Ecovest Capital and Santo Bay Resort Holdings, LLC  Investigation

The White Law Group is investigating potential securities fraud lawsuits against broker dealers or sales agents who may have unsuitably recommended Santo Bay Resort Holdings LLC  to unsuspecting investors.

Santo Bay Resort Holdings LLC , sponsored by Ecovest Capital, is a syndicated conservation easement investment. These private placement investments promised tax deductions possibly worth four to four-and-a-half times a person’s investment. That means an investor could hypothetically turn a $100,000 investment into $400,000 or more in tax deductions.

The company  reportedly filed a form D to raise capital from 183 investors in 2018 and the total offering amount sold was purportedly $$17,396,638. Sales commissions and fees on the offering were estimated at close to 9% of the offering amount, according to filings with the SEC.

The Department of Justice reportedly  filed a lawsuit against EcoVest Capital and others in 2018 after the IRS began investigating taxpayers who are using questionable appraisals, and taking inappropriately large deductions for easements.

The lawsuit alleges that EcoVest is overvaluing and fraudulently distributing conservation easement tax deductions. The suit is currently ongoing. Investors who received charitable contribution deductions of more than 2.5 times their investment could possibly be audited, and potentially even hit with a revised tax bill.

Filing a Complaint against your Brokerage Firm

Prior to making recommendations to an individual investor, brokerage firms are required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to disclose all the risks of an investment. Recommendations should only be made if the investment is suitable for an individual investor given their age, investment objections, investment experience and risk tolerance.

Brokerage firms that do not perform adequate due diligence on an investment and/or make unsuitable recommendations can be held accountable for investment losses through FINRA arbitration.

If you have suffered investment losses in Santo Bay Resort Holdings LLC , the securities attorneys at The White Law Group may be able to help you. For a free consultation with a securities attorney, please call The White Law Group at 1-888-637-5510.

The White Law Group, LLC is a national securities fraud, securities arbitration, investor protection, and securities regulation/compliance law firm with offices in Chicago, Illinois and Franklin, Tennessee. To learn more about The White Law Group visit www.whitesecuritieslaw.com.