On December 15, 2010, a Florida-based family couple filed a legal complaint against Gary Gauthier, CEO of Gulf West Invt Pptys (PINK:GLFW). He had lured them into liquidating their Individual Retirement Accounts and investing their retirement funds into a real estate corporation.
Having been promised an annual return of 50%, the Jenkins family walked into Gauthier’s trap. After a series of transgressions, Gauthier converted their investment into restricted GFLW stock. Since the latter is practically worthless, now both people have ended up incurring substantial losses. [BANNER]
This is only one of the stories in which Gauthier is the main character. What became clear on second reading was even more disturbing. It appears that he uses a radio program to propagandize himself as a “Good Shepherd with investors’ money”, thus inducing investors with Christian beliefs to get in touch with him and take advantage of his financial advising services. If all this were not enough, it is also worth mentioning that he had lost his insurance agent license in Florida and became notorious for selling insurance products that were not authorized by the State.
Despite the impending threat of being found guilty on several counts, Gauthier shows no signs of stepping out of the spotlight. On the contrary, he has continued to exercise his executive duties in GLFW and even issued an official press release yesterday about a successful completion of a feasibility study in Tampa. The announcement must have sounded fairly convincing, as it triggered a rigorous advertising campaign in favor of GLFW stock. The $12-thousand-five-hundred campaign is expected to start bearing fruit today. 
So far, the company has submitted no financial reports covering 2010. The lack of real news only adds up to investors’ uncertainty. Yet, any investor willing to pool money in GLFW stock had better save a prayer hoping to make it.
