U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission v. Oakmont Financial, Inc.

191 F. Supp. 3d 1347, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 92576, 2016 WL 3619687
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedJune 9, 2016
DocketCASE NO.: 9:16-CV-80055-WPD
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 191 F. Supp. 3d 1347 (U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission v. Oakmont Financial, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission v. Oakmont Financial, Inc., 191 F. Supp. 3d 1347, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 92576, 2016 WL 3619687 (S.D. Fla. 2016).

Opinion

ORDER DENYING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS

WILLIAM P. DIMITROULEAS, United States District Judge

THIS CAUSE is before the Court upon Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs Complaint [DE. 21], filed herein on April 18, 2016. The Court has carefully considered the Motion [DE 21], Response [DE 24], and Reply [DE 26], and is otherwise fully advised in the premises.

[1349]*1349I. BACKGROUND

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“Plaintiff”) brought this action on January 12, 2016 against Oakmont Financial, Inc. and Joseph DiCrisci (“Defendants”) pursuant tc Sections 4(a) and 4d(a) of the Commodity Exchange Act (“Act”), 7 U.S.C. §§ 6(a) and 6d(a). [DE 1] at ¶ 1.

The following facts are according to the Plaintiffs Complaint: The Plaintiff is an independent federal regulatory agency charged by Congress with the administration and enforcement of the Act. ¶ 10. Oak-mont Financial, Inc. was a telemarketing firm that solicited retail customers to invest in off-exchange retail commodity transactions with its principal place of business in Boynton Beach, Florida. ¶ 11. Oakmont Financial has never been registered with the Plaintiff in any capacity. ¶ 11. Joseph DiCrisci was an owner, principal, and controlling person at Oakmont who was not registered with the Plaintiff. ¶ 12. Joseph DiCrisci was a resident of New York, New York during the relevant period. Id.

From July 2011 to July 2012, the Defendants entered into, offered to enter into, or conducted any office of business in the United States for the purpose of soliciting or accepting any order for the purchase or sale of precious metals from retail customers on a leveraged of financed basis. ¶ 1. These transactions constituted illegal, off-exchange retail commodity transactions in violation of the Act. Id. After a customer invested, Oakmont contacted Hunter Wise Commodities, LLC, a precious metals wholesaler and clearing firm, to accomplish the transaction. ¶ 15, 27. In the leveraged precious metals transactions at issue, Oak-mont’s customers did not take delivery of the precious metals. ¶ 29. In fact, Oakmont and Hunter Wise Commodities, LLC, never bought, sold, loaned, stored, or transferred any physical metals for the off-exchange retail commodity transactions at issue. ¶ 31.

The Plaintiff has jurisdiction pursuant to § 2(c)(2)(D) of the Act which confers jurisdiction to the Plaintiff over any agreement, contract, or transaction in any commodity that is entered into with, or offered to, a non-eligible contract participant (“ECP”) on a leveraged or margined basis (“retail commodity transactions”). ¶ 18. As a result, the Plaintiff brings this action alleging illegal off-exchange trading in violation of Section 4(a) of the Act, 7 U.S.C. § 6(a) which makes it unlawful for any person to offer to enter into, execute, confirm the execution of, or conduct any office or business anywhere in the United States for the purpose of soliciting, accepting any order for, or otherwise dealing in any transaction in, or in connection with, a contract for the purchase or sale of a commodity for future delivery unless the transaction is conducted on or subject to the rules of a board of trade that has been designated or registered by the Plaintiff as a contract market. ¶20. In addition, the Plaintiff alleges the Defendants failed to register with the Plaintiff in violation of Section 4d(a) of the Act, 7 U.S.C. § 6d(a), which makes it unlawful for any person to be a futures commission merchant (“FCM”) unless such person shall, have registered with the Plaintiff as an FCM. ¶ 41. Accordingly, the Plaintiff seeks to enjoin the Defendants’ conduct. ¶ 4.

Defendant Joseph DiCrisci (“Defendant”) moves to dismiss the Complaint for lack of personal jurisdiction pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(2).

II. STANDARD OF REVIEW

Both the state long-arm statute and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment must be satisfied in order for a federal court to have personal jurisdiction over a.nonresident defendant. [1350]*1350Posner v. Essex Ins. Co., 178 F.3d 1209, 1214 (11th Cir.1999). First, the Court must determine whether the Florida long-arm statute provides a sufficient basis for personal jurisdiction. Sculptchair, Inc. v. Century Arts, Ltd,., 94 F.3d 623, 626 (11th Cir.1996). After deeming jurisdiction appropriate under Florida law, the Court must then ascertain whether “sufficient minimum contacts exist between the defendant ] and the forum state so as to satisfy ‘traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice’ under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.” Id. (internal quotation and citation omitted).

The burden is on the plaintiff to allege a prima facie case; the plaintiff must do so by affidavit only if the challenging defendant provides his own affidavits in support. Posner, 178 F.3d at 1214. To the extent not contradicted by the defendant’s affidavits, the court should accept the facts alleged in the complaint as true. Id. In the event of a conflict, all reasonable inferences should be made in favor of the plaintiff. See Elandia Int’l, Inc. v. Ah Koy, 690 F.Supp.2d 1317, 1327 (S.D.Fla.2010).

When a federal court uses a state long-arm statute, because the extent of the statute is governed by state law, the federal court is required to construe it as would the state’s supreme court.” Diamond Crystal Brands, Inc. v. Food Movers Int’l, Inc., 693 F.3d 1249, 1258 (11th Cir.2010) (quoting Lockard v. Equifax, Inc., 163 F.3d 1269, 1266 (11th Cir.1998)). Moreover, the Eleventh Circuit has noted that the statute should be strictly construed. See Oriental Imports and Exports, Inc. v. Maduro & Curiel’s Bank, 701 F.2d 889, 891 (11th Cir.1983) (internal citations omitted).

III. DISCUSSION

a. Appropriate Jurisdictional Framework

The Defendant argues that this Court does not have personal jurisdiction over him claiming that his ties to Florida are wholly insufficient to confer jurisdiction over him.and thus the Complaint should be dismissed against him. In reaching this conclusion, the Defendant relies on the traditional jurisdictional framework whereby the Court must determine: (1) whether the Plaintiff has alleged sufficient facts to subject the Defendant to jurisdiction under the Florida long-arm statute, Fla. Stat. § 48.193; and (2) whether, exercising jurisdiction over the Defendant would violate the requirements of the due process clause. Verizon Trademark Servs., LLC v. Producers, Inc., 810 F.Supp.2d 1321, 1323-1324 (M.D.Fla.2011).

As the Plaintiff argues in its Response, however, Defendant’s reliance on the traditional jurisdictional framework is misplaced.

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191 F. Supp. 3d 1347, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 92576, 2016 WL 3619687, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/us-commodity-futures-trading-commission-v-oakmont-financial-inc-flsd-2016.