was aware of his father’s activities but did not report them to authorities. This led to his conviction on several federal charges, including insider trading and securities fraud. Paul Schottenstein was also ordered to pay more than $6 million in restitution to the US government.
Paul Schottenstein’s involvement in the David Schottenstein Insider Trading scandal has had a lasting impact on his career. Despite his position at Schottenstein Stores Corporation, Paul has been unable to escape the negative publicity associated with the scandal. He has faced criticism for his failure to report the activities of his father and has had to rebuild his reputation in the business world.
Brian Schottenstein
Brian Schottenstein is a prominent business executive and entrepreneur from Columbus, Ohio. He is the CEO and founder of several companies including American Eagle Outfitters and DSW. He is also the chairman of the board of Columbus-based retail company, L Brands.
In October 2019, Schottenstein was involved in an alleged insider trading scandal. According to reports, Schottenstein was accused of using insider information to purchase L Brands stock while working as an executive of the company. According to reports, Schottenstein had violated SEC regulations by using insider information to purchase L Brands stock at a time when the company was struggling financially.
Schottenstein’s involvement in the matter came to light after the SEC launched an investigation into L Brands’ financial situation. During the investigation, the SEC discovered that Schottenstein had purchased L Brands stock while working as an executive at the company and that he had done so while possessing insider information.
The SEC alleged that Schottenstein had used this information to purchase L Brands stock when the company was struggling financially and that this violated SEC regulations. Schottenstein eventually settled the matter and paid a fine of $1 million.
Charges
In June of 2018, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accused Schottenstein of engaging in insider trading and issued charges against him. While he was working as a director of a private company, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) claimed that he violated federal securities laws by engaging in trading based on information that was not readily available to the general public. This allegation was made by the SEC.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) asserts that Schottenstein purchased shares in the private corporation in October 2016, at the same time that he was serving as a director of the company and had access to confidential information about the organisation. This occurred while Schottenstein was in possession of the information. The charges state that he sold the shares in January of 2017, making a profit of $400,000 dollars from the transaction.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has lodged a complaint against Schottenstein, alleging that he violated the Securities Exchange Act of 1934’s Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5, both of which prohibit insider trading. The SEC alleges that Schottenstein engaged in insider trading in violation of both of these provisions. In addition, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed charges against Schottenstein for violating Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act as well as Regulations 13d-1 and 16a-3 thereunder. These regulations all require insiders to register their holdings of company stocks, and Schottenstein was accused of breaking all three of these regulations. Schottenstein was accused of not complying with this requirement.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has initiated legal action against Schottenstein in the hopes of obtaining a permanent injunction against him, as well as the disgorgement of his profits and the imposition of civil fines. Schottenstein has agreed to a compromise on the accusations, and he will not confirm or refute the issues that were resolved as part of the compromise. In accordance with the terms of the settlement, Schottenstein will be required to make a payment in the amount of $400,000 in addition to giving back any profits he made as a result of engaging in insider trading. These obligations are in addition to Schottenstein giving back any profits he made as a result of engaging in insider trading.
Outcomes
Schottenstein Sold Columbus Mckinnon Corporation Shares (Cmco)
David Schottenstein engaged in several transactions involving his business, the Columbus McKinnon Corporation (CMCO). He was able to generate a total profit of $39,903,655 on the sale of 2,945,400 shares, turning a considerable profit from the selling of his shares, proving that this was a lucrative transaction for him.
He Repurchased 1,000,000 Cmco Shares For $13,200,00
David Schottenstein repurchased one million shares of CMCO for a total cost of $13,200,000 in addition to selling the shares he had in the company. Because of this acquisition, he was able to make a sizeable profit from the buyback of the shares, as evidenced by the fact that he achieved a gain of $6,703,655 from the transaction.
Share Sales Netted $8,873,855
David Schottenstein realized a total profit of $8,873,855 from the selling of the shares as a direct result of the trading activity he participated in. This amount was taxable, and he forked over a total of $1,368,500 in tax money as a result of this transaction.
The Share Repurchase Yielded $6,703,65
David Schottenstein decided to give away two million dollars of the gains he made through his insider trading, in addition to the income he made from the trades themselves. This incredibly significant donation is evidence of his dedication to giving something back to the community.
Transaction Taxes Were $1,368,500
In addition, David Schottenstein was paid a total compensation of two million dollars for his roles as Chairman and CEO of the company. This amount, which was in addition to the profits he gained from insider trading, was exempt from taxation and did not have to be reported.
Charity Received $2,000,000 Of His Revenue
Throughout his insider trading career, David Schottenstein was able to amass a sizeable fortune for himself. Because he engaged in trade, he had to pay taxes on the amount of $18,776,855 that he made. After deducting his expenses and paying his taxes, he was able to keep a total profit of $17,408,355.
As Chairman And Ceo, He Earned $2,000,000
David Schottenstein not only made a profit from his insider trading, but he also gave away $2,000,000 (one hundred thousand dollars) of that profit to charity and received a salary of $2,000,000 (one hundred thousand dollars) for his job as Chairman and CEO of the company. Because he participated in such a wide variety of activities, he was able to have a constructive effect not just on the local community but also on his company.
Conclusion
In 2019, David Schottenstein was arrested and accused of insider trading. He was accused of three charges of lying to the SEC, one offense of securities fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. After lengthy negotiations with the SEC, Schottenstein reached a settlement in which he paid a total of $6.4 million in fines and penalties and consented to a three-year ban on serving as an officer or director of a public corporation. The case emphasizes the gravity of insider trading and lying to the SEC and should serve as a cautionary tale against both. A thorough understanding of insider trading regulations and the repercussions of violating them is crucial.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does David Schottenstein have any history of insider trading?
Yes, David Schottenstein has a history of insider trading. In August 2019, he was charged with insider trading in connection with a company he had invested in.
2. How did David Schottenstein get caught?
David Schottenstein was caught by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after they investigated his trading activity. The SEC found that Schottenstein had made trades based on information he had obtained from a confidential source.
3. What was the outcome of the insider trading charges against David Schottenstein?
In August 2019, David Schottenstein agreed to pay a penalty of $4.4 million in connection with the insider trading charges. He was also banned from serving as an officer or director of a public company for five years.
4. What penalties can David Schottenstein face for insider trading?
Answer: Depending on the severity of the case and the evidence against him, David Schottenstein could face civil and/or criminal penalties. If convicted, he may be subject to fines, prison time, and other sanctions.
5. What defenses are available to David Schottenstein?
Answer: David Schottenstein may be able to raise a defense of lack of knowledge or lack of intent. He could also argue that he did not benefit from the non-public information or that the information was not material.