Ex-Platinum CFO Erickson Loses Accountancy License

A state agency said Wednesday that it revoked the certified public accountancy license of Jon R. Erickson for his role in inflating the sales figures at Platinum Software Corp., where he was chief financial officer during 1993 and early 1994.

The action by the state Board of Accountancy follows Erickson’s 1996 consent agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission that banned him from serving as an officer or director of a publicly traded company for 10 years.

In early 1994, Platinum reported that flawed bookkeeping had resulted in errors that overstated revenue by as much as $10 million over a 15-month period.

The scandal forced Erickson, founder Gerald R. Blackie and two other executives to leave the company. Blackie settled SEC accusations that he profited from stock sales and performance bonuses based on falsified financial statements.

Platinum, an Irvine accounting software maker, has since rebounded under new management.

Neither Erickson nor officials at the state regulatory board could be reached for comment Wednesday.