To call naked shorting just illegal is too soft in description, it is plain and simply fraud and probably theft also. ( I have no legal accumen.)
What would one call a car theft and an attempt to subsequently sell it. There are laws and registrations to impede car crime. Same should apply to shares. There is no difference, imo.

The SEc in their neglect are aiding and abbeting the above crime and therefore are themselves criminally responsible. There should have been an uproar to have those officials removed from office long time ago.

It is easy for me to say so because I am not a US citizen, but the consequences of that neglect affect me just as much.