SEC v. Igor Poteroba, Aleksey Koval, Alexander Vorobiev, and Relief Defendants Tatiana Vorobieva and Anjali Walter, Case No. 1:10-CV-2667 (AKH) (S.D.N.Y.).  On February 13, 2013, the SEC announced it had obtained default judgments against Alexander Vorobiev (“Vorobiev”) and his wife, relief defendant Tatiana Vorobieva (“Vorobieva”) (collectively, the “Vorobievs”), for their role in an insider trading scheme to trade ahead of health care-related acquisitions, tender offers, and other corporate transactions.  The SEC also announced that it obtained a final judgment against Igor Poteroba (“Poteroba”), formerly an investment banker with UBS Securities LLC (“UBS”), who also had been charged with insider trading.  The SEC alleged that Poteroba, Koval, and Vorobiev were part of an insider trading ring that garnered more than $1 million.  Poteroba tipped his friend Koval by providing nonpublic information about several corporate transactions that Poteroba learned about through his job as an investment banker in UBS’s Global Healthcare Group.  Koval then tipped his friend Vorobiev and placed trades through Vorobiev’s account.  Because Vorobiev made some trades in his wife’s accounts, Vorobieva was named as a relief defendant.

Poteroba previously was permanently enjoined from violating Sections 10(b) and 14(e) of the Exchange Act and Exchange Act Rules 10b-5 and 14e-3.  He was also barred pursuant to a SEC order him from association with any broker, dealer, or investment adviser.  In a parallel criminal proceeding, Poteroba pleaded guilty to securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud.

The final judgment in the civil action against Vorobiev: (1) permanently enjoined him from violations of Sections 10(b) and 14(e) of the Exchange Act and Rules 10b-5 and Rule 14e-3 thereunder; (2) found him liable for disgorgement in the amount of $146,541.20, representing profits obtained as a result of the conduct alleged in the Complaint, together with prejudgment interest in the amount of $21,389.80; and (3) imposed a civil penalty of $1,885,382.12, for a total judgment award of $2,053,313.73.  In partial satisfaction of that award, the Court ordered that more than $220,000 in funds held in brokerage accounts in Vorobiev’s name, previously frozen by court order in the SEC’s action, be remitted to the SEC for transfer to the U.S. Treasury.

The final judgment against Vorobieva found her liable for disgorgement in the amount of $481,919.71, representing profits obtained as a result of the conduct alleged in the Complaint, together with prejudgment interest in the amount of $70,343.12, for a total judgment award of $552,262.83.  In partial satisfaction of that award, the Court ordered that nearly $125,000 in funds held in brokerage accounts in Vorobieva’s name, also frozen by court order in the SEC’s action, be remitted to the SEC for transfer to the U.S. Treasury.