Jon D. Gruber, Et Al. V. Dakota Plains Holdings, Inc., Et Al. 16-CV-09727
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Case 1:16-cv-09727-WHP Document 175 Filed 03/08/19 Page 1 of 158 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK JON D. GRUBER, Individually And On Case No. 16-cv-09727-WHP Behalf Of All Others Similarly Situated, Plaintiff, THIRD AMENDED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT FOR VIOLATIONS OF v. THE FEDERAL SECURITIES LAWS AND THE RACKETEER INFLUENCED RYAN R. GILBERTSON; MICHAEL L. AND CORRUPT ORGANIZATIONS ACT REGER; GABRIEL G. CLAYPOOL; CRAIG M. MCKENZIE; TIMOTHY R. BRADY; TERRY H. RUST; PAUL M. JURY TRIAL DEMANDED COWNIE; DAVID J. FELLON; GARY L. ALVORD; JAMES L. THORNTON; JAMES RANDALL REGER; JOSEPH CLARK REGER Individually And As Custodian for W. J. R. And J. M. R. (UTMA); WELDON W. GILBERTSON Individually And As Custodian for H.G. (UTMA), and as Trustee of the RYAN GILBERTSON 2012 FAMILY IRREVOCABLE TRUST; THE TOTAL DEPTH FOUNDATION; JESSICA C. GILBERTSON (a/k/a Jessica Medlin); and KELLIE TASTO, As Custodian for H.G. (UTMA), Defendants. Case 1:16-cv-09727-WHP Document 175 Filed 03/08/19 Page 2 of 158 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page(s) I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 3 II. JURISDICTION AND VENUE ....................................................................................... 22 III. PARTIES .......................................................................................................................... 22 A. Lead Plaintiff ........................................................................................................ 22 B. Unnamed Defendant Dakota Plains Holdings, Inc. .............................................. 23 C. Ryan R. Gilbertson................................................................................................ 24 D. Weldon Gilbertson ................................................................................................ 31 E. Kellie Tasto ........................................................................................................... 36 F. Jessica Gilbertson.................................................................................................. 37 G. Total Depth Foundation ........................................................................................ 39 H. Michael L. Reger .................................................................................................. 40 I. James Randall Reger ............................................................................................. 43 J. Joseph C. Reger .................................................................................................... 44 K. Gabriel G. Claypool .............................................................................................. 47 L. Craig M. McKenzie .............................................................................................. 50 M. Timothy R. Brady ................................................................................................. 51 N. Paul M. Cownie .................................................................................................... 51 O. Terry H. Rust ........................................................................................................ 53 P. David J. Fellon ...................................................................................................... 54 Q. Gary L. Alvord ...................................................................................................... 54 R. James L. Thornton ................................................................................................ 55 IV. FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND TIMELINE OF EVENTS ....................................... 58 A. Gilbertson and Reger Establish the Company but Hide Their Ownership and Control .................................................................................................................. 58 B. Gilbertson and Reger Cause the Company to Issue Notes with an “Additional Payment” Provision, and Purchase 70% of the Notes Themselves ...................... 63 C. Gilbertson Takes the Company Public via a Reverse Merger .............................. 67 D. Gilbertson Directs the Manipulation of Dakota Plains Stock Price in the First 20 Days ...................................................................................................................... 68 E. The Windfall “Additional Payment” .................................................................... 71 F. The Company Twice Renegotiates the “Additional Payment” with Gilbertson and Reger ..................................................................................................................... 73 G. Gilbertson and Reger Begin a Proxy Battle Out of Spite ..................................... 82 i Case 1:16-cv-09727-WHP Document 175 Filed 03/08/19 Page 3 of 158 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page(s) V. LOSS CAUSATION AND MATERIALIZATION OF RISK ......................................... 87 VI. MATERIALLY FALSE AND MISLEADING STATEMENTS AND OMISSIONS .... 95 A. March 23, 2012 Form 8-K Announcing the Reverse Merger ............................... 96 B. May 15, 2012 Form 10-Q for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2012 ....................... 99 C. May 25, 2012 Form 8-K ..................................................................................... 103 D. August 14, 2012 Form 10-Q for the Quarter Ended June 30, 2012 .................... 104 E. November 6, 2012 Form 8-K .............................................................................. 106 F. November 14, 2012 Form 10-Q for the Quarter Ended September 30, 2012 ..... 109 G. March 14, 2013 Form 10-K for the Year Ended December 31, 2012 ................ 111 H. April 30, 2013 Form 8-K .................................................................................... 114 I. May 8, 2013, Form 10-Q for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2013 ...................... 116 J. August 8, 2013 Form 10-Q for the Quarter Ended June 30, 2013 ...................... 119 K. September 27, 2013 Form S-3 Shelf Registration Statement and Prospectus .... 120 L. November 12, 2013 Form 10-Q for the Quarter Ended September 30, 2013 ..... 121 M. December 10, 2013 Form 8-K ............................................................................ 122 N. March 14, 2014 Form 10-K for the Year Ended December 31, 2013 ................ 125 O. May 9, 2014 Form 10-Q for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2014 ....................... 128 P. August 11, 2014 Form 10-Q for the Quarter Ended June 20, 2014 .................... 129 Q. March 23, 2015 Form 10-K for the Year Ended December 31, 2014 ................ 130 R. May 8, 2015 Form 10-Q for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2015 ....................... 132 S. August 7, 2015 Form 10-Q for the Quarter Ended June 30, 2015 ...................... 133 T. November 6, 2015 Form 10-Q for the Quarter Ended September 30, 2015 ....... 134 U. March 11, 2016 Form 10-K for the Year Ended December 31, 2015 ................ 135 V. May 6, 2016 Form 10-Q for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2016 ....................... 137 W. August 9, 2016 Form 10-Q for the Quarter Ended June 30, 2016 ...................... 138 VII. CLASS ACTION ALLEGATIONS ............................................................................... 139 VIII. COUNT I Violations of Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 Against Gilbertson, Reger, Claypool, Brady, Cownie, Fellon, Rust, Alvord, McKenzie and Thornton .......................................................................................................................... 143 IX. COUNT II Violations of Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act Against Gilbertson, Reger, Claypool, Brady, Cownie, Fellon, Rust, Alvord, McKenzie and Thornton ................... 146 X. COUNT III Violations of Section 20A of the Exchange Act, 15 U.S.C. § 78t-1 Against Gilbertson, Reger, the Gilbertson Nominees and the Reger Nominees .......................... 149 XI. COUNT IV Violations of RICO 18 U.S.C. § 1962(c) Against Gilbertson ................... 150 ii Case 1:16-cv-09727-WHP Document 175 Filed 03/08/19 Page 4 of 158 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page(s) PRAYER FOR RELIEF ............................................................................................................. 153 JURY TRIAL DEMANDED ...................................................................................................... 153 iii Case 1:16-cv-09727-WHP Document 175 Filed 03/08/19 Page 5 of 158 Lead Plaintiff Jon D. Gruber (“Lead Plaintiff”), individually, on behalf of the Jon D. Gruber Rollover IRA and as trustee of the Jon D. and Linda W. Gruber Trust, and on behalf of all other persons similarly situated, alleges the following regarding Ryan R. Gilbertson (“Gilbertson”), Michael L. Reger (“Reger”), unnamed defendant Dakota Plains Holdings, Inc. (“Dakota Plains” or the “Company”), certain individually named defendants who were officers, directors, control persons and/or controlling stockholders of the Company, and certain defendants who acted as Gilbertson’s and Reger’s nominees. Lead Plaintiff’s allegations are based on his personal knowledge as to his own transactions as well as, inter alia, the investigation conducted by Lead Counsel, including the significant amount of discovery conducted to date in this matter. This investigation also included, among other things, consultation with experts, review and analysis of Dakota Plains’ public documents and announcements, earnings conference calls with securities analysts and shareholders, the Company’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission