????SEC的調查開始于該機構網站收到的一條線索，該線索創下了創紀錄的1470萬美元的獎金獎勵。

????塞思的律師們提供了一份書面聲明稱，塞思為這個會議中心項目“工作了近10年”，他的家庭“向此項目投資了數百萬美元”。律師們指出：“起訴書忽視了一項關鍵事實，即從一開始，塞思就確保海外投資者的所有本金都安全地存放在第三方賬戶中，而且每位投資者都已拿回100%的投資本金。尚未退還給投資者的管理費當初在支付時，雙方就都清楚是用于支付與此項投資相關的費用。2014年3月塞思與SEC和解時就承諾將償還所有這些服務費，并一直正在做出巨大努力來實現這一目標。”聲明稱：“各項證據將顯示這個項目是真實的。而且，塞思先生除了在判斷上出現嚴重錯誤，他聘請的所謂‘EB-5專家’和顧問也所請非人”，“有人利用這個項目獲取一己私利，對塞思先生和投資者造成傷害。不幸的是，周三的起訴書過度簡化了整個事件。塞思先生希望有機會講述全部事實。”（財富中文網）

????譯者：早稻米

????The SEC investigation began with a tip filed through the agency’s website that generated a record $14.7-million whistleblower award.

????Sethi’s lawyers provided a written statement noting that their client “worked nearly ten years” on the convention center project and that his family invested “millions of dollars in it.” The lawyers state that “the indictment ignores the key fact that, from the beginning, Mr. Sethi ensured that every penny of the wealthy foreign investors’ principal was always safely secured in an escrow account, and that each investor already has received 100% of their principal investment back. What remains to be returned to investors are the administrative fees that were paid with the understanding that they would be used to pay expenses associated with the investment. In his resolution of the SEC action in March 2014, Mr. Sethi already committed to repaying all those fees and is making substantial strides to accomplish that goal.” The statement asserts “the evidence will show that this project was real and that, while Mr. Sethi made serious mistakes in judgment, he was grossly ill-served by certain of the so-called ‘EB-5 experts’ and advisors that he engaged” and that “there were individuals who used the project to pursue their own private interests to the detriment of Mr. Sethi and the investors. Unfortunately, today’s indictment has oversimplified the story of what transpired. Mr. Sethi now looks forward to his opportunity to present the complete picture.”