SEC v PAUL R. JOHNSON and JOHN COOK


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Keywords & Phrases

CaseNo: LR-17375, Defendant: Paul R. Johnson and John Cook, Plaintiff: SEC, State: FL Florida, UniqueCaseRef: SEC>LR-17375, Johnson, Securities, Indictment, Cook, Florida, Charges Johnson, Exchange Commission, United States, Paul, Leds, Investors, Funds, Package Delivery Service, Conspiracy, Commit, Securities Fraud, Money Laundering, John Cook, Southern District, Complaint, Perjury, Logistics, Federal Bureau, Internal Revenue Service, Florida Department, Law Enforcement, Comptroller, Assistance, Cooperation, Matter , ContentID: 120252362

Case Documents

2002-02-22

SEC LITIGATION RELEASE
[ see first page and extracted highlights below ] ItemID: 127390

2 pages
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Total Documents: 1 document , 2 pages

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1 . SEC LITIGATION RELEASE

EXTRACTED KEY WORDS

SECURITIES
INDICTMENT
COOK
FLORIDA
CHARGES JOHNSON
EXCHANGE COMMISSION
UNITED STATES
PAUL
LEDS
INVESTORS
FUNDS
PACKAGE DELIVERY SERVICE
CONSPIRACY
COMMIT
SECURITIES FRAUD
MONEY LAUNDERING
JOHN COOK
SOUTHERN DISTRICT
COMPLAINT
PERJURY
LOGISTICS
FEDERAL BUREAU
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT
LAW ENFORCEMENT
COMPTROLLER
ASSISTANCE
COOPERATION
MATTER

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Litigation Release No. 17375 / February 22, 2002

   United States v. Paul R. Johnson and John Cook, Criminal Action No.
   02-60012-CR-Ferguson (S.D. Fla., January 29, 2002)

   UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE INDICTS TWO SUED BY SEC FOR SECURITIES
   LAW VIOLATIONS

   The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that on
   February 21, 2002, the United States Attorney's Office for the
   Southern District of Florida (USAO) unsealed a 35 count indictment
   against Paul R. Johnson, the president and CEO of Link Express
   Delivery Solutions, Inc. (LEDS), and John Cook II, the owner of Argus
   Securities, Inc., a securities broker-dealer headquartered in New Port
   Richey, Florida. The SEC had filed a civil complaint against Johnson,
   Cook, and others on December 12, 2001, alleging that they illegally
   raised over $15.5 million from nearly 400 investors funds for LEDS, a
   South Florida package delivery service.

   The indictment charges Johnson and Cook with conspiracy to commit
   securities fraud, securities fraud, and conspiracy to commit money
   laundering. The indictment also charges Johnson with money laundering,
   conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and perjury. One perjury count
   charges Johnson with making false declarations during a hearing to
   freeze assets in the SEC's case against him.

   The indictment charges Johnson and Cook with fraudulently raising
   funds for LEDS and its successors and related businesses Link
   Worldwide Logistics, Pony Express Logistics, and Silver State Vending
   (OTCBB SVEA). The indictment also charges that Johnson and Cook
   induced investors to purchase stock by falsely representing that all
   funds raised would be used for operating, acquisition, and
   administrative expenses associated with LEDS's package delivery
   service, when Johnson actually used the money for himself, his close
   friends and relatives, and his own personal ventures. The SEC's
   complaint in Securities and Exchange Commission v. Paul R. Johnson, et
   al., Case No. 01-7874-CIV-Hurley (S.D. Fla., filed December 12, 2001),
   is based on the same misconduct described in the USAO's indictment.

   The Commission thanks the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern
   District of Florida, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal
   Revenue Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the
   Florida Office of the Comptroller, Division of Securities, for their
   assistance and cooperation in this matter.

   For additional information, see SEC Release No. (December 17, 2001).

SNIPPETS:

United States v. Paul R. Johnson and John Cook,

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE INDICTS TWO SUED BY SEC FOR SECURITIES LAW VIOLATIONS

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that on February 21, 2002, the United States

The SEC had filed a civil complaint against Johnson, Cook, and others on December 12, 2001,

The indictment charges Johnson and Cook with conspiracy to commit securities fraud,

One perjury count charges Johnson with making false declarations during a hearing to freeze

The indictment charges Johnson and Cook with fraudulently raising funds for LEDS and its

The indictment also charges that Johnson and Cook induced investors to purchase stock by

The Commission thanks the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, the


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