Toledo sued Bibiyan and his corporate alter egos personally, and derivatively, on behalf of Searchguy.com, Inc. (the "Company"), for violations of federal and California securities laws, breach of fiduciary duties, fraud, constructive fraud, and breach of contract. The federal court found that the claims arose out of a fraudulent scheme under which Bibiyan and others issued numerous false press releases and other statements to induce investors, including Toledo, to purchase shares. The court determined that this fraudulent conduct created an artificially inflated stock price, and determined that as part of the scheme Bibiyan would dump shares for which he had paid no adequate consideration.
Furthermore, the court determined that Bibiyan breached his fiduciary duties to the Company through gross mismanagement, issuing millions of shares of Company stock without consideration, self-dealing, directing corporate assets to himself, and trading on non-public information.
From May to July 2004, the court determined that the evidence showed that Bibiyan caused the Company to issue 18,500,000 shares to a number of entities for no consideration, and then allowed such entities to sell those shares in the public market. In addition, in accordance with the unrefuted evidence the court determined that Bibiyan improperly controlled the Company and under Bibiyan's control, the Company never had a bank account, prepared financial statements or tax returns, or held any shareholders or board of directors meetings.
Toledo began purchasing Company stock in August 2004 and eventually owned 2,336,862 shares. After Toledo became aware of Bibiyan's improprieties he tried to get Bibiyan to deliver all corporate documents of the Company and return all shares of the Company in order end Bibiyan's involvement with the Company with the hopes that the Company could be properly operated by a legitimately elected board of directors. Bibiyan did not turn over the corporate documents, shareholder lists, or return his Company shares. Instead, Bibiyan actually issued himself an additional 1,800,000 shares of unrestricted Company stock.
On August 8, 2010, the Court issued a judgment against Bibiyan and his alter ego companies. The court awarded the Company $11,892,000.00 in damages for the securities frauds, an additional $100,000.00 in breach of contract damages, with ten percent pre-judgment interest on the contract damages, and $16,646.29 in attorney fees solely for the contract damages claims. Furthermore, the Court awarded Toledo and his co-plaintiff damages in the amount of $219,578.00 for their stock losses caused by Bibiyan's adjudged securities frauds.
Upon receiving news of the Court's judgment, Toledo issued the following
statement:
"I am extremely pleased with this judgment. I feel vindicated that a court has
entered judgment against Thomas Bibiyan for egregious breaches of his fiduciary
responsibility to both Searchguy.com, Inc., and its shareholders. I believe it
was necessary to bring this action against Thomas Bibiyan, so that he would not
be in a position to defraud other investors in the future. I believe that
Searchguy.com can still become a great company under the right management, and
as a shareholder of the Company, I hope to see it succeed in the future."
About Ramon Toledo
Ramon Toledo is the President and CEO of Busca Corp., an entity unrelated to,
and unaffiliated with, Searchguy.com, Inc., and is also a co-owner of INMUEBLES
Y DESARROLLOS ARNAIZ SA de CV, a real estate development company established in
1970 (family owned). With 20 years of experience in international management and
business development, Toledo has numerous recognitions as one of the most
respectable businessman and entrepreneurs to bring business into Mexico. In
October 2008, Levelup.com a branch of Busca Corp., was named Best Web 2.0 Site
in Mexico for 2008 AMIPCI (Mexican Internet Association).
Busca Corp. is a leading Mexican company in technology innovation and videogame content. It has signed deals with top online companies: MSN, Yahoo, Terra Networks, Playboy Mexico and Televisa.
SOURCE Ramon Toledo
www.prnewswire.com
Copyright (C) 2010 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
-0-
KEYWORD:
California
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: FIN
SUBJECT CODE:
LAW
Clementine
United States of America#2General Comment
Sat, January 14, 2012
Thomas Bibiyan Receives Favorable Ruling In Second District Court Of Appeal Regarding Frivolous Case By Ramon Toledo
The Appellate Court determined on May 4th 2011 that the ongoing civil case
involving Ramon Toledo and Thomas Bibiyan had been based on both what it has determined
to be frivolous litigation and malicious use of process.
In law, frivolous litigation is the practice of starting or carrying on law suits that, due
to their lack of legal merit, have little to no chance of being won. The Court determined that Plaintiffs counsel did not undergo proper due diligence prior to initiating a claim against Mr.Bibiyan, and therefore laid the groundwork for this favorable judgment to be brought.
Mr. Bibiyan filed a counter-claim and appeal against Ramon Toledo (also known as Ramon Alberto Toledo and Ramon Toledo Arnaiz) in September 2010 for slander, defamation, and
malicious prosecution. The court has since determined that Case No. 07cv0695
BEN (BLM) had been issued and served based not on any tangible facts or evidence, but rather on Plaintiffs misinformation from their own counsel including further untenable and unsubstantiated grounds. The Courts awarded Mr. Bibiyan $19,165,830 for damages done to his previously impeccable reputation by Ramon Toledos persistent misuse of the California Courts, in addition to dissemination of wholly false and defamatory press releases through national newswires.
Malicious prosecution is a common law intentional tort, while like the tort of abuse of process, its elements include (1) intentionally (and maliciously) instituting and pursuing (or causing to be instituted or pursued) a legal action that is (2) brought without probable cause and (3) dismissed in favor of the victim of the malicious prosecution.
Receiving news of the Court's judgment Robert Matthews - counsel on record for Mr. Bibiyan - issued the following statement: We are proud to be announcing this judgment on behalf of both my law firm, and my client Mr. Thomas Bibiyan. Without question, Ramon Toledos
constant misuse of California Courts has finally come to a close. The message and precedent this serves is significant, in that it suggests to all others that wish to abuse the court system that justice will eventually be done and the truth shall prevail, regardless of how long it may take. Shareholders now more than ever have the absolute moral and legal right to hold Ramon Toledo personally responsible for the losses incurred due to his disregard for fiduciary duty and fraudulent as well as misleading press releases.
About Thomas Bibiyan
Thomas Bibiyan -- all of 28 years of age -- is a known philanthropist and executive producer, having donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in aggregate to the arts and charitable foundations across the country(including the Red Cross and Chabad of California & New York, which remain his favorite causes).
Lucia Matthews
La Jolla,#3Author of original report
Mon, October 11, 2010
Ramon Toledo is pleased to
announce a successful default judgment in a lawsuit brought by him
against
Thomas Bibiyan. The judgment was handed down on August 8, 2010 in the
United
States District Court for the Southern District of California, Case No.
07cv0695
BEN (BLM). Toledo sued Bibiyan and his corporate alter egos
personally, and derivatively,
on behalf of Searchguy.com, Inc. (the "Company"), for violations of
federal and
California securities laws, breach of fiduciary duties, fraud,
constructive
fraud, and breach of contract. The federal court found that the claims
arose out
of a fraudulent scheme under which Bibiyan and others issued numerous
false
press releases and other statements to induce investors, including
Toledo, to
purchase shares. The court determined that this fraudulent conduct
created an
artificially inflated stock price, and determined that as part of the
scheme
Bibiyan would dump shares for which he had paid no adequate
consideration.
Furthermore, the court determined that Bibiyan
breached his fiduciary duties to
the Company through gross mismanagement, issuing millions of shares of
Company
stock without consideration, self-dealing, directing corporate assets to
himself, and trading on non-public information.
From May to July
2004, the court determined that the evidence showed that
Bibiyan caused the Company to issue 18,500,000 shares to a number of
entities
for no consideration, and then allowed such entities to sell those
shares in the
public market. In addition, in accordance with the unrefuted evidence
the court
determined that Bibiyan improperly controlled the Company and under
Bibiyan's
control, the Company never had a bank account, prepared financial
statements or
tax returns, or held any shareholders or board of directors meetings.
Toledo began purchasing Company stock in August 2004 and eventually
owned
2,336,862 shares. After Toledo became aware of Bibiyan's improprieties
he tried
to get Bibiyan to deliver all corporate documents of the Company and
return all
shares of the Company in order end Bibiyan's involvement with the
Company with
the hopes that the Company could be properly operated by a legitimately
elected
board of directors. Bibiyan did not turn over the corporate documents,
shareholder lists, or return his Company shares. Instead, Bibiyan
actually
issued himself an additional 1,800,000 shares of unrestricted Company
stock.
On August 8, 2010, the Court issued a judgment against Bibiyan
and his alter ego
companies. The court awarded the Company $11,892,000.00 in damages for
the
securities frauds, an additional $100,000.00 in breach of contract
damages, with
ten percent pre-judgment interest on the contract damages, and
$16,646.29 in
attorney fees solely for the contract damages claims. Furthermore, the
Court
awarded Toledo and his co-plaintiff damages in the amount of $219,578.00
for
their stock losses caused by Bibiyan's adjudged securities frauds.
Upon receiving news of the Court's judgment, Toledo issued the following
statement: "I am extremely pleased with this judgment. I feel
vindicated that a court has
entered judgment against Thomas Bibiyan for egregious breaches of his
fiduciary
responsibility to both Searchguy.com, Inc., and its shareholders. I
believe it
was necessary to bring this action against Thomas Bibiyan, so that he
would not
be in a position to defraud other investors in the future. I believe
that
Searchguy.com can still become a great company under the right
management, and
as a shareholder of the Company, I hope to see it succeed in the
future." About Ramon Toledo Ramon Toledo is the President and CEO of
Busca Corp., an entity unrelated to,
and unaffiliated with, Searchguy.com, Inc., and is also a co-owner of
INMUEBLES
Y DESARROLLOS ARNAIZ SA de CV, a real estate development company
established in
1970 (family owned). With 20 years of experience in international
management and
business development, Toledo has numerous recognitions as one of the
most
respectable businessman and entrepreneurs to bring business into Mexico.
In
October 2008, Levelup.com a branch of Busca Corp., was named Best Web
2.0 Site
in Mexico for 2008 AMIPCI (Mexican Internet Association).
Busca Corp.
is a leading Mexican company in technology innovation and videogame
content. It has signed deals with top online companies: MSN, Yahoo,
Terra
Networks, Playboy Mexico and Televisa.
SOURCE Ramon Toledo
www.prnewswire.com Copyright (C) 2010 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
-0- KEYWORD: California
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: FIN
SUBJECT CODE: LAW