SEC Charges Miami-Based Trucking Company as Part of Multi-Million Dollar Securities Fraud
On March 18th, 2025, the Securities and Exchange and Commission (SEC) announced securities fraud charges against a Miami-based company called Morbex Automation LLC and three of its owners, Adrian Colon, Danilo Monzon, and Joshua Smith. They are accused of defrauding as many as 50 investors in Florida. Within this article, our Miami investment fraud attorney provides a more detailed overview of the federal agency’s enforcement action.
SEC Complaint: Material Misrepresentations to Investors
The SEC has filed a fraud complaint in Florida against a company called Morbex Automation LLC and its leaders—Danilo Monzon, Joshua Smith, and Adrian Colon—for raising at least $5.4 million from more than four dozen investors. Those funds were allegedly raised as part of a deceptive investment fraud scheme. Morbex Automation LLC—which was represented to investors as being in the trucking industry—promised its investors monthly returns of between $4,000 and $8,000 for an investment of approximately $100,000. That represents annual returns of 50 percent to 100 percent—dramatically higher than the market average.
In reality, the SEC believes that Morbex Automation LLC had little real investment. Indeed, the federal agency alleges that the claims were false. The company never had contracts with large retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Publix—desire the representations made to investors. Further, very few commercial trucks were ever actually purchased in investors’ names. Instead, large amounts of the money were misused—about $930,000 was taken directly by Smith and Colon through other companies they controlled. Another $1.2 million was funneled into related entities for no legitimate business purpose. These entities have been named as relief defendants by the SEC.
What to Know About Unregistered Securities and SEC Regulations
The SEC contends that Mr. Monzon, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Colon all acted illegally as unregistered brokers. The agency is seeking to stop further violations and hold the defendants accountable for securities fraud and related misconduct. Along with other sanctions, the SEC is seeking the imposition of civil fines, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, and payment of restitution.
Securities are financial investments like stocks, bonds, or investment contracts. Federal law and Florida law requires the proper registration of most securities before they can be sold to investors. Unregistered securities are those that have not gone through this formal process. While some unregistered securities may be legal under specific exemptions—such as private placements to accredited investors—many are illegal when sold to the public without proper disclosures.
We Fight for Justice for Investors in Florida
At Carlson & Associates, P.A., we are proud to fight for justice and compensation for investors in Florida. If you sustained major losses due to fraud in a securities offering, please do not hesitate to contact us today for a fully confidential consultation. Our team has the skills and experience to take on the full range of unregistered securities cases. You have the right to take action after a major investment loss. From our Miami law office, we handle the full range of investment fraud cases.
Source:
sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-26272
