Guo Case Affidavit
Guo Case Affidavit
Guo Case Affidavit
651144/2019
NYSCEF DOC. NO. 10 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 02/27/2019
Defendant / Defendant
………………………………………………………………x
GUILING GOU, hereby deposes and state as follows under the penalty of perjury:
1. I am the Plaintiff (“Plaintiff”) in this action and I make the below statements under
2. I submit this Affidavit in Support of Plaintiff’s instant Order to Show Cause and
Petition for temporary restraining order and other relief in favor of Plaintiff, including, but not
a. Pursuant to CPLR 7502(c) and 6301, enjoining Defendants from granting the
Developer request of lien release without negotiating an exchange of collateral
and assignment of pledged securities to prevent partial repayment to green-
card seeking investors including Plaintiff;
b. Enjoining Defendants from redeploying and diverting $63,000,000 partial
loan repayment to different project without engaging registered investment
adviser and independent legal counsel for AYB LLC;
c. Compelling Defendants to deposit partial repayments of Plaintiff’s funds and
similarly situated prospective Plaintiffs into AYB LLC’s bank account;
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THE PARTIES
3. Additional Plaintiffs, yet to be named, whose claims against the Defendants are
similarly situated to mine in this action are all Chinese nationals living in the United States of
America or in China.
4. I am a member and investor in AYB FUNDING 100, LLC (“AYB LLC”), along
with other Plaintiffs similarly situated, as part of the U.S. Government's EB-5 investor immigration
program (“EB5 Program”)1. Plaintiff and other members yet to be named each invested
$549,000.00 in AYB LLC between 2014 and 2015 to fund the construction of Stage B of Atlantic
connection with her EB-5 immigration application to bring my then college-aged children to the
United States.
limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware.
Delaware limited liability company, and functions as a management function for AYB LLC.
1
The EB-5 program administered by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS") permits qualified
foreign investors to obtain U.S. lawful permanent residence by investing at least $500,000 in a "new commercial
enterprise" ("NCE") that meets certain qualifications, including creating or preserving at least ten jobs per investor.
(See generally www.uscis.gov/eb-5)
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9. USIF2 is the Regional Center that sponsored the EB5 funds including infrastructure
construction and residential development of Stage B of Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn, New York
“Mastroianni”) is an individual who, upon information and belief, resides in the State of Florida.
Mastroianni is the owner, operator and/or manager of the named Defendants in this action.3
11. As aforesaid, Plaintiff(s) made applications as part of the EB5 Program, qualified
as foreign investors in new commercial enterprises, with the goal of obtaining lawful permanent
12. Plaintiff’s claims against Defendants include breach of fiduciary duty, breach of
operating agreement, and securities fraud, based upon acts and omissions that constitute bad faith
violations of the implied contractual covenant of good faith and fair dealing as well as unjust
13. In or about January, 2014, Defendants, their agents, developers and their Chinese
migration agents held road shows in major Chinese cities to promote securities issued by AYB
LLC.
2
www.nicholasmatrionni.com
3
Mr. Mastroianni is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of U.S. Immigration Fund, LLC and its
affiliated companies (USIF), including multiple EB-5 approved regional centers in New York, New Jersey and
Florida (and California pending). Under Mr. Mastroianni’s leadership, USIF has grown into one of the largest EB-5
regional centers in the United States. As of today, USIF is involved in over 20 projects (and growing) totaling over
$3 Billion in EB-5 capital for real estate development. Per recent published reports from the United
States Citizenship and Immigration Services, USIF significantly outpaces its regional center competitors with
respect to EB-5 visa approvals. (Source: http://nicholasmastroianni.com/)
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14. In 2013, Developer Forest City Ratner called the development “Atlantic Yards” and it
was rebranded “Pacific Park Brooklyn” in 2014 after the Chinese government-owned Greenland
15. During the subscription process, Plaintiffs were not provided with full risk disclosure
16. Plaintiff didn’t receive disclosures including the Confidential Private Placement
Memorandum (“PPM”) dated Jan 2, 2014, even to date5. See Exhibit A, a copy of the PPM which
was received by counsel and not forwarded to Plaintiff as part of her due diligence.
17. The PPM provides that the purpose of AYB LLC was to raise capital through the
EB-5 program and then to loan the EB-5 investments in the form of a mezzanine loan in connection
with the development of Stage B of the Atlantic Yards Project (the “AYB Project”), a mixed-use
construction in Prospect Heights, adjacent to Downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene in Brooklyn,
18. AYB LLC and the Defendants also failed to provide to Plaintiff any updates regarding
The construction, or photos showing the construction progress at the AYB Project.
19. Since 2014, Defendants failed to provide to Plaintiff with a complete PPM and the
executed loan agreement with pledge agreement with the developer of the Atlantic Yards project.
20. Defendants also neglected to inform Plaintiff that the borrower and/or developer was
not in compliance with the subject construction plan described in the offering documents and the
4
https://atlanticyardsreport.blogspot.com/2018/07/when-will-first-round-of-atlantic-yards.html
5
Counsel obtained a copy of PPM through other sources.
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21. As of 2018, after the arena and four towers were built, Greenland bought out most of
23. On Jan 21, 2019, the Defendants notified Plaintiff and other member investors of their
decision to grant the request of the borrower and/or developer to release a lien of Lot B15 of
Atlantic Yard Project, in exchange for early repayment of over $63 million dollars intended to be
24. If the Amended Proposal is approved and the repayment and redeployment are
effectuated, such change to AYB LLC's permitted business activity would jeopardize and
otherwise adversely impact Plaintiffs’ eligibility of EB-5 immigration benefits due to violation of
1940 Investment Company Act and out AYB LLC at risk of dissolution.
25. Furthermore, the Defendants are not registered as an “investment adviser” under the
26. AYB LLC has been advised that the Developer, Manager and/or Regional Center
likely do not need to register as an “investment adviser” under the Advisers Act because the
foregoing definition of “investment adviser” likely does not apply to the Developer, Manager
and/or Regional Center with respect to the services provided by them in connection with this
Offering, including, without limitation, taking into account the fact that all investment advice
under this Offering is being provided to Members by independent, unaffiliated, third party,
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27. However, there can be no assurance that such is the case and that the Developer,
Manager or Regional Center could not otherwise be deemed an “investment adviser” requiring
28. Plaintiff was not given the opportunity to be advised by a registered investment
adviser in US or in China. The licensed and bonded migration agents engaged by Defendants are
29. In concert with their Chinese marketing/migration agents, Defendants provided only
signature pages of Subscription Agreement and Operating Agreement without having the chance
30. Mastroanni countersigned the Subscription Agreement and Operating Agreement and
doctored executed subscription agreements and operating agreements with papers containing
Plaintiff’s signatures.
31. As part of their investments in AYB LLC, Plaintiff and the other investor members
signed AYB LLC's operating agreement, which was countersigned by Mastroianni on behalf of
the Defendants.
32. Section 21.9 of the Operating Agreement provides that AYB LLC is a limited
liability company organized under the laws of Delaware, and the Operating Agreement provides
33. Section 4.1 of the Operating Agreement provides that "The Company has been
formed for the sole purpose of lending money for the development and operation of the Project."
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34. Section 8.4 of the Operating Agreement, entitled "Compliance with EB-5
Restrictions," provides: "The Manager shall operate the Company in a manner that is designed to
comply with legal and policy requirements of the [EB-5] Pilot Program administered by USCIS,
as advised by the Regional Center. In particular, the Manager shall: (1) deploy the $500,000
minimum Capital Contribution by Members who are seeking permanent residence through the IIP
only in at risk job creating activity constituting the Project, directly or indirectly, and to keep such
funds invested (including by loan) in job creating activity until all Members have received
35. Section 21.9 of the Operating Agreement provides that “Legal counsel for the
Manager or one of its Affiliates may also represent the Company, Developer and/or Borrower in
connection with legal work or issues arising in connection with the Company. Each Member
recognizes and acknowledges that any such counsel will be acting as legal counsel for the
Company, the Manager, Developer and/or Borrower with respect to each such matter and shall not
be acting as the legal counsel of any individual Member. Each Member further recognizes and
accepts that his or her interest with respect to any such matter may be adverse to the interests of
the Manager, Developer, Borrower and the Company. Each Member nevertheless consents to the
representation of the Manager, Company, Developer and Borrower by such counsel with respect
to each such matter and waives for the benefit to such parties of such counsel having any potential
or actual conflict of interest between or among such parties. Each Member acknowledges that in
the event of any future dispute or litigation between or among the Members and/or between any
of the Members and the Company, Manager, Developer and/or Borrower, such counsel may
continue to represent the Manager, the Company, Developer and/or Borrower, notwithstanding
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a. AYB LLC raises $249 million from 498 EB-5 investors and loans $249 million
(the “EB-5 Loan”) to the borrower/developer for the development of stage B of
Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn, New York. The EB-5 Loan maturity date is
December 31, 2020 and the borrower has two options to extend one-year
beyond the maturity date.
b. AYB LLC’s loan will be subordinate to senior construction financing up to
$502 million to construct the buildings located on the Airspace Parcels to
include B15 which parcel is both part of the Project and collateral for the Loan.
Defendants failed to inform Plaintiff that Borrower/Developer didn’t obtain any
senior financing to construct buildings on B15.
c. “the Prospective Investors have not been represented by separate counsel in
connection with the formation of the Company, the drafting of the Operating
Agreement or the Subscription Documents, this Offering, or the proposed Loan
Agreement under the Loan. As a result, the proposed Loan Agreement may not
necessarily be negotiated at arm’s length and may contain terms not in the
interests of the Members.”
d. Migration agents, who are located outside of the United States, may be
providing investment advice to prospective Investors. Respondents fail to
disclose that migration agents are not licensed to provide investment advice per
Chinese securities law.
e. LEGAL COUNSEL TO THE COMPANY AND THE MANAGER WILL
NOT BE ENGAGED TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF PROSPECTIVE
INVESTORS OR MEMBERS AND SHOULD NEVER BE VIEWED AS
REPRESENTING ANY PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR OR ANY OTHER
MEMBER OF THE COMPANY. MEMBERS AND PROSPECTIVE
INVESTORS SHOULD CONSULT WITH AND RELY UPON THEIR OWN
COUNSEL CONCERNING INVESTMENT IN THE COMPANY,
INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, TAX AND CURRENCY
EXCHANGE CONSEQUENCES TO THEM AND OTHER ISSUES
RELATING TO ANY INVESTMENT IN THE COMPANY.
f. “The Company has not been represented by independent counsel. The attorneys
that provide services relating to the Company perform their services for the
Manager and at its direction. There is no attorney-client relationship or legal
representation of the Company.”
g. AYB Funding 100, LLC (the “Company”) raises $249 million from 498 EB-5
investors. The Company loans $249 million (the “EB-5 Loan”) to the
borrower/developer for the development of stage B of Atlantic Yards in
Brooklyn, New York. The EB-5 Loan maturity date is December 31, 2020 and
the borrower has two options to extend one-year beyond the maturity date.
h. AYB LLC’s loan will be subordinate to senior construction financing up to
$502 million to construct the buildings located on the Airspace Parcels to
include B15 which parcel is both part of the Project and collateral for the Loan.
Respondents fail to inform Petitioners that Borrower/Developer didn’t obtain
any senior financing to construct buildings on B15.
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i. “The Developer shall have the right to release and exchange any real estate
underlying the Mezzanine Pledge for other real estate in the Atlantic Yards
Project of equivalent economic value based upon an appraisal of the relevant
property(ies).” Mastroianni and USIF have the fiduciary duty to negotiate a
substitute and assignment of pledged securities to prevent partial repayment.
j. “The Prospective Investors have not been represented by separate counsel in
connection with the formation of the Company, the drafting of the Operating
Agreement or the Subscription Documents, this Offering, or the proposed Loan
Agreement under the Loan. As a result, the proposed Loan Agreement may not
necessarily be negotiated at arm’s length and may contain terms not in the
interests of the Members.”
k. There is no guarantee that the Loan will be repaid by the Developer or that the
proceeds from the foreclosure of any of the security for the Loan will be
sufficient to cover any non-payment of the Loan. For this reason, the Investment
is deemed fully at risk. No distribution to the Prospective Investors in the
Company will be made until the maturity date of the Loan which will be six
years from Loan being funded, but not earlier than the end of the conditional
residency period and approval of the Prospective Investor’s I-829 petition.
37. Plaintiff asserts that the acceptance of the early prepayment of the Loan brought no
substantive benefit to the green-card seeking members of AYB LLC. Rather, upon information
and belief, the primary purpose of accepting the early prepayment of the Loan was to enable USIF
to use the repayment proceeds to reap higher income and enrich itself.
38. Moreover, USIF failed to inform Plaintiff and others similarly situated that, in one of
the Pre-Identified Investment project, USIF is contracted to earn 10% annual distribution in
contrast to just 3% distribution to member investors who actually provided EB-5 capital.
39. In light of the sale of collateral and partial repayment of the Loan, Defendants owe
contractual and fiduciary obligations to the members of AYB LLC of timely full disclosure and in
40. Defendants have flatly ignored Plaintiff and other members’ rights to independent
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PPM, Defendants and the developer/borrower manufactured the need to redeploy Investor EB-5
42. Defendants are now putting into motion a consent solicitation process attempting to
seek a majority vote of the members of the Company to approve their self-interested Proposal, rife
with conflicts 10 of interest and self-dealing as they have done in 2018 with respect to
redeployment process of 701 TSQ Funding 1000 LLC. See Member Consent Letter and Consent
Document Package. dated February 18, 2019, annexed hereto as Exhibit C and marketing materials
43. USIF manufactured the need to redeploy assets for its own gain. Under the loan
agreements with the Developer, the prepayment of the Loan should not have occurred until the
60th month following the funding of ninety-five percent (95%) of the Loan proceeds, most likely
in 2020, in each case with no prepayment penalty or premium. Nevertheless, USIF made the
decision to accept early prepayment of the Loan and thereby created an artificial need to redeploy
investor EB-5 capital to satisfy the "at-risk" requirement. USIF seeks to exploit this manufactured
crisis to coerce the investors into a proposal that will result in the enrichment of USIF and the
44. Mastroianni and USIF threatened the members that if the required majority consent
is not received by AYB LLC, then pursuant to the terms of the Operating Agreement, AYB LLC
would rely on the authorization of each Member consenting to the reinvestment of his or her capital
contribution to reinvest such capital into the Pre-Identified Investment selected herein, without the
benefit of the enhanced returns and will hold the EB-5 Loan repayment proceeds allocable on a
pro rata basis to all other members who have not withdrawn from AYB LLC in bank deposits
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without meeting “at risk” requirement and effectively destroy green-card seeking investors’
45. Such actions are a breach of AYB GP ’s responsibility provided in the Operating
Agreement that provides that the manager “shall operate the Company in a manner that is designed
to comply with legal and policy requirements of the Pilot Program administered by USCIS”. The
PPM provides that “The Developer shall have the right to release and exchange any real estate
underlying the Mezzanine Pledge for other real estate in the Atlantic Yards Project of equivalent
46. Mastroianni and USIF have the fiduciary duty to negotiate an exchange of collateral
and assignment of pledged securities to prevent partial repayment. They breached that duty.
47. By the manager's own admission, because of shared ownership and/or commonality
of financial interest, any transaction between AYB LLC and AYB GP, the developer and other
agents of the Defendants, shall loan the proceeds of the Offering, as described above, and (d) the
owners, managers, directors, officers, or employees of the foregoing, may be entered into without
the benefit of “arms-length” bargaining, and may involve actual or potential conflicts of interest—
including, without limitation, the loan of Offering proceeds for furtherance of the Project.
48. Legal counsel for AYB GP or one of its Affiliates may also represent the
AYB LLC and/or the developer or borrower in connection with legal work or issues arising in
49. Plaintiff and other members recognize and acknowledge that any such counsel will be
acting as legal counsel for AYB LLC, AYB GP, Developer and/or Borrower with respect to each
such matter and would not be acting as the legal counsel of any individual Member.
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51. AYB LLC has not been represented by independent counsel. The attorneys that
provide services relating to AYB LLC perform their services for AYB GP at its direction.
53. Plaintiff is seeking injunctive relief herein, in advance of arbitration to follow. In the
ensuing arbitration, Plaintiff will seek relief including an order enjoining Defendants from
releasing the lien from B15 without an exchange of collateral and assigning pledged securities
during the loan period, and directing independent representation in reviewing loan agreements and
removing foreign agent as investment advisor giving investment advice for compensation.
54. Absent the injunction, Defendants will cause partial distribution to green-card
petitioners below the $500,000 minimum requirement in violation of USCIS rules that these
investors are disqualified from getting a green card. Furthermore, by having investors' EB-5
capital partial repaid and, green card eligibility will be destroyed due to material change to AYB
55. Absent injunctive relief, Petitioners will also suffer irreparable harm if the Company
receive early repayment in exchange of release of valuable collateral and be cut off from Atlantic
Yard Project and there will be no way to unwind this transaction even if Petitioners prevail on their
claims. Plaintiff and others will be irreparably harmed in that situation because they will be
precluded from ever participating in a fair and non-coercive investment plan formulated by
fiduciaries acting in the best interests of AYB LLC, as is their right. See Oracle Real Estate
Holdings I LLC v. Adrian Holdings Co. I, LLC, 582 F. Supp. 2d 616, 626 (S.D.N.Y. 2008)
(irreparable harm demonstrated where investor rights would be irrevocably lost in the absence of
an injunction).
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56. Finally, Plaintiff will be irreparably harmed by not having independent legal counsel
as the Operating Agreement that eliminates all fiduciary duties owed to them by Defendants.
57. I, along with many other prospective Plaintiffs am a Chinese national who sought to
lawfully immigrate to the United States and who has been mistreated by the Defendants in that
effort. Defendants are only profiteers, at the expense of Plaintiff. They have engaged in
withholding material information from Plaintiff to advance their fraudulent schemes upon
unsuspecting investors.
58. Defendants must be held liable for breach of their obligations under the Operating
Agreement to ensure compliance with EB-5 requirements without material change to Company’s
59. Defendants must be held accountable in this action for the breach of contract, breach
of fiduciary duty, fraud and consequently, the severe harm caused to Plaintiffs herein.
granted and Plaintiff’s application be granted, in its entirety and any such other further relief as
61. Without the Court’s issuance of a temporary restraining order there will be
continual and irreparable and severe financial harm to your deponent and the yet to be named co-
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