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CEO from Westchester County convicted in hedge-fund scheme

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The co-founder of a Manhattan investment firm and a former trader at the firm were convicted this week of inflating the value of the firm’s investments. Photo by Bill Oxford on Unsplash

The co-founder and CEO of a Manhattan investment firm and a former trader at the firm were convicted Thursday of securities fraud.

Anilesh Ahuja, 51, the co-founder, CEO and chief investment officer of Premium Point Investments LP, which managed a portfolio of hedge funds, and Jeremy Shor, 44, a former trader at PPI, were convicted of scheming to artificially inflate the value of the firm’s holdings by more than $100 million in order to attract new investors and retain existing ones.

Ahuja, of New Rochelle, NY, and Shor, of New York City, were found guilty of all four counts against them: conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison, and securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud, each carrying a maximum potential sentence of 20 years. The men will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla at a future date.

Before founding PPI a decade ago, Ahuja was the head of the residential mortgage-backed securities group at a global investment bank. At its peak, PPI managed more than $5 billion in assets.

According to prosecutors, from approximately 2014 to 2016, Ahuja and Shor participated in a conspiracy to defraud PPI’s investors and potential investors by mismarking the value of certain securities held by its funds each month, thereby inflating the net asset value of those funds as reported to existing and potential investors.

Two former PPI employees, Amin Majidi of Armonk and Ashish Dole of White Plains, had already pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme, as had Frank Dinucci Jr., a former salesman at a broker-dealer.

“Investors in our markets must be able to count on the truth and accuracy of the information they receive from those they entrust with their money,” said Deputy U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss.

To read the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s press release on the conviction: justice.gov/usao-sdny

To read the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s press release on the indictment of Ahuja, Majidi and Shor: justice.gov/majidi

To read the indictment: https://www.justice.gov/indictment

New Standards Released for Forensic Engagements

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New standards released Wednesday by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants provide guidance for member engagements involving investigation or litigation.

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants on Wednesday issued its first authoritative standards for members who provide forensic accounting services.

Forensic accounting services are described in the document as those involving “the application of specialized knowledge and investigative skills by a member to collect, analyze, and evaluate certain evidential matter and to interpret and communicate findings.” The Statement on Standards for Forensic Services No. 1 focuses on certain types of engagements – litigation and investigation – rather than the specific skill sets used or activities involved in those engagements.

Litigation is described in the statement as “an actual or potential legal or regulatory proceeding before a trier of fact or a regulatory body as an expert witness, consultant, neutral, mediator, or arbitrator in connection with the resolution of disputes between parties.” The category includes disputes and alternative dispute resolution.

Investigation is described as “a matter conducted in response to specific concerns of wrongdoing in which the member is engaged to perform procedures to collect, analyze, evaluate, or interpret certain evidential matter to assist the stakeholders in reaching a conclusion on the merits of the concerns.”

The standards generally do not apply to forensic services performed as part of an attest engagement such as an audit, review or compilation, or to internal assignments made by an employer to an employee not in public practice.

Under the standards, an AICPA member who serves as an expert witness in a litigation engagement is generally barred from providing opinions subject to contingent fee arrangements. A member performing forensic services is also prohibited from issuing an opinion regarding whether a fraud has been committed. A member may provide an expert opinion regarding “whether evidence is consistent with certain elements of fraud or other laws.”

The standards were developed and issued by the AICPA’s Forensic and Valuation Services Executive Committee. They are effective for engagements accepted on or after January 1, 2020, but may be voluntarily implemented earlier. Member forensic services are also subject to the AICPA’s broader “General Standards Rule,” which establishes guidelines such as professional competence, professional care and planning and supervision.

If you have any questions regarding this article or other matters related to forensic accounting, please contact Advent Valuation Advisors at info@adventvalue.com.