SEC Charges Three Individuals in the New York Metropolitan Area for Perpetrating a $120 Million Pre-IPO Fraud Scheme

The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged John LoPinto, Robert Wilkos, and Laren Pisciotti for their roles in a fraudulent scheme involving investments in pre-IPO private companies. The SEC also charged several companies owned and/or controlled by the defendants: the Pre IPO Marketplace Inc.; Keyport Venture Partners LLC; Keyport Venture Management LLC; and Keyport Venture Advisors LLC, which were jointly owned and/or controlled by LoPinto and Wilkos; and Principal Pre-IPO Consulting Group LLC and GlobalX VC LLC, which were owned or controlled by Pisciotti. The SEC complaint alleges that from at least October 2019 until December 2022, the defendants raised approximately $120 million from more than 900 investors in the U.S.