DALLAS (CN) - A former audit partner at accounting and consulting firm BDO USA pleaded guilty to a criminal charge of lying to the SEC during investigative testimony.
Federal prosecutors in the District of Columbia filed criminal charges against Bryan N. Polozola, a Richardson, Texas CPA.
Richardson is a suburb of Dallas.
According to the criminal information, the SEC issued subpoenas last year to BDO and Polozola, who audited several hedge funds managed by an investment adviser the SEC is investigating. The audit is a central issue in the SEC inquiry, and investigators took testimony from Polozola to get information about his role in the audit and assess his credibility.
Polozola was the subject of a 2005 NASD (now FINRA) proceeding alleging that he took $49,350 from a former employer for his personal use. Polozola neither admitted nor denied the NASD allegations in consenting to a bar from associating with any NASD firm, the SEC said in a statement based on the criminal information.
The information alleges that during questioning in September 2011, Polozola falsely testified that he was not aware of a payment made on his behalf to his former employer.
"In fact, Polozola was aware that his attorney had repaid the $49,350 to the former employer as reimbursement of the funds he had allegedly taken for his personal use," the SEC said in its statement. "The payment was made at Polozola's direction and with Polozola's funds."
Polozola pleaded guilty to the one-count information charging him with making a false statement to government officials in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001.
A sentencing hearing has been set for March 26.
Follow @davejourno
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