EXPOSED! Finance Chief Faked Bank Docs in $17K Fraud!

SEC v. Nicholas Bowerman — U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Litigation Release No. 26482, dated February 11, 2026.

The SEC charged Nicholas Bowerman, a former finance director at CIRCOR International, with accounting fraud. Bowerman allegedly manipulated financial records at a UK subsidiary between 2019 and 2021, overstating the company's performance. A final judgment was entered against him by default, imposing permanent injunctions and ordering him to pay disgorgement, interest, and a civil penalty.

In Plain English

Imagine someone was in charge of a company's money reports for a part of the business located in the UK. This person secretly changed the numbers to make the business look much more successful than it actually was. They did this by faking records and lying to their bosses and the company's accountants. Because of this, the main company's overall financial reports were wrong for a few years. The court has now ordered this person to stop doing this kind of thing and to pay back some of the money and a penalty.

Disclaimer: all facts are drawn from the SEC's own filings; the claims described are allegations unless and until a court rules or the parties settle, and some cases end in dismissal.

How the Alleged Scheme Worked

1. Manipulating UK Subsidiary Records Nicholas Bowerman, a finance director at CIRCOR International's UK business unit, Pipeline Engineering, began manipulating the company's internal accounting records between 2019 and 2021. He falsified the financial results of Pipeline Engineering before they were incorporated into CIRCOR's consolidated financial statements.
2. Falsifying Account Reconciliations To conceal his misconduct, Bowerman manipulated account reconciliations. This involved altering the matching of internal records with external statements to hide discrepancies and irregularities in Pipeline Engineering's finances.
3. Fabricating Certifications Bowerman also falsified certifications related to the financial data. These certifications would typically attest to the accuracy and completeness of financial information, but Bowerman's were fabricated to support the false results.
4. Creating Fake Bank Documents Further deception involved fabricating bank confirmation documents. These documents are often used by auditors to verify account balances, and Bowerman created fake versions to mislead the auditors and management about the true state of the company's cash and accounts.
5. Misleading Management and Auditors Bowerman actively misled CIRCOR's management and its independent auditors. He provided them with false information and doctored documents, preventing them from discovering the extent of the accounting fraud within Pipeline Engineering.
6. Overstating Company Performance As a direct result of Bowerman's actions, CIRCOR International allegedly overstated its financial performance. The company's reported results for fiscal years 2019 and 2020, as well as the nine months ending October 3, 2021, were inflated by millions of dollars.

The Enforcement Action

On December 23, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts entered a final judgment as to Nicholas Bowerman, a former finance director at CIRCOR International Inc., in connection with previously-filed accounting fraud charges. The SEC’s complaint, filed on September 5, 2024, alleged that Bowerman manipulated CIRCOR’s internal accounting records by falsifying Pipeline Engineering’s financial results between 2019 and 2021. The final judgment permanently enjoins Bowerman from violating antifraud and other provisions of the Securities Act and Exchange Act. It also prohibits him from serving in accounting or financial reporting roles at public companies and orders him to pay disgorgement of $17,823.80, prejudgment interest of $4,148.51, and a $75,000 civil penalty.

Named in this action: Nicholas Bowerman.

Original SEC litigation release ↗ · Browse all cases