SEC Bars Ricardi Celicourt for Unregistered Broker Activities
Summary
The SEC has barred Ricardi Celicourt from association with any broker or dealer and from participating in any penny stock offering. This action follows findings that Celicourt acted as an unregistered broker, facilitating the sale of unregistered securities for Royal Bengal Logistics, Inc. and receiving over $517,000 in compensation.
What changed
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued an order instituting administrative proceedings and imposing remedial sanctions against Ricardi Celicourt. The order bars Celicourt from association with any broker, dealer, investment adviser, and other financial industry professionals, and prohibits participation in any penny stock offering. This action stems from Celicourt's role as an unregistered broker who sold securities for Royal Bengal Logistics, Inc. between April 2021 and June 2023, receiving approximately $517,000 in transaction-based compensation. A final judgment was also entered against Celicourt on January 14, 2026, permanently enjoining him from violating securities laws.
This enforcement action signifies the SEC's continued focus on unregistered broker activities and fraudulent offerings. Regulated entities and individuals involved in securities sales must ensure they are properly registered and comply with all relevant securities laws. Failure to do so can result in severe penalties, including industry bars and financial sanctions, as demonstrated by this case. The SEC's findings highlight the risks associated with unregistered securities offerings and the importance of due diligence for both issuers and investors.
Source document (simplified)
1 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Befo re the SECURITI ES AND EX CHANGE CO MMISSI ON SECURITI ES EXCHANG E ACT OF 1934 Relea se No. 104901 / February 26, 2026 ADMINIST RATI VE PROCEEDING File No. 3 - 22601 In the Ma tter of RICARDI CE LICOU RT, Respo ndent. ORDER INST ITUTING ADMINISTRATI VE PROCEE DINGS PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(b) (6) OF THE SE CURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, MAKING FINDINGS, AND IMPOSING RE MEDIAL SANCT IONS I. The Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) deem s it appropriat e an d in the public int erest that public a dministrative proceedings be, and hereby ar e, instituted pursuant to Sectio n 15(b)(6) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exch ange Act”) against Ricard i Celi court (“Respondent”). II. In anticipation of the institution of these pro ceedin gs, Responde nt has submitte d an Offer of Settlement (the “Offer”) which the Commission has determined to accept. Solely for the purpose of these proceedings and any other proceedings brought by or on behalf of the Commission, or to wh ich the Commission is a p art y, and without admitting or denying the findings herein, except as to the Commission’s jurisdictio n over him and the subj ect matter of these pro ceedings and the findings contain ed in paragraph II I.2 below, which a re a dmitted, Respondent consents to the entry of this Order Instituting Administrative Proceedings Pursuant to Section 15(b)(6) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Making Findings, and Imposing Remedial Sanctions (“Order”), as set fo rth below.
2 III. On the basi s of this Order and Respondent’s Off er, the Commission finds that: 1. Celico urt, age 41, resi des in Coconut Creek, Florida. From no later t han April 2021 until June 2023, Celicour t acted as an unregistered broker or dealer by selling the securities of Royal Bengal Logistics, Inc. (“RBL”), a trucking and logistics company headquartere d i n Coral Springs, Florida. At all relevant time s, Celi court was not regist ered as, or associat ed with, a register ed broker- dealer. 2. On January 14, 2026, a final judgment was entered by consent against Celico urt, permanent ly e nj oining him from future violations of Secti ons 5(a) and 5(c) of th e Securit ies Act of 1933 (“S ecuriti es Act ”) and Sect ion 15(a)(1) of the Exchange Act, in t he civil action entitled Securit ies and Exchange Commission v. R icardi Celico urt, Case No. 24- cv -61275, in the United States Distr ict Court for the Southe rn District of F l orida. 3. The Commission’s Complaint alleged, among other things, that RBL and its founder, Sanjay Singh, fraudulently raised more than $112 million from as many as 1,500 investors through the offer and sale of various investment programs, including RBL ’s short term and long term program, trailer sponsorship program, and truck- leas e progr am. According to the Compl aint, RBL’s securit ies offering s were not registered wit h the Commission. The C omplaint further alleged that C elicourt received approximately $517,000 in tr ansacti on -based compensation during the period of time RBL ra ise d approximately $109 million from investors. IV. In view of the foregoing, t he Commission deem s it appropriate and in the public interes t to impose the sanctions agreed to in Respondent Celicou rt ’s Offer. Accordingly, it is h ereby OR DERED pursuant to Section 15(b)(6) of the Exc hange Act that Respondent Celico urt be, and hereby is barred f rom association with any broker, d ealer, investment adviser, municipal securities deal er, municipal advisor, transfer agent, or nationally recognized statistical r ating organization; a nd Pursuant to Sectio n 15(b)(6) of the Exchange Act, Respondent Celicou rt be, and hereby i s, barred f rom partic ipating in an y offeri ng of a penny stock, i ncluding: acti ng as a promoter, finder, consultant, agent or other per son who engages in a ctivities with a broker, de aler or issue r for purposes of the is suan ce or trading in any penny st ock, or inducing or attempting to induce the purchase or sale of any penny stock. Any application for reentry by the Respondent will be made to the appr op riate self- regulatory organization, or if there is none, to the Commission by contacting the Division of Enforcem ent’s Offi ce of C hief Co unsel at ENF -Reentry@sec.gov, and will be subject to the applicable laws and regulations governing the reentry process. Reentry may be conditioned upon a number of factors, including, but not limited to, compliance with the Commission’s order and payment of any or all of the following: (a) any disgorgement or c i vil penalties ordered by a Court
3 against the Respondent in any action brought by the Commission; (b) any arbitration award related to the conduct that served as the basis for the Commission order; (c) any self-regulatory organization arbitrat ion aw ard to a cust omer, wh ether o r not rel ated to the conduct that served as the basis for the Commission order; and (d) any restitution order by a self-regulatory organization, whether or not related to the conduct that served as the basis for the Commission order. By the Commissio n. Vanes sa A. Countryman Secret ary
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