Robert G. Cole
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Litigation Release No. 20817 / November 26, 2008
SEC v. Robert G. Cole, Civ 08-265 C (W.D. Okla.) (RJC)
Former Diebold Sales Representative Settles SEC Insider Trading Charges
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today that on November 19, 2008, the Honorable Robin J. Cauthron, United States District Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma, entered final judgment against Robert G. Cole in SEC v. Cole, Civ 08-265 C (W.D. Okla.), an insider trading case the Commission filed on March 13, 2008. The Commission's complaint alleged that Cole, a former sales representative for Diebold, Inc., made over $500,000 in illegal profits by using material, nonpublic information to trade Diebold securities. Diebold is an Ohio-based public company that manufactures and sells automated teller machines, bank security systems, and electronic voting machines.
The Commission's complaint alleged that on September 15, 2005, shortly after learning from his sales manager that revenues and orders in Diebold's North American regional bank business were significantly below target, Cole began purchasing hundreds of soon-to-expire Diebold put options contracts, at a total cost of $70,110, anticipating that Diebold would lower its earnings forecast and the price of Diebold stock would fall. As alleged in the complaint, on September 21, 2005 â" one day after Cole completed purchasing these Diebold put option contracts â" Diebold announced that it was lowering its earnings forecasts, primarily because of a revenue shortfall in the company's North American regional bank business. After this public announcement, Diebold's stock price dropped sharply, closing at $37.27 per share, which was a 16% drop from the previous day's closing price of $44.13. As the complaint alleged, Cole immediately sold the Diebold put option contracts for $579,190, realizing illicit profits of $509,080 (a 700% return).
The Commission alleged that Cole violated Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. Without admitting or denying the allegations in the complaint, Cole consented to the entry of a final judgment that permanently enjoins him from future violations of these provisions, and orders him to disgorge his illicit profits of $509,080, which will be deemed satisfied by a forfeiture order entered in a related criminal case. In that case, U.S. v. Robert Cole, No. 5:08-CR-327 (N.D. Ohio), Cole pled guilty to a felony charge of securities fraud, and was sentenced to a prison term of 1 year and 1 day, two years of supervised release, forfeiture of $509,080, and a $180,000 fine.
The Commission wishes to thank the Philadelphia Stock Exchange for its valuable assistance in this matter.