A purported hedge fund manager in New York City and his fund have been ordered to pay a total of more than $18 million for defrauding clients, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced Wednesday.
Moazzam “Mark” Malik, a Pakistani citizen and New York City resident, and his purported hedge fund, American Bridge Investment Group LLC, are charged by the SEC with defrauding 19 clients out of more than $1 million between 2011 and 2013 by selling them limited partnership interests in the hedge fund, which operated under several different names. He claimed the fund had $100 million in it when in fact the fund never held more than $90,177, the SEC says.
Malik has was convicted on criminal on fraud charges in connection with the scheme in December and was sentenced to between five and 15 years in prison.
The SEC filed administrative charges against Malik, saying he committed “an egregious fraud” by using almost all of the invested money for himself. The SEC has obtained a court order directing Malik and the fund to pay disgorgement of slightly more than $1 million and prejudgment interest of $93,000 and imposing civil penalties of $2,850,000 against Malik and $13,775,000 against the fund.
