(it's different for every co. and clearly they can't answer re: specifics) but for those needing this assurance it's a wonderful way to learn how inept they and the system truly are ..
btw if JBI's mgmt is gonna be *nailed* with using prior mgmt's *data* as well as their audit firm <b4 changing out and amending filings> there are 1000s of other co.s in the very same boat .. of course most of them don't have disruptive technologies that are *light years* above the perceived competition .. and can be successfully destroyed for profit .. JBI <based on what was revealed on 8/4/11> now has their foundation resting on bedrock which makes it harder to kill ..
"It has been almost 5 months since the WN was announced and I have to think that there was prior investigation done by the SEC prior to the notice."
Seems logical to me, but it's possible we'll never know.....for reasons that the SEC explains below.
The investigated company that I'm most familiar with was investigated informally starting in May of 2009, then formally in September, suspended in October, received Wells Notices in December and finally had litigation instituted the following May (still in progress).
A much larger company, Dell, was investigated for years. They were charged in 2010 for activities that began in 2002.
Investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigations are conducted confidentially to protect evidence and reputations. Important documents could be destroyed if an investigation is publicly announced, so confidential treatment may help to preserve key evidence in a case. A confidential process also protects the reputations of companies and individuals where the SEC finds no wrongdoing by the firm or the individuals that were the subject of the investigation. As a result, the SEC generally will not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation unless and until it becomes a matter of public record.
An investigation becomes public when the SEC files an action in court or through an administrative proceeding. The SEC website contains information about public enforcement actions. http://www.sec.gov/answers/investg.htm
As you might guess from the above, the idea that you should "contact the sec directly" is one that will only result in a waste of your time.