ADVANCED OPTICS ELECTRONICS, INC. v. Robins

769 F. Supp. 2d 1285, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 137162, 2010 WL 5477188
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Mexico
DecidedDecember 16, 2010
DocketCIV 07-0855 JB/GBW
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 769 F. Supp. 2d 1285 (ADVANCED OPTICS ELECTRONICS, INC. v. Robins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Mexico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
ADVANCED OPTICS ELECTRONICS, INC. v. Robins, 769 F. Supp. 2d 1285, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 137162, 2010 WL 5477188 (D.N.M. 2010).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

JAMES O. BROWNING, District Judge.

THIS MATTER comes before the Court on Plaintiff Biomoda, Inc.’s Motion for Summary Judgment on Compensatory Damages Against Defendants John W. Kearns and Alvin D. Robins, filed November 25, 2009 (Doc. 132) (“Motion”). The Court held hearings on August 4, 2010 and November 12, 2010. The primary issues are: (i) whether the Court should treat pro se Defendant Alvin D. Robins’ Response by Alvin Robins to Biomoda, Inc.’s Motion for Summary Judgment on Biomoda, Inc.’s First Amended Complaint, filed July 9, 2010 (Doc. 146) (“Response”), as a motion under the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure to set aside the Court’s Default Judgment as to Liability Against Defendants Alvin D. Robins and John W. Kearns, filed December 22, 2008 (Doc. 108) (“Default Judgment”), granting Biomoda default judgment against A. Robins for liability; (ii) whether, if the Court treats A. Robins’ Response as a motion to set aside the Default Judgment, the Court should grant the request to set aside the Default Judgment; and (iii) whether, if the Court does not set aside the Default Judgment, the Court should enter summary judgment for Biomoda in the amount of $694,316.00 as compensatory damages and post-judgment interest pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1961(a). The Court denies A. Robins’ request that the Court vacate its Default Judgment, and grants Biomoda’s Motion in part, awarding compensatory damages in the amount of $35,000.00 and post-judgment interest.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

A. Robins served without compensation as a representative of Biomoda on the express request and with the approval of Biomoda’s president, John Cousins. See Response ¶ 5, at 2-3; 1 Reply in Support of *1292 Motion for Summary Judgment on Compensatory Damages at 5, filed July 29, 2010 (Doc. 147) (“Reply”) (not controverting this fact). Specifically, A. Robins was an agent to negotiate for a period of one year with Los Alamos National Laboratories (“LANL”). See Response ¶ 5, at 2-3 (setting forth this fact); Reply at 5 (not controverting this fact). A. Robins states that Cousins worked “arm in arm” with him, encouraging and requesting A. Robins to provide services on Biomoda’s behalf to save Biomoda from losing all its then patented technology under license to LANL. Response ¶ 6, at 3 (setting forth this fact). See Reply at 5 (not controverting this fact).

A. Robins and Cousins met with multiple representatives of LANL at LANL’s offices in Los Alamos, New Mexico, in negotiations that A. Robins organized and chaired. See Response ¶ 7, at 3 (setting forth this fact); Reply at 5 (not controverting this fact). A. Robins states that these negotiations resulted in the successful renegotiation of Biomoda’s license with LANL, saving Biomoda upwards of $786,000.00 at that time. See Response ¶ 7, at 3 (setting forth this fact); Reply at 5 (not controverting this fact).

1. Facts Relating to Biomoda’s Claims Against A. Robins.

In 2003 and 2005, in an effort to raise funds, Biomoda filed and amended a form SB-2 registration statement with the Security Exchange Commission (“SEC”) seeking to offer a total of 6,000,000 shares of stock to the public (“SB-2 offering”). See First Amended Complaint for Common Law Fraud, Violation of Federal and New Mexico Securities Laws, Conversion, Breach of Fiduciary Duty, and Racketeering ¶ 13, at 4, filed October 16, 2008 (Doc. 92) (“FAC”). On February 11, 2005, the SEC declared effective the combined total SB-2 offering of 6,000,000 shares at $3.00 per share. See FAC ¶ 13, at 4. No sales of stock took place pursuant to these registered offerings. See FAC ¶ 13, at 4. Biomoda later decided to initiate quotations of its common stock on the Over the Counter Bulletin Board, requiring it to terminate the SB-2 offering, which Biomoda did on or about July 19, 2006. See FAC ¶ 14, at 4.

The First Amended Complaint states that the Defendants flooded the market with Biomoda shares through: (i) fraudulent legal opinions that Defendant John W. Kearns wrote, which misrepresented the status of Biomoda’s terminated SB-2 offering; and (ii) through the sale of Biomoda’s shares that Advanced Optics Electronics, *1293 Inc. (“AJDOT”) transferred at least in part through Beaver Information Technology (“BIT”), a “front” registered to A. Robins address. See FAC ¶¶ 16-23, 35-37, at 5-7. In the process of flooding the market with Biomoda shares, the Defendants allegedly caused the transfer of millions of unrestricted shares of Biomoda stock for no consideration or for prices well below market. See FAC ¶¶ 17-23, 35-37, at 5-7. The FAC also identifies Defendant Leslie Robins’ alleged misappropriation of Biomoda’s funds and property, including its stock. These alleged misappropriations include $35,000.00 withdrawn unlawfully from Biomoda’s bank account, and the transfer of unrestricted Biomoda shares to family members and friends in exchange for sham “services.” FAC ¶¶ 21-25, 46, at 7-8, 15. The FAC states that all of the unlawful acts committed by each of the Defendants were undertaken pursuant to the conspiracy in which each of them was a co-conspirator. See FAC ¶ 73, at 21-22.

2. Facts Relating to the Damages that Biomoda Allegedly Sustained.

The parties present sworn testimony offering conflicting accounts of the damages Biomoda sustained. Biomoda states that its business records demonstrate that 1,768,000 shares of its unrestricted stock were issued as a result of the fraudulent misrepresentations that Kearns made concerning the status of its terminated SB-2 offering. See Affidavit of John Cousins ¶ 4, at 2, filed November 11, 2009 (Doc. 132-1); FAC ¶ 17, at 5-6. L. Robins then allegedly transferred these shares, nominally on behalf of Biomoda, to himself, BIT, Kearns, and other parties for little or no consideration. See FAC ¶¶ 21-22, at 7. These persons then immediately resold the stock to the public at a gain to themselves, but at prices allegedly well below the market value of the stock immediately preceding the re-sales. See FAC ¶ 23, at 7. Such sales allegedly had the effect of driving the Biomoda shares market value sharply downward. See FAC ¶ 23, at 7.

Thus, Biomoda contends that, in exchange for the 1,768,000 unrestricted shares issued and transferred in this fashion as a result of Kearns’ misrepresentations about the SB-2 offering, it was paid a total of $76,666.66. See Cousins Aff. ¶ 4, at 2; Motion ¶ 8, at 3. See also FAC ¶ 17, at 6 (“Leslie Robins caused the transfer agent to issue approximately 1.768 million shares, which [L.] Robins caused to be sold or otherwise distributed.”). Had Biomoda received market price for those shares at the time they were issued, Biomoda would have received $362,860.00 See Cousins Aff. ¶ 4, at 2; Motion ¶ 8, at 3.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
769 F. Supp. 2d 1285, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 137162, 2010 WL 5477188, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/advanced-optics-electronics-inc-v-robins-nmd-2010.