Griffin v. Jones

975 F. Supp. 2d 711, 2013 WL 5441650, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 139208
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Kentucky
DecidedSeptember 27, 2013
DocketCase No. 5:12-CV-00163
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 975 F. Supp. 2d 711 (Griffin v. Jones) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Griffin v. Jones, 975 F. Supp. 2d 711, 2013 WL 5441650, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 139208 (W.D. Ky. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

THOMAS B. RUSSELL, Senior District Judge.

This matter comes before the Court on a motion to dismiss by Defendants Charles A. Jones, CA Jones Management Group, LLC, Global Book Resellers, LLC, and Technology Associates, Inc. (Docket No. 21). The Plaintiff Responded (Docket No. 23). The Defendants replied (Docket No. 25). The Plaintiff filed a surreply (Docket No. 36). Fully briefed, the matter is now ripe for adjudication. For the following reasons, the Defendants’ motion is DENIED.

BACKGROUND

Plaintiff David Griffin (“Griffin”) brings suit against Defendants Charles Jones (“Jones”), CA Jones Management Group, LLC, Global Book Resellers, LLC, and Technology Associations, Inc. (collectively “Defendants”).1 Griffin asserts six separate causes of action against the Defendants. Among Griffin’s allegations is that the Defendants violated § 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act, 15 U.S.C. § 78j(b), and Rule 10b-5 of the act’s implementing regulations, 17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5, by making fraudulent statements of material fact or omitting to state material facts in connection with the purchase of securities in a number of companies jointly owned by Griffin and Jones.

As required when deciding a motion to dismiss, the Court presumes that the allegations in the first amended complaint are true. Total Benefits Planning Agency v. Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield, 552 F.3d 430, 434 (6th Cir.2008). Taking them as true, the relevant facts are as follows.

[715]*715This action arises from a soured business relationship between David Griffin and Charles Jones. Four interrelated businesses are at the center of this dispute. In 1993, Jones founded Integrated Computer Solutions, Inc. (“ICS”) and installed himself as an officer of the company. Some years later, in March 2008, Jones also formed Blackrock Investments, LLC (“BRI”), of which he was the controlling member. In May 2008, BRI formed a subsidiary, SE Book Company, LLC (“SEB”) for the purpose of acquiring a textbook company in Murray, Kentucky. Initially, SEB was wholly owned and managed by its sole member, BRI. In July 2008, SEB’s operating agreement was amended, and ICS was added as an eight percent member of SEB. In March 2009, College Book Rental Company, LLC (“CBR”) was formed. ICS also owns an eight percent interest in CBR, with the remaining interest held by BRI. Further details of CBR’s formation are discussed below.

An entity separate from ICS, BRI, SEB, and CBR also figures prominently into the present dispute. In June 2008, Jones formed CA Jones Management Group, LLC (“CJM”). As detailed herein, management responsibilities for ICS, BRI, SEB, and CBR were eventually delegated to CJM, but CJM never had an ownership stake in any of those companies. CJM was paid management fees from the companies for its services, which were allegedly paid to Jones and his wife as owners of CJM.

Griffin became involved in ICS, BRI, and SEB in 2008. Toward the beginning of that year, Jones approached Griffin about investing in ICS. As a result of the solicitation, Griffin bought fifty percent of the outstanding shares of the company for $2 million. Later, in April 2008, Griffin also bought fifty percent of BRI in exchange for $100,000. As alleged, “Griffin .made his investments in BRI and ICS based on the expectation that [Jones’s] undivided loyalty was devoted to BRI and ICS, and not to other competing companies.” (Am. Compl., DN 18, ¶ 19.)

On February 11, 2009, Jones and Griffin began discussing the formation of CBR for the purpose of renting textbooks to college students. During these discussions, Jones provided Griffin with forecasts of sales, profits, inventory, and expenses for CBR’s first six years of operation. These forecasts allegedly predicted CBR making profits of $940,000, $2.8 million, and $3.7 million during its first three years of operation, respectively. (Id. ¶22.) Although the forecasts contained projected expenses, Griffin alleges that Jones “omitted any specific allocation for fees to be paid by CBR to CJM” for the purposes of managing the company. (Id.) CJM allegedly paid CJM management fees of approximately $2.3 million in 2010 and $5.7 million in 2011. (Id.)

In addition to CBR, Griffin alleges that BRI, SEB, and ICS paid CJM significant management fees. For example, BRI, SEB, and ICS paid CJM management fees totaling $24,000, $2.7 million, and $600,000, respectively, in 2008 alone. (Id. ¶ 30.) Accordingly, Griffin alleges that Jones “deliberately channeled millions of dollars from [ICS, BRI, SEB, and CBR] to CJM,” and ultimately into his own pockets as CJM’s managing member. (Id. ¶ 31.) Overall, Griffin alleges that Jones’s ultimate goal was to convince Griffin to invest in ICS, BRI, SEB, and CBR; Jones would then siphon off those investments for his own benefit through payment of management fees to CJM.

Griffin alleges that payment of the exorbitant fees to CJM would not have been possible absent his continued investments in the companies. For example, beginning [716]*716in early 2009, Jones allegedly told Griffin that “SEB and CBR were unable to pay operating expenses and did not have the funds necessary to purchase inventory.” (Id. ¶ 35.) To remedy these shortfalls, Jones “asked Griffin for additional investment.” (Id.) In response, “Griffin made additional investments in SEB and CBR in the form of over 100 wire transfers of funds to SEB’s and CBR’s accounts between April 2009 and June 2012.” (Id.) Griffin claims to have made these transfers in reliance “on misrepresentations by [Jones] and CJM about the current financial health and inventory value of SEB and CBR.” (Id.) For example, Jones allegedly represented to Griffin that SEB would have net income of $2.1 million during the twelve-month period between March 2009 and February 2010. (Id. ¶ 32.) Again, however, that projection allegedly excluded any management fees to be paid to CJM during the same period. (Id.)

While Griffin was making wire transfers to SEB and CBR between April 2009- and June 2012, he alleges that Jones was increasing the management fees charged by CJM. For example, Griffin claims that SEB paid CJM $2.4 million and $4.3 million in management fees in 2009 and 2010, respectively, and that these fees far exceeded SEB’s net earnings during those years. (Id. ¶¶ 39-40.) Similarly, CJM was allegedly paid $2.3 million in management fees by CBR in 2010, while the company had a net loss of approximately $1.8 million. (Id. ¶ 41.)

In December 2010, Jones asked Griffin to contribute an additional $10 million to SEB and CBR. (Id. at 42.) Griffin expressed concern about the economic viability of the companies in light of his already large investments. Prior to this request, a consulting firm, Commonwealth Economics, had been hired to make recommendations for improving the companies’ profitability. In response to Griffin’s concerns about additional investments, “Commonwealth Economics again provided recommendations to [Jones] and CJM about ways to increase the profits of [ICS, BRI, SEB, and CBR] with the goal of repaying all amounts owed to Griffin by 2012.” (Id.)

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
975 F. Supp. 2d 711, 2013 WL 5441650, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 139208, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/griffin-v-jones-kywd-2013.