807 P.2d 279
William Franklin PROBST, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Oklahoma, Appellee.
No. F-89-77.
Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma.
March 5, 1991.
Rehearing Denied April 10, 1991.
JOHNSON, Judge:
WILLIAM FRANKLIN PROBST,
appellant, was charged with the crimes of
Offer and Sale of Unregistered Securities,
in violation of 71 O.S.1981, 301, Count
I; Failure to Register as Broker-Dealer or
Agent, in violation of 71 O.S.1981, 201,
Count II; Fraud in the Offer and Sale of
Securities, in violation of 71 O.S.1981,
101, Count III; and, Embezzlement by
Trustee, in violation of 21 O.S.1981,
1454, Count IV, in Case No. CRF-87-429
in the District Court of Canadian County.
At the preliminary hearing, the Honorable
Ken Dickerson, Special Judge of
Canadian County, sustained appellant's
demurrer to all four counts. However, on
the State's Rule 6 appeal (now 22
O.S.1981, 1089.1 et seq.), the
Honorable Edward C. Cunningham,
District Judge, reinstated Counts I, II and
III. Appellant was represented by counsel
in a non-jury trial. The trial court returned
a verdict of guilty on all three counts and
set punishment at three (3) years
imprisonment and a $5,000.00 fine for
each count. The trial court ordered the
sentences to run concurrently. From
these Judgments and Sentences,
appellant appeals.
[1] In his first assignment of error,
appellant contends that the district court
erred in reversing the decision of the
preliminary hearing magistrate with regard
to Counts I, II and III because the State
failed to present sufficient evidence that a
security existed. We will, therefore,
review the evidence presented at the
preliminary hearing.
Prior to any testimony, both parties
stipulated that appellant was not
registered with the Department of
Securities as an investment advisor,
agent, broker, or dealer nor was the
Charlestown Limited Partnership
registered with the Department of
Securities. The first witness, Barbara
Yanda, testified that on December 18,
1984, she and her husband hired
appellant for his estate planning services.
At this initial meeting, Mrs. Yanda gave
appellant a check made payable to
"Stonemark International" for $5,000.00
as the first installment for his fee. The
Yandas met with appellant again on
December 20, 1984, at which time they
paid appellant $10,000 as the balance of
his fee. This check was also made
payable to "Stonemark International."
During this second meeting, appellant
also informed the Yandas of some
apartments being built in Edmond and
advised them that if they invested in the
apartments, they would receive back their
investment and, in addition, some of the
profit when the apartments were sold. At
that time, Mrs. Yanda gave appellant a
check for $100,000.00. This check was
made payable to "Alexco" and was
designated for the "Edmond Project."
Mrs. Yanda admitted that she did not
know if appellant owned Stonemark
International nor did she know if he had
any ownership interest in the corporation.
Next, Mary Jackson testified that she had
been a secretary for Glen Vance at the
Commercial Funding Corporation for
fifteen years. During her tenure, she
stated that she performed duties for many
corporations which were located in the
Commercial Funding Corporation building,
including ALEXCO. Ms. Jackson testified
that appellant moved into the building in
1981. She stated that she performed
duties for appellant which included typing
the articles of incorporation for Stonemark
International. Ms. Jackson identified
some minutes from a meeting of the
directors of Stonemark, which listed
appellant as the chairman. Ms. Jackson
stated that in 1982/1983, Commercial
Funding put Stonemark's estate planning
services on its computer. She claimed
that Commercial Funding and ALEXCO
were connected in that the same
principles were involved in both
companies. Ms. Jackson testified that
Stonemark moved out of the building in
*282 1983, but that appellant came by
approximately four times a week to pick
up checks payable to Stonemark from
ALEXCO and Commercial Funding. Ms.
Jackson admitted that the checks were
loans, but she was unaware whether any
of the loans had ever been repaid. Ms.
Jackson also stated that appellant
frequently delivered checks to her that
were to be invested in a specific
partnership or joint venture. Finally, Ms.
Jackson noted that estate planning
services had been performed for the
same people that appellant brought
checks in on.
Michael Mulligan testified that on
December 31, 1984, he was elected
president of ALEXCO. He testified that as
president, he had custody of the financial
and business records of ALEXCO and
also some documents from Commercial
Funding, which he claimed was a
subsidiary of ALEXCO. Mr. Mulligan also
stated that he possessed some books and
records of Stonemark International.
During Mr. Mulligan's examination of the
records of the various corporations, he
analyzed a Charlestown partnership. Mr.
Mulligan testified that Charleston was a
limited partnership created with ALEXCO
as the general partner, and designed to
build and construct an apartment complex
in Edmond. He also discovered that the
option for the land on which the
apartments were to be built had expired in
November 1984. Based on his
examination of the records, Mr. Mulligan
testified that it was his belief that the
Yandas' check had been included among
the investors of the Charleston Project.
Mr. Mulligan stated that based on his
investigation, he found that a relationship
existed between ALEXCO, Stonemark
and Charlestown. He had concluded that
Stonemark was the money raising arm of
ALEXCO, and that the majority of the
money raised for Charlestown was raised
through Stonemark. Mr. Mulligan testified
that it was fairly apparent that since the
Stonemark had no money at that time,
money was coming back to the
corporation and used in matters unrelated
to the Charleston Project. He estimated
that approximately 20 percent of the
funding raised through Stonemark went
back to Stonemark. Mr. Mulligan further
testified that on January 17, he received a
telephone call from Glen Vance
requesting that he meet Mr. Vance and
appellant in the Liberty National Bank
lobby. When he arrived, Mr. Vance and
appellant had prepared cashier's checks
and needed Mr. Mulligan to endorse them
for ALEXCO. Mr. Mulligan testified that
one of the checks was payable to
appellant as his fee for developing the
investor.
The Yandas both testified that they did
not understand they would have to do
anything as it related to the building of the
project or the sale of same. They stated
they signed papers but never received a
copy of blank or signed papers. Glen
Vance testified in actuality the investors
had no managerial duties and he doubted
if they were ever told that they had the
right to exercise any control as it relates to
the investment. Also, the court asked
about the Yandas understanding as to
what duty they had to assist in the
management and again the parties stated
they were not told of the right or duty to
assist.
Several of the facts that stand out
relating to this particular fraud come from
testimony at the trial. It should be noted
that the project never got off the ground
and that the option to purchase the
property expired and the land was not
purchased. Further, Jesse Arvelos who
went to work for Stonemark in 1982 as an
auditor, testified that he worked closely
with the appellant. He testified that the
appellant found his customers from
referrals or the county clerk's office and
the land records. He further testified that
he learned that typical customers were
wealthy farmers. He further testified that
as a part of the appellant's tax planning,
he would suggest that the clients invest in
a construction site or security. He stated
that he never did an estate plan with the
appellant where the clients were not also
asked to invest in a project of some sort
and further, that the appellant received a
finders fee for putting money into these
investments. Finally, the appellant's son,
Rocky Probst, testified as to facts such as
where his father obtained his clients, that
is, as to referrals or from public
courthouse records. Rocky stated *283
that he had worked in the business with
his father who wanted to show him how
the business was performed; further, that
the appellant did not explain to his clients
the relationships between the various
companies. He also testified that the
Charlestown Associates was a "hokey
adventure to raise money".
The appellant then interposed a demurrer
to the State's evidence, and, after
receiving argument from both sides, the
court determined that Counts I, II and III
must be linked to a security and in order
to bind appellant over, the Edmond
Project had to be linked to the Charleston
Associates, a Limited Partnership. After
a recitation of its view of the evidence, the
court ruled that there was insufficient
evidence to connect the term "Edmond
Project" and Charlestown Associates. On
February 22, 1988, the Honorable Edward
Cunningham, District Judge, reversed the
ruling.
It is well-settled that the State is not
required to present evidence sufficient to
convict at the preliminary hearing, but
rather, only has the burden to show that a
crime was committed and probable cause
to believe that the defendant committed
the offense. Johnson v. State, 731 P.2d
424, 425 (Okl.Cr.1986). After a review of
the evidence presented at the preliminary
hearing, we find competent evidence in
the record from which the district court
could have reasonably concluded that the
sale of an interest in Charlestown
Associates Limited was a security.
Accordingly, we find no error.
Appellant next contends that the trial
court erred in overruling his demurrer and
erred further in finding him guilty because
there was insufficient evidence presented
at trial to convict him of the charges in
Counts I, II and III. Specifically, appellant
argues that the evidence failed to prove
that he offered for sale an interest in a
limited partnership, i.e., Charlestown, but
rather, the evidence proved the existence
of a joint venture with ALEXCO to build an
apartment complex.
[2] When the sufficiency of the evidence
presented at trial is challenged on appeal,
this Court must determine whether, after
reviewing the evidence in the light most
favorable to the State, any rational trier of
fact could have found the essential
elements of the crime charged beyond a
reasonable doubt. Spuehler v. State, 709
P.2d 202, 203-04 (Okl.Cr.1985).
Furthermore, we will accept all reasonable
inferences and credibility choices that
tend to support the trier of fact's verdict.
Williams v. State, 721 P.2d 1318, 1320
(Okl.Cr.1986). The evidence presented at
trial was essentially the same as
presented at the preliminary hearing, with
the notable exception of the testimony of
Glen Vance, who covered in greater detail
the preliminary hearing testimony of
Michael Mulligan, who did not testify at
trial.
Under 71 O.S.1981, 301, the State was
required to prove that a security had been
offered or sold and that the security was
neither registered with the Oklahoma
Securities Commission nor qualified for an
exemption. Initially, Charles Moore, an
employee with the Oklahoma Department
of Securities, testified that Charlestown
Associates Limited was not registered
with the Department of Securities nor had
it claimed an exemption. Mr. Moore also
testified that appellant had never been
registered with the Department of
Securities as a broker, dealer, agent or
investment advisor. Thus, the question
remaining is whether a security had been
offered or sold.
Under 71 O.S.1981, 2(20)(P), a
security is defined as an investment of
money or money's worth including goods
furnished and/or services performed in the
risk capital of a venture with the
expectation of some benefit to the
investor where the investor has no direct
control over the investment or policy
decision of the venture. In addition, under
71 O.S.1981, 2(20)(K) an investment
contract is a security. Both sides cite
Securities and Exchange Commission v.
Howey, 328 U.S. 293, 66 S.Ct. 1100, 90
L.Ed. 1244 (1946) as authority for the
determination of whether the State proved
the existence of an investment contract.
The case involved the sale of units in a
citrus grove development. The suit was
brought by purchasers alleging violations
of the securities act by the defendants.
*284 In Howey, the Supreme Court listed
the elements of an investment contract
as: (1) an investment; (2) in a common
enterprise; (3) with the expectation of a
profit through the efforts of others. 328
U.S. at 298, 66 S.Ct. at 1103, 90 L.Ed. at
1249.
[3] In the present case, there was clearly
an investment of money as the Yandas
gave appellant a check for $100,000.00.
There was also a common enterprise, that
being the Edmond Project, a/k/a, the
Charlestown Apartments. The first dispute
concerns whether the Yandas expected a
profit. Appellant claims no; however, Mr.
Yanda testified that if there was a profit
when the apartments were sold, he did
expect to receive a part of it. Mrs. Yanda
testified that, while realizing a risk in any
investment, she did expect some profit. It
does not make common sense that a
person would give away $100,000. An
investment should presume an expected
return or profit, although one is not
guaranteed.
The security or investment in question in
this case was an interest in a limited
partnership in a real estate development.
Limited partnership investments have
been held by numerous courts to be
securities. Murphey v. Hillwood Villa
Associates (1976, S.D.N.Y.) 411 F.Supp.
287, a limited partnership as to ownership
of rental housing; Bartels v. Algonquin
Properties, Ltd. (1979, D.C.Vt.) 471
F.Supp. 1132, a limited partnership in a
real estate venture; Kroungold v. Triester
(1975, E.D.Pa.) 407 F.Supp. 414, a
limited partnership interest in several real
estate investments; Siebel v. Scott,
(1984, C.A.5 Tex.) 725 F.2d 995, cert.
denied 467 U.S. 1242, 104 S.Ct. 3515, 82
L.Ed.2d 823.
In a more recent Oklahoma case out of
the 10th Circuit, the court held
investments to be securities as it related
to a real estate development venture.
McGill v. American Land & Exploration
Co. (1985, C.A.10 Okla.) 776 F.2d 923.
Therefore, from a review of the cases, the
vast majority of courts have held that the
type of limited partnership involved herein
constitutes a security. Even if as
appellant contends, the interest offered
was not a limited partnership, which is
normally a per se security, still it could be
a security under Howey and other law if
the tests are met. The real question as it
relates to a security rests with the third
requirement of Howey, that is, the
expectation of a profit "solely" through the
efforts of others.
In this particular case, exhibit evidence
was introduced that would indicate that
the investors under the venture would
have overall management and control of
the business affairs. Such documents
also indicated that no major decision
would be made without approval of the
venturers. If this court would adopt the
strict interpretation of Howey, that is, the
"solely" test, we could hold that the
investment was not a security. The
evidence clearly indicates that the
investors were not informed of the
document, nor did they have a copy of the
document, nor did they in any way involve
themselves in management. It would
seem ludicrous to say that by inserting the
"boilerplate" type wording, you could
protect yourself from a securities violation.
This, obviously, is not the spirit nor the
intent of the law.
The third portion of Howey directed to
profits through efforts of others is
somewhat confusing, the trend since this
decision is away from the "solely" test. It
would appear since approximately 1970
that the modern trend has used a different
test, that is, "substantially" through the
efforts of others. State v. Hawaii Mkt.
Center, Inc., 52 Haw. 642, 485 P.2d 105
(1971). The courts have consistently
allowed an investor to contribute some
efforts and still the investment could be
held to be an investment contract. Le
Chateau Royal Corp. v. Pantaleo, 370
So.2d 1155 (Fla.App.1978). This trend
probably started with the now famous
Glenn Turner Pyramid scheme cases
where, if held to the "solely" standard,
there would never have been a conviction
because the investors did perform some
"efforts". S.E.C. v. Glenn W. Turner
Enterprises, Inc., 474 F.2d 476 (9th Cir.)
cert. denied, 414 U.S. 821, 94 S.Ct. 117,
38 L.Ed.2d 53 (1973).
[4] We are aware of the last definitive
statement by the U.S. Supreme Court as
it *285 relates to the Howey test. United
Housing Foundation, Inc. v. Forman, 421
U.S. 837, 95 S.Ct. 2051, 44 L.Ed.2d 621
(1975). This case reiterates the Howey
test but does not strengthen the "solely"
doctrine. In fact, the court, referring to the
Glenn W. Turner 9th Circuit case which
holds to the new theory stated, "we
express no view however, as to the
holding in this case". Regardless of the
position of the Supreme Court, it appears
that the proper test today (both state and
federal), need only be the "substantial"
test and not the "solely" test. In a recent
5th Circuit case, the present trend of the
courts becomes clear. Williamson v.
Tucker, 645 F.2d 404 (5th Cir.) cert.
denied, 454 U.S. 897, 102 S.Ct. 396, 70
L.Ed.2d 212 (1981). The court said,
starting at page 422 the following:
"[T]he mere fact that an investment
takes the form of a general partnership
or joint venture does not inevitably
insulate it from the reach of the federal
securities laws. All of these cases
presume that the investor-partner is not
in fact dependent on the promoter or
manager for the effective exercise of his
partnership powers. If, for example, the
partner has irrevocably delegated his
powers, or is incapable of exercising
them, or is so dependent on the
particular expertise of the promoter or
manager that he has no reasonable
alternative to reliance on that person,
then his partnership powers may be
inadequate to protect him from the
dependence on others which is implicit
in an investment contract.
Thus, a general partnership in which
some agreement among the partners
places the controlling power in the
hands of certain managing partners may
be an investment contract with respect
to the other partners. Pawgan v.
Silverstein, 265 F.Supp. 898
(S.D.N.Y.1967). In such a case the
agreement allocates partnership power
as in a limited partnership, which has
long been held to be an investment
contract. See generally 3 Bloomenthal,
Securities & Federal Corporate Law
2.12(2) (1979)."
The key question then, regardless of
whether this is a limited partnership, a
general partnership, or a joint venture,
does not have as much to do with the
form of the investment but has more to do
with the substance. In these types of
investments, all that should be required is
that the promoter possess some particular
or special skill which is necessary to the
successful operation and/or management
of the venture and a skill or knowledge
that the investors do not have. The facts
in this case are clear that the Yandas
were not sophisticated investors, they did
not have a specialized skill, and were, as
they testified, relying upon the expertise of
the appellant. For the appellant to use or
to hide behind a document that grants
authority that was not intended to be used
or that was not used is not sufficient for
an acquittal. Analogies would be the
unskilled investing in an oil and gas
venture, or, the unskilled investing in a
cattle feeding or marketing operation.
This court could go on and on as to types
of investments but clearly the modern
trend in holding an investment to be a
security has now to do with the actual
management. This Court specifically
adopts the "substantial" or managerial
approach rather than the "solely"
approach. Williamson v. Tucker, supra;
Long v. Shultz Cattle Company, 881 F.2d
129 (5th Cir.1989) (wherein the
agreement between the parties provided
that the investors would make the final
decision); Rivanna Trawlers Unlimited v.
Thompson Trawlers, Inc., 840 F.2d 236
(4th Cir.1988). Also two excellent treatises
by Professor Joseph C. Long of the
University of Oklahoma can be found to
explain this approach in detail. 1985 Blue
Sky Law Handbook--Developments in
State Securities Regulation, 2-33 through
2-44 and Blue Sky Law 2.04(2)(d).
After a review of the record, we find
sufficient evidence in which the trial court
could have found the essential elements
of the crimes charged beyond a
reasonable doubt.
[5][6] On May 4, 1988, five days before
trial, the State filed an application seeking
the trial court's permission to endorse and
add the name of Glen P. Vance as a
witness. The application was granted. A
*286 hearing concerning the matter was
held on May 5, 1988, wherein appellant
presented an oral motion to strike the
endorsement of Mr. Vance on the basis of
unfair surprise and prejudice. At the
hearing, the State averred that they first
learned the whereabouts of Mr. Vance at
7:00 a.m. on May 3, 1988, and notified
defense counsel by telephone as soon as
the application had been signed by the
court. Appellant claimed that the State
was sandbagging the witness because
they should have known how to locate a
federal parolee sooner than five days prior
to trial.
The endorsement of a witness on an
Information may be permitted at any time
in the trial court's discretion. Rhodes v.
State, 695 P.2d 861, 863 (Okl.Cr.1985).
Absent a showing of surprise or prejudice,
no abuse of discretion will be found. Id.
The gravamen of appellant's complaint
concerned the State's failure to endorse
Mr. Vance prior to the time that they did.
However, at the hearing, counsel for
defense specifically stated that he was not
asking for a continuance. Moreover, the
trial court recessed the trial on May 11,
1988, granting counsel for defense the
better part of that day to visit with Mr.
Vance. When the trial resumed the next
morning, defense counsel stated, "[w]e
had sufficient time to visit with the witness
and the defendant is ready this morning
for all purposes." We find no error. See
Fabian v. State, 720 P.2d 1276, 1278
(Okl.Cr.1986). Counsel's recourse was to
ask for a continuance; this he did not do,
a complaint now is just too late.
In the same argument, appellant claims
that with regard to Mr. Vance, the State
failed to provide any exculpatory
impeachment evidence concerning
appellant. The issue of the State's
obligation to provide exculpatory evidence
was discussed thoroughly prior to Mr.
Vance's testimony. When defense
counsel requested three specific
documents, the State provided a blank
form copy of one and denied any
knowledge or possession of the other two.
In fact, a deputy administrator from the
Securities Commission called the court
and confirmed the fact that the documents
were not in the State's possession. The
record does not indicate, nor has
appellant demonstrated, that the State
failed to comply in any manner with the
trial court's discovery order. We find no
error.
[7] In his final assignment of error,
appellant contends that his sentences are
excessive. However, the sentences
imposed are within statutory limits, and we
cannot say that the sentences shock our
conscience. Gaines v. State, 724 P.2d
260, 262 (Okl.Cr.1986). We find no error.
The Judgments and Sentences are
AFFIRMED.
LANE, Vice Presiding Judge, concurring
in result:
I write to address the issue whether the
investment Mrs. Yanda entered into is a
security. Winnowing the relevant from the
irrelevant facts of this case we are left
with a rather simple scenario. As part of
the estate planning the appellant
performed for Mr. and Mrs. Yanda, he
advised them regarding certain
investments. Specifically he advised Mrs.
Yanda to invest in an apartment project in
Edmond, Oklahoma. The appellant told
Mrs. Yanda there was no risk to her
investment, and she believed him. She
gave the appellant a check for
$100,000.00 made payable to Alexco and
designated for the "Edmond Project". She
also signed, without reading it, a joint-venture agreement which provided in
relevant part:
(a) The overall management and control
of the business and affairs of the Joint
Venture shall be vested in the
Venturers, collectively ...
(c) No act shall be taken, sum
expended, or obligation incurred by the
Joint Venture, Manager or any Venturer
with respect to any of the following
matters (herein referred to as the "Major
Decisions"), unless such Major
Decisions have been approved by the
Venturers.
This agreement did not correspond to her
understanding of the investment as
described by the appellant, for she
testified as follows:
*287 The Court: Were you ever told
that you could have any kind of control
over the building of the apartments
themselves?
Mrs. Yanda: No.
The Court: Were you ever told that you
could have some kind of control, or
imput, (sic) into the management or
running of Charlestown Associates
Limited?
Mrs. Yanda: No ...
The Court: Was it ever your intention to
enter into a joint venture with
Charlestown Associates Limited? In
other words you and your husband
would work with Charlestown
Associated Limited to Build the
Apartments?
Mrs. Yanda: No.
The Court: Was it your understanding
that you were investing one hundred
thousand dollars in the Edmond project
or the Charlestown Apartments?
Mrs. Yanda: Yes. I knew that ...
The Court: Did you ever have any
involvement in the input into the filing of
a return for Charlestown Associated
Limited tax return?
Mrs. Yanda: No.
(Tr. 63-66). Mrs. Yanda was, according
to her own testimony, a woman naive in
business matters. Glen Vance, President
of Alexco, testified the investors in
Charlestown Associates Limited assigned
their managerial control to one person
who conducted the business of the
partnership.
I agree with the majority that Mrs.
Yanda's investment is a security in the
form of an investment contract. However,
I prefer a less convoluted analysis to
reach this result. Oklahoma applies the
definition of an investment contract set
forth by the United States Supreme Court
in SEC v. Howey, 328 U.S. 293, 66 S.Ct.
1100, 90 L.Ed. 1244 (1946) under its own
Securities Act. State ex rel. Day v. Petco
Oil & Gas, Inc., 558 P.2d 1163
(Okl.1977). Howey sets forth four
elements of an investment contract.
There must be an investment, in a
common enterprise, with the expectation
of profit, solely from the efforts of others.
328 U.S. at 298, 66 S.Ct. at 1103.
As new schemes came before various
state and federal courts, the element
"solely from the efforts of others" proved
to be too limited, for in many schemes the
investors performed some minor task
which contributed to their expectation of
profit. The courts modified the definition
of an investment contract by defining what
efforts an investor could undertake and
still be entitled to the protection of the
securities acts.
The majority follows those jurisdictions
which adopted a test of "substantially"
through the efforts of others. I find this
test to raise more questions than it
answers. How substantial must
"substantial" be? Certainly this question
is not answered in the present case, for
Mrs. Yanda put forth no effort in the
enterprise beyond her substantial
investment. More importantly, I believe
the better analysis is to examine the
quality of the investor's efforts rather than
the quantity.
I agree with those jurisdictions which look
to management efforts or economic reality
and hold that an investment is a security
if the investor does not have managerial
control of the enterprise. See State v.
Hawaii Market Center, 52 Haw. 642, 485
P.2d 105 (1971); Sauer v. Hays, 36
Colo.App. 190, 539 P.2d 1343 (1975);
Activator Supply Co. v. Wurth, 239 Kan.
610, 722 P.2d 1081 (1986); State v.
Duncan, 181 Mont. 382, 593 P.2d 1026
(1979); Prince v. Heritage Oil Co., 109
Mich.App. 189, 311 N.W.2d 741 (1981);
Ohio v. George, 50 Ohio App.2d 297, 362
N.E.2d 1223 (1975); Pratt v. Kross, 276
Or. 483, 555 P.2d 765 (1976). Even the
Supreme Court suggested it did not
disagree with this modification of the
Howey test. See United Housing
Foundation v. Forman, 421 U.S. 837, 95
S.Ct. 2051, 44 L.Ed.2d 621 (1975).
To apply this test I would look to an
investor's actual managerial or
entrepreneurial efforts, as well as what
managerial or entrepreneurial control was
available to the investor if he or she
desired to exercise it. Access to
information regarding the business
involved is a critical factor here since
inherent in the ability to exercise
managerial control, of course, is the
investor's actual access to necessary
facts. See Maritan v. Birmingham
Properties, 875 F.2d 1451 (10th
Cir.1989).
*288 The case before us raises the
importance of an additional factor to
examine in determining whether to
categorize an investment as an
investment contract. This is the investor's
practical ability to exercise any managerial
control.
When the Fifth Circuit addressed this
issue it explained:
[T]he mere fact that an investment takes
the form of a general partnership or joint
venture does not inevitably insulate it
from the reach of ... securities laws. All
of these cases presume that the
investor-partner is not in fact dependent
on the promoter or manager for the
effective exercise of his partnership
powers. If, for example, the partner has
irrevocably delegated his powers, or is
incapable of exercising them, or is so
dependent on the particular expertise of
the promoter or manager that he has no
reasonable alternative to reliance on
that person, then his partnership powers
may be inadequate to protect him from
the dependence on others which is
implicit in an investment contract.
Williamson v. Tucker, 645 F.2d 404 (5th
Cir.1981) cert. denied 454 U.S. 897, 102
S.Ct. 396, 70 L.Ed.2d 212 (1981). I
agree whole heartedly with this
reasoning and believe strongly that it is
essential for this Court to examine the
substance in fact as well as the form of
an investment in determining whether it
is a security in the form of an investment
contract.
This analysis squares with the purpose of
the State Securities Act which is to protect
people from schemes, such as the one
considered here, which defraud the public.
I intentionally have avoided a strict
contractual approach in which the four-corners of the agreement control absent
ambiguity, or fraud in the inducement. To
impose a strict contractual interpretation
would insulate clever schemers from
criminal responsibility and fail to provide
protection to victims such as Mrs. Yanda.
The end result would be a complete
emasculation of the securities laws.
Applying this analysis to the facts at
hand, the joint-venture agreement
indicates the investment is not a security
for Mrs. Yanda is granted managerial
control of the project. However, in fact
she exercised no managerial control for
she had no opportunity, no access to
essential information, and no personal
ability to do so. Therefore, giving weight
to the substance of the investment over
the form, I would find the investment is a
security in the form of an investment
contract under 71 O.S.1981, 71(20)(K).
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