Vince Vaughn's Stepdad Misled Investors About Goat Blood Drug: Jury

Actor Vince Vaughn's stepdad probably isn't feeling like he's money right now after a ruling by a U.S. District Court jury last week.

Stephen Ferrone―the CEO of drug firm Immunosyn who's married to the mother of the actor known for his roles in Swingers, Wedding Crashers and other films―was found liable Friday, April 29, of fraudulently misleading investors and falsifying reports concerning the regulatory status of a drug derived from goat blood that his company was developing between 2006 and 2010, according to a U.S. Security and Exchange Commission statement.

RELATED: Check Out the SEC's Full Complaint Against Stephen Ferrone

The SEC filed its complaint in 2011 against Ferrone, who lives with Shea Vaughn in Lake Forest, and three other executives at Immunosyn and the drug's developer, Argyll Biotechnologies, accusing them of making false claims about the goat blood drug in order to jack up Immunosyn's stock prices, scamming investors to the tune of $20 million, the complaint states.

“These executives routinely authorized public filings that told investors a story about the status of the company’s prized drug that was far different from the behind-the-scenes reality,” Merri Jo Gillette, regional director of the SEC’s Chicago office, stated in a 2011 release. “Three of these executives [Ferrone was not one of them] went one step further to illegally profit from their tall tales by selling their company stock and reaping more than $20 million while repeatedly misleading investors about the drug.”

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Vince Vaughn was not named in or connected to the complaint, and the actor was only mentioned tangentially during the two-week trial, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Ferrone's lawyer told the Chicago Tribune on Monday that his client might appeal the jury's decision, claiming Ferrone incurred losses, not gains, over the drug.

More via the Chicago Tribune

PHOTO: Vince Vaughn during Chicago's 2015 Polar Bear Plunge.

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