TITLE 6

Commerce and Trade

SUBTITLE IV

Commercial Development

CHAPTER 73. Securities Act

Subchapter VI. Remedies for Violations

§ 73-601. Administrative remedies.

(a) In any administrative proceeding before the Director, the Director may issue orders providing for the following remedies: cease and desist; fine; assessment of costs; restitution to investors; conditional or probationary registration; suspension or bar from registration; censure or reprimand; special reporting requirements; freezing of accounts in which it is believed that fraud has occurred, may be occurring, or is likely to occur; or other remedies which the Director determines to be in the public interest.

(b) In addition to the remedies set forth in subsection (a) of this section, the Director may order the payment of fines and other monetary sanctions for any violation of any provision of this chapter or any rule or order hereunder in an amount not to exceed $10,000 for each and every violation, plus the costs of investigation and prosecution. Each independent violation of this chapter counts as a separate instance for purposes of calculating penalties.

(c) Whenever it appears that a person has violated or is about to violate this chapter or any rule or order hereunder by failing to register or engaging in fraud or other prohibited conduct, the Director may summarily issue a cease and desist order against that person.

(1) Any person who is the subject of a cease and desist order shall be given notice of it as soon as practicable and may request a hearing before the Director on an application to set aside, limit, modify or suspend the order by filing:

a. A written request for a hearing; and

b. A written answer addressing the factual and legal findings of the order.

The opportunity to be heard is waived if the subject of the order fails to timely file a written answer and a written request for a hearing, in which case the order will remain in effect until it is modified or vacated by the Director. To the extent a hearing is properly requested and an answer properly filed, a hearing shall be noticed within 15 days from the date the request is received.

(2) If any person who is the subject of a cease and desist order, or any agent or employee of such person, subsequent to the issuance of the order engages in the prohibited conduct, the Director may certify the facts and apply for a contempt order to any Judge of the Superior Court, who shall upon such application hear the evidence as to the acts complained of. If the evidence warrants, the Judge shall punish such person in the same manner and to the same extent as for a contempt committed before the Superior Court, or shall commit such person upon the same conditions as if the doing of the forbidden act had occurred with reference to the process of, or in the presence of, the Superior Court.

78 Del. Laws, c. 175, §§  117, 11879 Del. Laws, c. 182, §  384 Del. Laws, c. 230, § 17

§ 73-602. Injunctions.

Whenever it appears to the Director that any person has engaged or is about to engage in any act or practice constituting a violation of any provision of this chapter or any rule or order hereunder, the Director may in the Director’s own discretion bring an action in the Court of Chancery to temporarily restrain or to enjoin the acts or practices and to enforce compliance with this chapter or any rule or order hereunder. The Director may also seek, and the Court of Chancery shall upon proper showing grant, such other ancillary relief as is in the public interest including the appointment of a receiver, temporary receiver, conservator, obtaining of an accounting, orders of rescission, orders of restitution, or other relief as may be appropriate in the public interest. The Court shall not require the Director to post a bond.

6 Del. C. 1953, §  7320;  59 Del. Laws, c. 208, §  170 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  178 Del. Laws, c. 175, §§  104, 11879 Del. Laws, c. 182, §  3

§ 73-603. Escrow of funds.

Whenever the Director shall deem it necessary in the public interest the Director may require that the proceeds of sale of the securities of an issuer be held intact until such proceeds aggregate a fixed amount and that such proceeds be held intact under an appropriate agreement of escrow with a bank or trust company approved by the Director.

6 Del. C. 1953, §  7321;  59 Del. Laws, c. 208, §  170 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  178 Del. Laws, c. 175, §§  105, 11879 Del. Laws, c. 182, §  3

§ 73-604. Criminal penalties; class E, F, and G felonies.

(a) Fraud of $50,000 or more; class E felony. — Any person who wilfully violates § 73-201 of this title, thereby causing any investor or investors to lose $50,000 or more, shall upon conviction be fined not more than $200,000 or imprisoned not more than 5 years at Level V incarceration, or both, per violation.

(b) Fraud of $10,000 or more; class F felony. — Any person who wilfully violates § 73-201 of this title, thereby causing any investor or investors to lose $10,000 or more, though less than $50,000, shall upon conviction be fined not more than $100,000 or imprisoned not more than 3 years at Level V incarceration, or both, per violation.

(c) Other violations; class G felony. — Any person who wilfully violates any provision of this chapter or any rule hereunder and whose offense is not covered by subsection (a) or (b) of this section, shall upon conviction be fined not more than $100,000 or imprisoned not more than 2 years at Level V incarceration, or both, per violation.

(d) No indictment or information may be returned under this chapter more than 5 years after the alleged violation. The Superior Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction of any criminal violations of this chapter.

(e) In addition to the penalties stated above, restitution to any investor or investors may be ordered. Nothing in this chapter limits the power of the State to punish any person for any conduct which otherwise constitutes a crime by statute.

6 Del. C. 1953, §  7322;  59 Del. Laws, c. 208, §  167 Del. Laws, c. 274, §  1068 Del. Laws, c. 181, §  1978 Del. Laws, c. 175, §§  106, 118, 12284 Del. Laws, c. 230, § 18

§ 73-605. Civil liabilities.

(a) Any person who:

(1) Offers or sells a security in violation of § 73-302, § 73-301 or § 73-210(b) of this title, or of any rule or order under § 73-211 of this title which requires the affirmative approval of sales literature before it is used, or of any condition imposed under § 73-204(d) of this title.

(2) Offers, sells or purchases a security by means of any untrue statement of a material fact or any omission to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statement made, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading (the buyer or seller not knowing of the untruth or omission), and who does not sustain the burden of proof that the person did not know, and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known of the untruth or omission, is liable to the person buying or selling the security from or to him or her, who may sue either at law or in equity to recover the consideration paid for the security, together with the interest at the legal rate from the date of payment costs, and reasonable attorneys’ fees, less the amount of any income received on the security, upon the tender of the security, or for damages if he or she no longer owns the security.

(b) Every person who directly or indirectly controls a seller or buyer liable under subsection (a) of this section, every partner, officer, or director of such a seller or buyer, every person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions, every employee of such seller or buyer who materially aids in the sale, and every broker-dealer or agent who materially aids in the sale or purchase are also liable jointly and severally with and to the same extent as the seller or buyer, unless the nonseller or nonbuyer who is so liable sustains the burden of proof that the person did not know, and in exercise of reasonable care could not have known, of the existence of the facts by reason of which the liability is alleged to exist. There is contribution as in cases of contract among the several persons so liable.

(c) Any tender specified in this section may be made at any time before entry of judgment.

(d) Every cause of action under this chapter survives the death of any person who might have been a plaintiff or defendant.

(e) No person may sue under this section more than 3 years after the contract of sale. No person may sue under this section if the buyer received a written offer, before suit and at a time when the buyer owned the security, or if a seller received a written offer before suit, to refund the consideration paid together with interest at the legal rate from the date of payment, less the amount of any income received on the security, and the seller failed to accept the offer within 30 days of its receipt, or if the buyer received such an offer before suit and at a time when the buyer did not own the security, unless the buyer rejected the offer in writing within 30 days of its receipt.

(f) No person who has made or engaged in the performance of any contract in violation of any provision of this chapter or any rule or order hereunder, or who has acquired any purported right under any such contract with knowledge of the facts by reason of which its making or performance was in violation may base any suit on the contract.

(g) Any condition, stipulation, or provision binding any person acquiring any security to waive compliance with any provision of this chapter or any rule or order hereunder is void.

(h) The rights and remedies provided by this chapter are in addition to any other rights or remedies that may exist at law or in equity.

6 Del. C. 1953, §  7323;  59 Del. Laws, c. 208, §  168 Del. Laws, c. 181, §§  13, 2270 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  170 Del. Laws, c. 560, §  171 Del. Laws, c. 162, §  2578 Del. Laws, c. 175, §§  75, 107 118