Gerald E. Boltz, 74; Beefed Up L.A. Office of the SEC as Regional Chief

Gerald E. Boltz, a longtime official of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s enforcement division who headed the commission’s Los Angeles office for seven years, has died. He was 74.

A resident of Santa Monica, Boltz died at his home May 10 of natural causes, family members said.

After taking over as head of the Western regional office in 1971, Boltz moved its headquarters from San Francisco to Los Angeles and was credited with transforming it into a much more aggressive unit.

He quadrupled the staff and doubled its civil caseload. His office investigated security violations in California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and the territory of Guam.

A native of Dennison, Ohio, Boltz earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from Ohio Northern University. He joined the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1959 as a member of its special investigations unit, which prosecuted organized-crime figures in New York City. In 1961, he was reassigned to the Denver office as chief trial counsel. He was promoted to head the Fort Worth regional office in 1967.

For 12 years before his retirement in 2004, Boltz was a partner in the Santa Monica office of the law firm Bryan Cave. His national practice was focused on federal and state securities law.

He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Janet Scott Boltz; daughters Gretchen Boltz Fields of Louisville, Ky., and Jill Marie Boltz of Santa Monica; and son Eric Scott Boltz of Cincinnati. He is also survived by six grandchildren and a brother.

A memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. June 3 at Brentwood Presbyterian Church, 12000 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles.

Instead of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made in his memory to Brentwood Presbyterian Church.