Perez v. Koresko

86 F. Supp. 3d 293, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 181714, 2015 WL 505471
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedFebruary 6, 2015
DocketCivil Action No. 09-988
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 86 F. Supp. 3d 293 (Perez v. Koresko) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Perez v. Koresko, 86 F. Supp. 3d 293, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 181714, 2015 WL 505471 (E.D. Pa. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

McLAUGHLIN, District Judge.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Procedural History. .300

A. Administrative Enforcement Proceedings.300

B. Initial Complaint .301

C. Motion for Summary Judgment. 302

D. Supplemental Complaint.303

E. Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction.304

F. September 16 Hearing and Appointment of the Independent Fiduciary.307

G. Discovery and Contempt Proceedings .307

H. IF Reports ...310

I. Jeanne Bonney.310
J. Pretrial Proceedings.311
K. Trial.312
L. Posh-Trial.312
II. Findings of Fact.
A. The Defendants and Their Relationships to One Another.
B. The Trustees and the Plan Administrator.
C. Participating Employers in the REAL VEBA or SEWBP Trust
D. Transfers from the Trust.•.
E. Establishment of “Death Benefit” Accounts.
F. Depositing Death Benefit Proceeds into KLF’s Account.
G. Transfer of Death Benefit Proceeds into a Second Account_
H. Transfer of Death Benefit Proceeds to Nevis and to KLF.
I. Loans on Insurance Policies ..
J. Transfer of Loan Proceeds into Mr. Koresko’s Escrow Account .
K. Transfer of Death Benefit and Loan Proceeds to an IOLTA Account
L. Transfer of Funds to Nevis .
M. Transfer of Death Benefit and Loan Proceeds to the Pershing Account
N. The Creation and Use of the 1187 Account.

O. Deposit of Plan Assets into the 1195 Account and the Subsequent Transfer of Those Assets. 05 CO

P. The Creation and Use of the 1146 Account. H CO
Q. The Creation and Use of the 1112 Account. (M CO
R. The Creation and Use of the Penn Public Trust, Inc., SPC, Account ^ CO

S. The Creation and Use of an Account in the Name of CTC, the Former Trustee. LO CO

T. Depositing of Plan Assets into a Separate Account After the Court’s Freeze Orders and After the Installation of the IF. ÍO CO

U. Transfer of Moneys from Employers to the 8384 Account. 05 CD CO

V. Depositing of Plan Assets into Yet Another Account, After the Court Instructed to Return Loan Proceeds . o CO

W. Total Amount of Diverted Plan Assets at Issue . 1-1 t> CO

[299]*299III. Conclusions of Law . co

A. ERISA Coverage. Co
B. Fiduciary Status. Co
C. ERISA Fiduciary Duties . CO
D. Relief. CO

1. Removal as Fiduciaries... CO

2. Restitution and Disgorgement. CO

3. Prejudgment Interest. CO

This action arises out of alleged violations of fiduciary duties under the Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”), 29 U.S.C. § 1001 et seq., in connection with a multiple-employer employee death benefit arrangement. The Secretary of Labor1 (“the Secretary” or “DOL”) brought this suit against the Koresko Defendants,2 Jeanne Bonney, Community Trust Company,3 the Regional Employers Assurance Leagues Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association Trust (“REAL VEBA Trust”), and the Single Employer Welfare Benefit Plan Trust (“SEWBPT”) (together, • “the Trusts”)4. The Secretary alleges that the defendants have violated Sections 403, 404, and 406 of ERISA, 29 U.S.C. §§ 1103,1104, and 1106. The Secretary also seeks to find certain parties liable for co-fiduciary liability under Section 405 of ERISA, 29 U.S.C. § 1105.

The Secretary requests a permanent injunction against the Koresko Defendants and Jeanne Bonney, barring each of them from serving as a trustee or fiduciary, or as a representative in any capacity, to any employee benefit plan. The Secretary also seeks a permanent injunction against those defendants from serving in any capacity that involves decisionmaking authority or custody or control of the assets of any employee benefit plan. Finally, the Secretary seeks over fifty million dollars in restitution and disgorgement to the Trusts.

The Court held a three-day bench trial on June 9 through June 11, 2014. The Court had previously granted the Secretary’s motion for partial summary judgment on August 3, 2012, and the Court incorporates that decision into this memorandum. Solis v. Koresko, 884 F.Supp.2d 261 (E.D.Pa.2012). This memorandum and the Court’s earlier decision on partial summary judgment comprise the Court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law. The Court finds for the Secretary on all claims.

The Court concludes that the plans at issue are employee welfare benefit plans as defined by ERISA; that the plans have plan assets in the form of employee contributions, insurance policy proceeds, and earnings therefrom; and that the defen[300]*300dants are ERISA fiduciaries with respect to those plan assets.

The Secretary presented voluminous evidence of many violations of ERISA by the defendants, including: (1) the diversion of tens of millions of dollars of plan assets through more than 21 accounts in the names of more than 18 different entities (all the creation of Mr. Koresko) at 8 or more different banks; (2) the transfer of millions of dollars of plan assets into accounts which only Mr. Koresko controlled and which were out of the reach of the Trustee; (3) the taking out of over $35 million in loans on the Trusts’ insurance policies, and the transfer of the resulting monies to accounts which only Mr. Kores-ko controlled and which were out of the reach of the Trustee; (4) the creation and subsequent depositing of plan assets into various IOLTA accounts and accounts in Mr. Koresko’s personal name; (5) the transfer of millions of dollars of plan assets to law firms and consulting firms, from which neither the plans nor the beneficiaries benefitted, and only the defendants benefitted; (6) the use of death benefit proceeds to purchase property in the Caribbean island of Nevis and in South Carolina in Mr. Koresko’s personal name; (7) the use of plan assets to pay Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
86 F. Supp. 3d 293, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 181714, 2015 WL 505471, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/perez-v-koresko-paed-2015.