James C. Tao and His Former Partner Donna Boyd (f/k/a Donna Chen) Allegedly Defrauded Investors in Presidio Venture Capital, a Private Equity Fund
James C. Tao and his former partner Donna Boyd (f/k/a Donna Chen) allegedly defrauded investors in Presidio Venture Capital, a private equity fund Tao created and managed, according to an SEC Complaint currently under review by attorney Alan Rosca.
Attorney Alan Rosca, of the RoscaLaw LLC firm, is investigating James C. Tao & Donna Boyd’s alleged investment scheme.
Investors who believe they may have lost money in activity related to James C. Tao & Donna Boyd’s alleged investment scheme are encouraged to contact attorney Alan Rosca with any useful information or for a free, no obligation discussion about their options.
What is more, James Tao and Donna Boyd also reportedly settled charges for allegedly violating broker-dealer registration requirements by making solicitations of sales of interests in the funds, which were securities not offered by the brokerage firm with which they were associated at the time, according to the aforementioned SEC Complaint.
Tao and Boyd Allegedly Raised Approximately $860,000 for Presidio Venture Capital by Purportedly Soliciting Investments from Their Advisory Clients, Some of whom were also Brokerage Clients while Others Were Personal and Business Contacts
Tao and Boyd, while working as financial advisers associated with a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, formed private equity fund PVC, LLC (which did business as Presidio Venture Capital) in 2013 primarily for the purpose of investing in technology start-ups in the Houston, Texas area, according to the aforementioned SEC Report under review by attorney Alan Rosca.
Tao and Boyd went on to allegedly raise approximately $860,000 for the fund between January 2013 and July 2016 by soliciting investments from their advisory clients, some of whom were also brokerage clients, and from other personal and business contacts, the Complaint notes.
Tao allegedly made false claims that investor funds would be held in escrow and returned unless $2.5 million was raised, the Complaint notes.
Finally, Tao used investor funds to apply for a loan to increase his interest in the fund, cover other expenses not in line with the use of funds disclosed in PVC’s offering materials, and make a Ponzi-style payment by using new investor funds to buy out a disgruntled investor, the Complaint notes.
Securities Lawyers Investigating
The RoscaLaw firm represents investors who lose money as a result of investment-related fraud or misconduct and are currently investigating James C. Tao & Donna Boyd’s alleged investment scheme. They take most cases of this type on a contingency fee basis and advance the case costs, and only get paid for their fees and costs out of money they recover for their clients. Attorney Alan Rosca, a securities lawyer and adjunct professor of securities regulation, has represented thousands of victimized investors across the country and around the world in cases ranging from arbitrations to class actions, and has helped recover tens of millions of dollars on behalf of investors.
Investors who believe they lost money as a result of James C. Tao & Donna Boyd’s alleged investment scheme may contact attorney Alan Rosca for a free no-obligation evaluation of their recovery options, at 888-998-0530 or via e-mail at arosca@roscalaw.com, or through the contact form on this webpage.