Lance David Rubachko, of Newport Beach, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Securian Financial Services, Inc., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related written complaint on July 6, 2017, wherein the customer requested more than $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Rubachko made investment misrepresentations to the customer and also misled the…
James Vincent Marino, of Pompano Beach, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Edward Jones, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate with FINRA investigation into allegations that Marino inappropriately utilized a customer’s funds. Letter of Acceptance,…
Stephen John Caruso, of New York, New York, a stockbroker registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, has been fired from his job on May 27, 2016, based upon allegations that he committed numerous violations of the firm’s policies. Apparently, Caruso’s faulty conduct involved exercising discretion in a customer’s account despite the account not having been approved…
James Joseph Bracey IV, of Martinsville, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with Multi-Financial Securities Corporation, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on July 16, 2015, in which the customer requested $803,000.00 in damages based upon allegations against Bracey of negligence, violation of California Securities Law, fraudulent concealment, misrepresentation, and…
Paul Anthony Posillico, of Melville, New York, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he did not provide FINRA with information about his business activities after it was requested of him. Letter No. 2014042126601 (Oct. 5, 2015). This is not the first…
Jeffrey Paul Dragon of Burlington, Massachusetts, a stockbroker formerly registered with Berthel, Fisher & Company Financial Services, Inc., has been charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in a Complaint alleging that he effected unsuitable unit investment trust transactions in customer accounts. Department of Enforcement v. Jeffrey Paul Dragon, et al., No. 2014039169601 (Mar. 20, 2017)….
Betty Rodriguez, of Weston, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 27, 2016, in which the customer requested $6,268.90 in damages based upon allegations that Rodriguez, in May of 2016, effected unauthorized mutual fund transactions in the customer’s account….
David J. Hollander, of Oakland, California, a stockbroker currently registered with Liberty Group, LLC, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on July 23, 2017, in which the customer requested $35,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Hollander omitted information about tax liabilities pertaining to the customer’s liquidation of a variable…
Shaun Paul Golden, of New York, a director of Golden Wealth Management, Inc., has been permanently barred in all securities registration capacities and subject of cease and desist sanctions imposed by Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation pursuant to an Order containing findings that Golden applied for securities registration in the State of Florida by making…
Mark A. Schneider, of Omaha, Nebraska, a stockbroker registered with Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC, has been terminated from employment on April 21, 2016, based upon allegations that he failed to accurately document his activities within the firm’s internal notes system; conduct violative of the firm’s business conduct policy. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public…
Eduardo Juarez, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with E.J. Sterling, LLC, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on March 12, 2017, in which the customer requested $36,351.00 in damages based upon allegations that Juarez breached his fiduciary duties to the customer, as well as effected unauthorized…
Nicolas Esteban Arango, of Syosset, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Joseph Stone Capital L.L.C., has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon findings that Arango failed to provide FINRA staff with information after it was requested of him. Case No. 2017053874801 (May 22,…
Stuart Stein, of Hauppauge, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with MML Investors Services, LLC, was terminated from employment on August 5, 2016, based upon allegations that he mishandled information that the firm deemed private. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that on January 12, 2016, Stein was also fired by his previous…
Michael Andrew Coraggio, of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with BB&T Securities, LLC, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim , which settled on June 7, 2017, wherein the customer received $24,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Coraggio breached his fiduciary duties, made misrepresentations and omissions to…
A FINRA hearing panel has barred broker Edward Byen and his two supervisors, Craig Scott Taddonio and Brent Morgan Porges, from the securities industry. They all previously worked at Craig Scott Capital of Uniondale, NY. FINRA filed an enforcement complaint in December 2015 alleging that the “firm and its owners had fostered a culture of…
Anthony Vincent Ferrone entered into an acceptance, waiver and consent agreement (“AWC”) with FINRA and has been barred from the securities industry. Ferrone was the subject of a FINRA investigation concerning the unsuitable sales of unit investment trusts to customers. Ferrone was actually in the middle of an on the record interview (“OTR”) being conducted…
In an arbitration award dated June 27, 2017, a three-member panel awarded Oregon investors Scott and Jan Tullis $192,103 in damages and interest against Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., and its broker, Andrew Joseph Hall. Hall worked in Portland, Oregon. The panel gave a one-paragraph explanation for the award. The panel determined that respondents engaged in…
David Leonard Sheppard, a former broker who worked in New York and Massachusetts, was barred from the securities industry in April 2017. Sheppard was in the middle of a FINRA inquiry. FINRA was investigating Sheppard for potential excessive trading and churning in multiple customer accounts. In conjunction with its investigation, FINRA requested that Sheppard appear…
On July 24,2017 a FINRA arbitration panel in Wyoming awarded John and Kathleen Keck $559,612 based on their claim of negligence against RBC Capital Markets LLC and three RBC brokers, Jacqueline Sarette Georgio, Paul Samuel Howard and Brian Kristian Pedersen. The award was joint and several against the four respondents. They worked out of an…
Neil Vinod Mehta, of Pompano Beach, Florida, a stockbroker registered with JPMorgan Securities, LLC, was terminated from employment on October 18, 2016, based upon allegations that he failed to provide customers with the correct prices for investments on mutual funds effected in the customer’s account. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that on…
Kenneth Lee Jones, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Aegis Capital Corp., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to provide FINRA with information during FINRA’s investigation into allegations of Jones’ sales practice violations…
Chuck J. Hilliard II, of Austin, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with Kestra Investment Services, LLC, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related written complaint on December 7, 2016, in which the customer requested more than $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Hilliard effected unsuitable transactions in the customer’s account. Financial Industry…
Marilyn Ashley Genery, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, was terminated from employment on November 15, 2016, based upon allegations that he violated the firm’s procedures regarding customer account documentation. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that on May 12, 2017, a customer filed an investment related written…
Thomas Einar Gunnersen, of Greenwood Village, Colorado, a stockbroker formerly registered with UBS Financial Services, Inc., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on August 19, 2016, in which the customer requested $31,873.00 in damages based upon allegations that Gunnersen was responsible for the customer’s losses on high yield bond transactions…
Thomas Edward Skypeck, of Saco, Maine, a stockbroker formerly registered with Broker International Financial Services, was permanently barred from associating with any broker or adviser or becoming a broker or adviser to the public regarding investments pursuant to a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Order Instituting Administrative Proceedings Pursuant to Securities Exchange Act of 1934…
Steven Robert Tomlinson, of Elmira, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 16, 2017, in which the customer requested damages estimated at $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Tomlinson effected unsuitable transactions in the customer’s account between…
Michael Taylor Shuttlesworth, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, a stockbroker formerly registered with Crown Capital Securities, L.P., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he did not provide information to FINRA that was requested of him concerning his activities. Case No. 2015047434801 (April 18,…
Keith Alva Fontenot, of Lafayette, Louisiana, a stockbroker currently registered with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 11, 2017, in which the customer requested $80,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Fontenot made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer concerning equities and direct…
Kim See Isaacson, of Salt Lake City, Utah, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon a Decision & Order of Offer of Settlement containing findings that she willfully defrauded a customer, failed to abide by the…
Sandra Jayne McCabe, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that she effected unauthorized transactions involving the recycling of customers signatures on documents. Letter of Acceptance,…
Ronald William Weimer, of St. Joseph, Michigan, a stockbroker formerly registered with J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, LLC, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he borrowed funds despite lacking authorization from the firm. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
Thomas Lawrence, of Chapel Hill, Tennessee, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameritas Investment Corp., has been charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in a Complaint alleging that he borrowed funds from a customer in violation of the firm’s policies. Department of Enforcement v. Thomas Lawrence, No. 2016051945101 (July 27, 2017). According to the Complaint,…
Anthony Vincent Ferrone, of Paramus, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate in an investigation into allegations of unsuitable trading in customer accounts. Letter of…
Gregory Gerald Friel, of Boston, Massachusetts, a stockbroker formerly registered with Harvest Capital LLC, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related written complaint on May 4, 2017, in which the customer requested $19,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Friel misled the customer in reference to the customer’s real estate securities transactions. Financial…
Russel W. Newton, of Westport, Connecticut, a stockbroker formerly registered with Source Capital Group, Inc., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate with FINRA in an investigation into allegations of his misconduct, which included possible securities…
Joel Nathan Burstein Jr., of Coral Gables, Florida, a stockbroker registered with Raymond James & Associates, Inc., was terminated from employment on January 27, 2017, based upon the firm’s discovery that Burstein was identified in a customer initiated investment related dispute containing allegations against him of fraud. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals…
Mark Horan, of Florham Park, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with UBS Financial Services, Inc., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on October 28, 2015, for $350,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Horan effected an unauthorized over-the-counter equity transaction for the customer. The customer indicated that…
Paul Eric Taboada, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Blackwall Capital Markets, Inc., is the subject of a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) National Adjudicatory Council Decision which affirmed Extended Hearing Panel sanctions imposed upon Taboada consisting, in part, of a permanent bar from associating with any FINRA member for misleading…
James Patrick McCloskey, of Newport Beach, California, a stockbroker currently registered with Securian Financial Services, Inc., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related civil action on May 4, 2017, in which the customer requested $397,237.00 in damages based upon allegations that McCloskey made misrepresentations to the customer concerning insurance products that the customer…
Michael Dennis Hampton, of Orangevale, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, has been suspended for six months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to provide FINRA staff with information about whether he had complied with a customer…
Sandy Michael Galuppo, of New York, New York, a stockbroker registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, was terminated from employment on October 3, 2016, based upon allegations that he furnished expense information to his firm in a manner that “violated the company’s policies.” Moreover, on April 11, 2017, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority…
Jerry Allen Cicolani Jr., of Cleveland, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with PrimeSolutions Securities, Inc., is the subject of a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Order Instituting Administrative Proceedings pursuant to Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Section 15(b) as well as Section 203(f) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 containing findings that Cicolani illegally…
Jeffrey S. Rush, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, a stockbroker with Raymond James & Associates, was terminated from employment on November 2, 2015, based upon allegations that he engaged in outside business activities that were not disclosed to the firm as required. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that Rush is the subject of…
Peter Michael Malis, of Woodland Hills, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on May 2, 2017, for $1,100,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that he effected unsuitable, unauthorized and excessive closed-end fund transactions in the customer’s account, and…
James Benjamin Fellus, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Spencer-Winston Securities Corporation, has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he failed to communicate with FINRA about his compliance with a customer initiated investment related settlement arrangement or arbitration…
Michael Frank Paesano, of New York, New York, a stockbroker registered with Morgan Stanley, was terminated from employment on December 21, 2016, based upon allegations that he effected faulty investment strategies and unauthorized trades in customer accounts. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that Paesano has been identified in fifteen customer initiated investment…
Jack Frank Bruscianelli, of Saint Louis, Missouri, a stockbroker currently registered with National Securities Corporation, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 18, 2017, in which the customer requested $300,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Bruscianelli breached his fiduciary duties and made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer…
Pablo Leonel Gherardi, of Miami Florida, a stockbroker registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, was terminated from employment on November 9, 2016, based upon allegations that he took part in a foreign investment transaction and failed to provide consistent information to his firm relating to the transaction. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure also reveals…
James M. Hurty, of Rocky Hill, Connecticut, a stockbroker formerly registered with Citizens Securities, Inc., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that Hurty obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations that he forged customer account documentation. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and…
Christopher Hanley Russell, of Huntsville, Alabama, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended for three months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he sold away from the firm. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No….
Thomas Daniel Sullivan, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Lampert Capital Markets Inc., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on June 16, 2017, in which the customer requested $11,069.00 in damages based upon allegations that Sullivan effected equities transactions on an excessive and unsuitable basis. Financial…
Donald Lee Bergeron, of Charlotte, North Carolina, a stockbroker formerly registered with Capital Guardian, LLC, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he placed unauthorized trades in a customer’s account. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No….
Edward Jones, a broker-dealer located in Saint Louis, Missouri, was censured and fined $725,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for the failure to supervise consolidated reports transmitted to customers regarding their accounts inside and outside of Edward Jones. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2016049783001 (July 13, 2017). According to the AWC, an…
Munaem Choudhury, of Staten Island, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Chelsea Financial Services, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended for six months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate in an investigation into his business activities. Letter…
David G. Gott, of Tipton, Iowa, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc., gott fined $5,000.00 and gott suspended for six months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he sold away an investment in an ice cream company from his…
James D. Maendel, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he made misstatements on switch forms that were used to effect unit investment trust transactions….
Mercury Securities LLC, a brokerage firm located in San Rafael, California, was censured and fined $5,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm failed to supervise registered representatives’ private securities transactions. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015043459301 (July 12, 2017). According to the AWC, three of…
Daniel Joseph Hushek III, of Sarasota, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with G.F. Investment Services, LLC, has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended for fifteen months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to reasonably supervise a registered representative who consequently made…
David Joseph Escarcega, of Phoenix, Arizona, a stockbroker formerly registered with Center Street Securities, Inc., was the subject of a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) National Adjudicatory Council Decision which contained findings that Escarcega, inter alia, made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customers, and fraudulently misrepresented debentures that were sold to them. In the Matter…
Trident Partners, Ltd., a brokerage firm located in Woodbury, New York, was censured and fined $50,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm failed to supervise its staff, and authorized its registered representatives to make recommendations that were not suitable for customers. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent,…
Kyle Robert Foyer, of Carmel, Indiana, a stockbroker formerly registered with The O.N. Equity Sales Company, has been sanctioned via the revocation of Foyer’s securities registration based upon allegations that he failed to fulfill the financial obligations associated with a previous regulatory manner resulting in findings of his misconduct. Case No. 2013038677001 (Feb. 15, 2017)….
Barry Jay Dekreek, of Alpharetta, Georgia, a stockbroker currently registered with LPL Financial LLC, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related written complaint on June 17, 2016, wherein the customer requested $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Dekreek did not adequately advise the customer about investing in a fixed annuity. Financial Industry…
Gregg Brian Weiss, of York, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker registered with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, was terminated from employment on August 1, 2016, based upon the firm’s allegations that he partook in unauthorized outside business activities, made omissions regarding tax documents, and sought to be repaid for expenses that he did not incur in connection with…
Thomas Alan Meier, of Miami, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related complaint on May 2, 2016, which settled for $497,245.90 in damages based upon allegations that between 2013 and 2016, he made misrepresentations concerning the terms and conditions of the customer’s liquidity within the…
Darin Richard Pastor, of Irvine, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Courtlandt Securities Corporation, has been fined $15,000.00 by the State of Hawaii based upon consenting to findings that he engaged in unauthorized securities transactions during the time that he was not registered to effect securities sales. SEU-2014-11 (Dec. 23, 2015). Pastor was also fined…
Paul Cragg Larsen, of Naples, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with VSR Financial Services, Inc., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on June 3, 2016, in which the customer requested $4,000,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Larsen converted the customer’s monies that were intended for investments in real estate…
Gregory Thormann Pease, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related civil action on November 14, 2016, in which the customer requested more than $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that he failed to provide the customer with an…
Todd Joseph Pilosi, of Fresno, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, has been fined and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he engaged in unauthorized transactions involving customer funds. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2016051455601 (Apr….
Blaze Tatananni, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related civil action on May 4, 2017, in which the customer requested $10,000,000.00 in damages based upon allegations of corporate debt trades having been effected in the customer’s account without the customer’s consent between 2013…
Harold Francis Martek Jr., of Palm City, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Centaurus Financial, Inc., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 4, 2017, in which the customer requested $60,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Martek made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer concerning an equity investment,…
John F. Riccardi Jr., of New York, NY, a stockbroker formerly registered with Meyers Associates LP, is the subject of a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Wells Notice stating that regulatory action was recommended against him by FINRA based upon allegations that he violated FINRA Rules 2020 and 2010, as well as Securities and Exchange…
Joel David Davidman, of Beverly Hills, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected trades in twenty-seven customer accounts despite lacking authorization from the customers and the firm….
Timothy Glen Asp, of Reedsburg, Wisconsin, a stockbroker formerly registered with Packerland Brokerage Services, Inc., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related written complaint on May 4, 2017, in which the customer requested $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Asp’s sales practice violations led the customer to suffer significant investment losses from…
Michael Vito Gisonda, of Boca Raton, Florida, a stockbroker currently registered with NYLife Securities LLC, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 3, 2017, in which the customer requested $1,600,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Gisonda effected unsuitable transactions in the customer’s account concerning managed account products as…
James Edward Lyons, of Shreveport, Louisiana, a stockbroker for Raymond James & Associates, Inc., was terminated from employment on April 28, 2017, based upon a customer’s allegations that Lyons effected trades in the customer’s investment account despite failing to first gain proper authorization from the customer. In response to his denial of any misconduct, his…
Glen Derek Delaney, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Newbridge Securities Corporation, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related written complaint on March 6, 2017, in which the customer requested $46,634.00 in damages based upon allegations that Delaney breached his fiduciary duties, over-concentrated the customer’s assets in stock, effected…
Amanda Yvette Burnett, of Tucker, Georgia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Invest Financial Corporation, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that Burnett failed to provide FINRA with information relating to her business activities. Letter No. 2016051430501 (Jan. 30, 2017). Rather than talk,…
James Bradley Schwartz, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Aegis Capital Corp., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 28, 2017, in which the customer requested $269,131.00 in damages based upon allegations against Schwartz of breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, omissions and misrepresentations,…
Susan Elizabeth Walker, of Wayzata, Minnesota, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., has been identified in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on May 3, 2017, in which the customer requested $19,008.93 in damages based upon allegations that Walker walked off with the customer’s funds. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public…
Thomas A. Vigil, of Westboro, Massachusetts, a stockbroker formerly registered with MetLife Securities, has been fined $7,500.00 and suspended for six months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he falsified customer accounts documents, impersonated a customer to effect a transaction, and forged…
Bradley Andrew Marks, of New York, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Morgan Stanley, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 2, 2017, in which the customer sought $68,294.16 in damages based upon allegations that Marks failed to execute upon the customer’s instructions regarding an in-house money manager…
Donald Newton McCoy, of Saint Louis, Missouri, a stockbroker registered with Raymond James & Associates, Inc., has been fired from the company on August 12, 2016, based upon allegations that he engaged in outside business activities. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that McCoy was also terminated from a prior employer, Merrill Lynch,…
Jaime Hazael Aguilar, of San Diego, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member based upon consenting to findings that he entered into unauthorized loan arrangements with the firm’s customers. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2016050297702 (July…
Adam T. Marquardt, of Rochester, Minnesota, a stockbroker currently registered with Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 2, 2017, in which the customer requested at least $150,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Marquardt effected energy sector stock transactions in the customer’s…
Lorene Fairbanks, of Canfield, Ohio, a stockbroker registered with Ameriprise Financial, has been terminated from employment on May 18, 2017, based upon allegations that Fairbanks borrowed funds from a customer and corresponded with customers in violation of the firm’s policies. This is not the first time that Fairbanks has been terminated from employment based upon…
Steve Woo, of Torrance, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with JP Morgan Securities LLC, has been terminated from employment on January 27, 2016, based upon allegations that he effected trades in customer accounts on an unauthorized basis. The firm particularly alleged that customers never provided Woo with consent for discretion to be exercised by him…
Frank A. Tegge, of East Lansing, Michigan, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he placed unauthorized transactions in a customer’s investment account. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and…
Harry Timothy Couch, of Dawsonville, Georgia, a stockbroker currently registered with WFG Investments, Inc., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 2, 2017, in which the customer requested $1,500,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that from 2009 to 2016, Couch over concentrated the customer’s assets, effected trades on an…
Richard Ball Ryan, of Hyannis, Massachusetts, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, Inc., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 2, 2017, wherein the customer requested $250,000.00 in damages supported by allegations that Ryan made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer pertaining to mutual fund products….
Jeffrey Allen Delaney Junior, of Columbia, South Carolina, a stockbroker formerly registered with Pruco Securities, LLC, has been fined $15,000.00 and suspended for eight months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that Delaney, inter alia, forged a customer’s signature on account documentation. Letter…
Brian R. Bates, of Gilbert, Arizona, a stockbroker currently registered with BBVA Securities Inc., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related written complaint on May 2, 2017, where the customer requested $11,000.00 in damages founded upon allegations that Bates made misrepresentations to the customer and effected a variable annuity purchase that was not…
Michael John Wood, of Lake Tapps, Washington, a stockbroker registered with Thrivent Investment Management Inc., was terminated from employment on July 31, 2016, based upon allegations that he submitted variable settlement option transactions for a customer despite the customer never having consented to the transactions. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that Wood…
Mark Lee Baggerly, of Daphne, Alabama, a stockbroker formerly registered with WFG Investments, Inc., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 2, 2017, in which the customer requested $730,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Baggerly made misrepresentations and omissions to the customer, and failed to conduct adequate due…
Sumitro Pal, of Bethesda, Maryland, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related written complaint on May 1, 2017, in which the customer requested $115,156.00 in damages based upon allegations that the firm failed to supervise Pal’s faulty corporate debt transactions placed in the customer’s…
Thomas J. Brenner, Jr., of Orrville, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with First American Securities, Inc., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to provide FINRA staff with testimony in regard to his private placement sales activities. Letter…
Travis J. Lippmann, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Dawson James Securities, Inc., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related written complaint on May 30, 2017, in which the customer requested $34,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that between August of 2014 and July of 2015, Lippmann made misrepresentations…
Willie L. Vales, of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly registered with Santander Securities LLC, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on February 27, 2017, based upon allegations including violation of securities laws, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, over-concentration, and misrepresentation pertaining to exchange traded funds effected in the…
Timothy David Ballard, of Livermore, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Securities America, Inc., has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he neglected to communicate with FINRA about his business activities. Letter No. 2016052555401 (May 12, 2017). FINRA Public Disclosure reveals that…
In July 2017, Philip Marchese, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Legend Securities, Inc., was the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim seeking $825,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that he made investment based misrepresentations to the customer, violated the Minnesota Securities Act, breached his fiduciary and contractual…
Trustfirst Inc., a brokerage firm headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, has been censured and fined $15,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for providing customers with misleading investment information in reference to unregistered securities offerings. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2014039420301 (June 28, 2017). According to the AWC, offering documents had been submitted by…
William Dean Byrd, of Tampa, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on January 19, 2017, for $100,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Byrd made misrepresentations to the customer concerning mutual fund investments and effected transactions in the…
Dale Christian Russell Sr., of Portland, Oregon, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate with an investigation into his alleged prohibited activities relating to…
Leland Merritt Fruhman, of Houston, Texas, a stockbroker registered with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, was terminated from employment on May 1, 2017, based upon allegations that he took unauthorized possession of the firm’s documents. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that Fruhman has been identified in four customer initiated investment related disputes concerning…
Joseph Erik Zenker, of Nashville, Tennessee, a stockbroker currently registered with Raymond James & Associates, Inc., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on June 1, 2017, based upon allegations including breach of contract, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, violation of the blue sky laws of the State of Louisiana, as…
Marc Francis Rogers, of East Palo Alto, California, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related written arbitration claim on May 2, 2017, wherein the customer requested an estimated $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that he failed to adequately apprise the customer concerning tax liabilities associated with securities transactions effected in the customer’s…
Gregg Walter Stupinski, of Stuart, Florida, a registered representative currently registered with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 1, 2017, based upon allegations against Stupinski of his failure to supervise a firm customer’s equity portfolio. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that…
Mariondy Fernandez, of Dorchester, Massachusetts, a stockbroker formerly registered with Santander Securities LLC, has been identified in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on October 4, 2016, where the customer requested $4,000,000.00 in damages based upon allegations against Fernandez of breach of contract and fiduciary obligations, negligence, over-concentration of customer assets, unsuitability, and fraud…
Edward Anthony Torres, of Anaheim, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related written complaint on May 1, 2017, wherein the customer requested $40,291.42 in damages based upon allegations that Torres negligently managed the customer’s individual retirement account, and made unsuitable investment recommendations to…
Mitchell G. Behm, of Denver, Colorado, a stockbroker formerly registered with Edward Jones, has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended for seven months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that Behm, inter alia, engaged in an unauthorized borrowing arrangement with a customer of the…
John Joseph Conroy, of New York, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Andrew Garret Inc., was identified in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on May 1, 2017, in which the customer requested $99,734.82 in damages based upon allegations that Conroy effected unsuitable over-the-counter equities transactions in the customer’s account. Financial Industry Regulatory…
James R. Schaedler, Jr. of Anaheim, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations of obtaining improper gifts from customers. Letter of Acceptance,…
Jason Travis Turner, of Bedford, Virginia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related written complaint on March 21, 2017, in which the customer requested an estimated $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Turner effected unauthorized and unsuitable transactions in the customer’s account in…
Jason H. LeBlanc, of Fulshear, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with Girard Securities, Inc., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he sold away from his firm, engaged in outside business activities without apprising his firm, misused customers’ monies, and…
Richard S. Botkin, of Roseville, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, has been fined $15,000.00 and suspended for four months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected private securities transactions without notification to his firm. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
Christopher David Sadaka, of Paramus, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related written complaint on May 1, 2017, based upon allegations that between May of 2015 to April of 2017, Sadaka made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer concerning…
Mark Charles Koehler, of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly registered with Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations that he effected unsuitable investment transactions in customer accounts. Letter…
Jason M. Santini, of Garden City, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Spartan Capital Securities, LLC, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on November 21, 2016, where the customer sought $27,376.99 in damages based upon allegations that Santini breached his fiduciary duties, negligently managed the customer’s investment portfolio, utilized…
Mark James Sudol, of Gardena, California, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 1, 2017, wherein the customer sought $500,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Sudol breached his fiduciary duties, effected transactions in the customer’s account that were not suitable, negligently managed the customer’s portfolio, and made misrepresentations…
VFG Securities, headquartered in Culver City, California, has been censured and fined $75,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon allegations that it failed to supervise securities transactions that its registered representatives effected, and did not maintain accurate records and books in reference to securities transactions that its representatives facilitated. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
Nicole Marie Andres, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 30, 2017, in which the customer requested $44,355.00 in damages based upon allegations that Andres made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer concerning exchange…
Gregory Richard Sherf, of Leawood, Kansas, a stockbroker currently registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 28, 2017, in which the customer requested $15,504.80 in damages based upon allegations that Sherf, between February of 2014 and April of 2017, made…
Bryce Scott Wilinski, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, wherein the customer was awarded $352,815.00 in damages on June 16, 2016, based upon allegations that Wilinski made misrepresentations and omissions to the customer, failed…
Hilltop Securities Independent Network, a broker-dealer located in Dallas, Texas, was censured and fined $40,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon the firm’s consent to findings that it failed to supervise the activities of a registered representative who made investment recommendations that were not suitable for customers, and failed to create and implement…
Chander Ketu Goel, of New York, New York, a stockbroker registered with NYLife Securities LLC, has been terminated from employment on June 29, 2016, based upon allegations that he engaged in unauthorized activities by instructing an assistant of his to cover insurance policy premium payments to keep policies intact. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public…
Jose Anselmo Feliciano Jr., a stockbroker formerly registered with Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., is the subject of a customer initiated investment related written complaint on May 5, 2017, in which the customer requested $60,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Feliciano made misrepresentations to the customer concerning two variable annuity purchases. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority…
Mortimer Joel Altshuler Jr., of Boca Raton, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 3, 2017, in which the customer requested $18,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Altshuler effected corporate debt transactions that were not appropriate for the…
By: Dana N. Pescosolido Overall win rates for the first six months of 2017 are consistent with the past, but All-Public Panels gave awards to Claimants more often than in the past, and almost twice as often as did Majority-Public Panels. Recovery Rates are running higher this year, with compensatory awards averaging 63% of the…
RBC Wealth Management has settled a customer complaint filed by a prominent Indianapolis, IN family for $3.5 million. The settlement occurred in April of this year. According to news reports and FINRA filings, the family of the late Robert Skinner, co-founder of Skinner and Broadbent, Inc., a prominent shopping center developer in the Midwest, settled…
Aaron Robert Parthemer was barred from the securities industry by FINRA in 2015. The bar resulted from Parthemer’s unapproved outside business activities, inappropriate and unapproved loans to customers and unapproved private securities transactions. Parthemer worked in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, at Morgan Stanley from June 2009 to October 2011. He then worked at Wells Fargo, also…
These are only allegations, these are only allegatons, there are only allegations. FINRA filed a complaint in February, 2017, alleging that former Edward Jones broker Austin Morton of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, converted $36,000 from an elderly former client. This tale of woe begins in November 2016, when the daughter of the client, with a power of…
On July 11, 2017, the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities announced that it has fined Newbridge Securities Corporation $499,000 for failure to supervise. The order does not specify the products or the number of affected Pennsylvania investors. It also does not identify the broker who made the problematic sales. The BrokerCheck report for Newbridge…
A FINRA arbitration panel from New York issued an award dated July 10, 2017, in favor of customer Timothy McLaughlin against Northeast Securities, Inc., and three of its employees, Steven Joseph Perrone, Diane Hawkins and Jonathan Michael Zucker. Northeast Securities and the three employees were all named as respondents in the claim. FINRA Arbitration No….
On July 13, 2017, a FINRA arbitration panel issued an award finding that Wedbush Securities and its former broker, Mark F. Augusta, “engaged in improper conduct” regarding two elderly customers, Agatha and John Dancy, 16-00847. The hearing took place in Los Angeles, CA. Augusta worked out of Wedbush’s Solana Beach, CA office. The arbitration claim,…
On June 2, 2017, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval signed Senate Bill 383, which amends the Nevada Securities Act to include broker-dealers, investment advisors and their individual representatives as fiduciaries. The bill went into effect on July 2, 2017. Under Nevada securities law, “financial planners” are defined and considered to be fiduciaries in relation to their…
John Arthur Dettelbach, of Pepper Pike, Ohio, a stockbroker currently registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected unauthorized transactions in customer accounts. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No….
Ankit Sahu, of San Francisco, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with UBS Financial Services Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 28, 2017, in which the customer requested $500,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that he effected unsuitable transactions in the customer’s investment account, and misrepresented UBS AG…
Samir Collauku, of Edison, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with National Securities Corporation, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he failed to provide FINRA staff with information relating to his business activities. Letter No. 2014043784001 (Feb. 2, 2016). FINRA Public…
James John Raia, or Ridgewood, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with J.P. Turner & Company, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on May 25, 2017, wherein the customer sought $110,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Raia, from 2013 to 2017, effected real estate security and variable annuity transactions…
Paul Anthony Snow, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, a registered representative associated with AXA Advisors, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 26, 2017, based upon allegations that he made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer concerning an individual retirement account, and omitted information from the customer about fees…
James Edward Bashaw, of Houston, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on September 2, 2016, in which the customer requested $3,800,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Bashaw made unsuitable investment recommendations to customers concerning Texas Air Shuttle, LLC. Customers additionally…
Brandon Joseph Vassallo, of Syosset, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Legend Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 18, 2016, where the customer sought $750,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Vassallo charged excessive commissions, churned the customer’s investment portfolio, effected transactions in the that…
Kamran Abrishami, of Staten Island, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Santander Securities LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 26, 2016, in which the customer requested $15,983.00 in damages based upon allegations that he failed to inform the customer about tax liabilities that the customer would…
Daniel Edward Peltier, of Edina, Minnesota, a stockbroker formerly registered with RBC Capital Markets, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint, which settled on May 12, 2016, in which the customer received $45,033.63 in damages based upon allegations that he engaged in sales practice violations with respect to an over-the-counter…
Jesse Joseph Holovacko, of South Amboy, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has been sanctioned by the State of New Jersey Bureau of Securities via a $75,000.00 fine accompanied by the revocation of his securities registration pursuant to a Summary Revocation and Penalty Order containing findings that…
Jon Timothy VanSlooten, of Toledo, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with Edward Jones, has been fined $7,500.00 and suspended for three months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected trades in customer accounts without authorization. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent,…
Kyle P. Harrington, of San Diego, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with National Securities Corporation, has been charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Department of Enforcement in a Complaint alleging that he converted a customer’s funds, sold away from his firm, and falsified documentation to FINRA in regard to his activities. Department of Enforcement…
M. Tyler Bonds, of Newport Beach, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he entered into a loan arrangement with a customer in violation of his firm’s policies….
Rafael Barela Jacinto, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended for one year from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity pursuant to an Office of Hearing Officers Decision & Order of Offer of Settlement containing findings…
Christopher Carl Jansen, of Burlington, New Jersey, a stockbroker registered with Invest Financial Corporation, was terminated from employment on December 28, 2016, based upon allegations that he made misrepresentations to a customer pertaining to the guarantees and features of annuity products. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that Jansen has been identified in…
Joseph Frederick Eschleman, of Sacramento, California, a stockbroker registered with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, has been terminated from employment on April 26, 2017, based upon allegations that he directed his associate to effect transactions in the account of a deceased customer by claiming that he received permission from the customer to place the transactions….
Kristi Erin Straw, of Overland Park, Kansas, a registered representative formerly associated with CommunityAmerica Financial Solutions, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 17, 2016, in which the customer requested $410,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Straw effected fixed indexed annuity transactions in the customer’s account that were…
John Charles Bland, of Durham, North Carolina, a stockbroker registered with Commonwealth Financial Network, was terminated from employment on April 25, 2017, based upon allegations that he violated the firm’s policies by failing to disclose information to a customer relating to the customer’s variable annuity purchase. The firm alleged that Bland concealed the source of…
Bernard Joseph Audet, of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, a registered representative formerly associated with New England Securities, has been named in a customer initiated investment related civil action on April 12, 2017, based upon allegations that he breached his fiduciary duties to the customer and made misrepresentations concerning insurance products. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public…
Shawn Allen Stults, of Midland, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint, which settled on May 24, 2017, for $6,249.91 in damages to resolve allegations that Stults effected transactions in the customer’s account that were not suitable for the customer. Apparently, between…
Richard Anthony Barone, of Cleveland, Ohio, a stockbroker currently registered with America Northcoast Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 17, 2017, in which the customer requested $250,000.00 in damages based upon allegations against Barone including failure to supervise, unauthorized trading, unsuitability, breach of fiduciary duty and…
Demitrios Hallas, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Forefront Capital Markets, LLC, has been charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a Complaint alleging that he effected fraudulent securities transactions and misappropriated funds from customers. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Demitrios Hallas, 1:17-cv-029991:17-cv-02999 (Apr. 25, 2017). According to the…
Daniel Harry Curkan, of Clearwater, Florida, has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he did not communicate with FINRA regarding his compliance with the terms and conditions of a customer initiated investment related arbitration settlement or award. Case No. 14-02221 (Apr. 25,…
Allyn Lindley Donaubauer, of Fort Smith, Arizona, a stockbroker currently registered with Raymond James & Associates, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 24, 2017, in which the customer sought damages estimated at $5,000.00 based upon allegations that from July of 2016 to April of 2017, Donaubauer made…
Philip A. Dina, of Woodbury, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Obsidian Financial Group, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 24, 2017, where the customer requested $50,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that he failed to supervise one of the firm’s registered representatives who placed faulty…
Curtis Leroy Whipple, of Plymouth, Michigan, a stockbroker currently registered with Kalos Capital, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on March 3, 2017, for $14,999.00 in damages founded upon allegations that he breached his contractual and fiduciary obligations to the customer, and negligently handled the customer’s investment…
Donald John Saccomano, of Westport, Connecticut, a stockbroker formerly registered with Source Capital Group, Inc., has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he failed to communicate with FINRA’s staff regarding his business activities. Case No. 2015044109301 (Mar. 31, 2017). On January 7,…
John Joseph Tillger Jr., of West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly registered with CV Brokerage, Inc., has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he did not respond to FINRA’s request for information in reference to a customer initiated investment related dispute settlement…
Cary Edward Scheer, of Southlake, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with Girard Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 24, 2017, in which the customer requested $150,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Scheer breached his contractual and fiduciary duties to the customer, made investment misrepresentations and…
Christopher Anthony Fernan, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker registered with Salomon Whitney Financial, was terminated from employment on February 17, 2017, based upon allegations that he entered into an unauthorized loan arrangement with a firm customer. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that Fernan has been named in three customer initiated investment…
Rodger James Burskey, of Commerce Township, Michigan, a former stockbroker associated with Voya Financial Advisors, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on May 25, 2017, for $19,700.00 in damages based upon allegations that Burskey effected equities transactions in the customer’s account despite the transactions not having been…
Randy Joe Ryan, of Worthington, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 24, 2017, where the customer requested $5,867.31 in damages based upon allegations that Ryan sold the customer a variable annuity that was not suitable considering the customer’s…
Douglas Joseph Guarino, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Rockwell Global Capital LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on June 25, 2015, in which the customer requested $205,000.00 in damages based upon allegations of the firm’s failure to supervise Guarino’s activities involving equity transactions effected in…
Curtis Stephen Ridlon, of Bedford, New Hampshire, a registered representative formerly associated with Waddell & Reed, was fined of $3,235,000.00, and disgorged of $1,513,711.09 by The State of New Hampshire Bureau of Securities Regulation pursuant to an Order to Cease and Desist containing findings that he concocted a scheme to defraud investors via the assessment…
Michael Fisher, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 12, 2017, in which the customer requested $171,172.10 in damages based upon allegations that he made misrepresentations to the customer regarding unit investment trusts. This is not…
James Jordan Plasterer Jr, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on March 29, 2017, in which the customer requested $2,500,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that he did not properly handle the customer’s portfolio of…
Thomas Aloysius Skove, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate in an investigation into allegations that he effected fraudulent securities transactions in…
Judy Buchanan Healy, of Melbourne, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has been fined $25,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that she triggered unauthorized initial public offering transactions. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and…
Sammy Dexter Legaspi, of Irvine, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Accelerated Capital Group, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended for three months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he caused customers’ signed but otherwise blank forms to be utilized in order…
Larry Charles Wolfe, of Boca Raton, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Herbert J. Sims & Co. Inc., has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected trades in customer accounts without authorization. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
John Charles Piccarreto Jr., of Orrville, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with First American Securities, Inc., has been fined $15,000.00 and suspended for two years from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he engaged in private securities transactions without ever having apprised his firm…
Matthew Clary Smith, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, a stockbroker formerly registered with ProEquities, Inc., has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended for three months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he utilized customer account documentation in an unauthorized manner to effect investment transactions….
Cathy Ione Earnest, of Chicago, Illinois, a stockbroker formerly registered with Pruco Securities, LLC, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that she failed to furnish complete information to FINRA in the course of FINRA’s investigation into allegations of Earnest’s unauthorized…
Donald Lee Stark, of Waterloo, Iowa, a stockbroker currently registered with Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected trades in a customer’s account without the customer’s consent. Letter of Acceptance,…
William Francis Gillis, of Seattle, Washington, a stockbroker formerly registered with National Securities Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint, which settled on May 22, 2017, for $80,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that he breached his fiduciary duties to the customer and negligently handled the customer’s investment account. Financial…
Keith Allen Bryan, of Sarasota, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on December 13, 2016, where the customer requested $30,968.61 in damages based upon allegations that Bryan, between 2012 and 2016, effected unsuitable stock and municipal bond transactions in the customer’s account…
Tony Kang, of Northbrook, Illinois, a stockbroker formerly registered with Fifth Third Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on September 24, 2015, for $10,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Kang made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer regarding a unit investment trust product. Financial Industry…
Karl Austin Pettijohn, of Los Angeles, California, a stockbroker registered with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, has been terminated from employment on April 29, 2016, based upon the firm’s allegations that he inappropriately communicated with customers and entered into unauthorized lending arrangements. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that on April 28, 2017, a…
Andrew Blair Howard, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, a registered representative currently registered with USA Financial Securities, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 21, 2017, in which the customer requested $16,037.78 in damages based upon allegations that Howard failed to abide by the terms and conditions of annuity withdrawals….
Gary Wayne Hammond, of Charlotte, North Carolina, a stockbroker registered with MML Investors Services, LLC, was terminated from employment on April 21, 2017, based upon allegations that he sold away from his firm and violated the firm’s company policies in the handling of a customer initiated investment related complaint. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public…
Shawn Evan Burns, of Farmingdale, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Salomon Whitney Financial, has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to provide FINRA staff with information about his business activities. Case No. 2017053391601 (June 16, 2017)….
Abraham Heimann, of Alpharetta, Georgia, a stockbroker currently registered with Cetera Advisors LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 20, 2017, in which the customer requested $30,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Heimann did not diversify the customer’s equity portfolio adequately, negligently managed the customer’s investments, and…
Gerhard Frederick Heuer, of Beaverton, Oregon, a registered representative formerly associated with Thrivent Investment Management Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint, which settled on June 6, 2017, for $43,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that he failed to inform the customer about the premiums required to be paid by…
John Patrick Ginty, of Mesa, Arizona, a stockbroker currently registered with Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 21, 2017, in which the customer requested $100,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Ginty effected unsuitable transactions in the customer’s account concerning real estate investment trusts,…
Kai Chong Cheng of Tenafly, New Jersey, recently signed a consent order with the State of New Jersey agreeing to a five-year suspension from registration in New Jersey. In a related enforcement action, he has been permanently barred from the securities industry by FINRA. Cheng worked at a Merrill Lynch branch office in New York…
In December 2016 the Massachusetts Securities Division filed a complaint against LPL Financial LLC (“LPL”) and one of its advisors, Roger S. Zullo, relating to the unsuitable sales of variable annuities to multiple customers of Zullo and LPL from January 2013 to December 2016. LPL is headquartered in Massachusetts. Zullo worked in Boston, MA. These…
Abed Adam Darwish, of North Royalton, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with Key Investment Services, has been fined $7,500.00 and suspended for eighteen months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he utilized customers’ information without consent to create investment accounts and effected…
Christopher Robert Hickman, of Delray Beach, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Cetera Advisors LLC, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected unsuitable unit investment trust trades in customer accounts. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and…
Christopher M. Hawn, of Denver, Colorado, a stockbroker formerly registered with SC Distributors, LLC, and ALPS Distributors, Inc., has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended for six months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that Hawn, inter alia, engaged in unauthorized outside business activities…
Mark Stewart Saunders, of Monroe City, Missouri, a stockbroker currently registered with Edward Jones, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he exercised discretion in customer accounts. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2016048658302 (June 9, 2017)….
Michael J. Isaac, of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, a registered representative formerly registered with Investors Capital Corp., has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he directed a firm customer to provide him with blank and undated forms after they…
Lawrence M. Thomas, of North Attleboro, Massachusetts, a stockbroker formerly registered with Essex Securities LLC, has been fined and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations that he made improper investment recommendations to customers. Letter…
Blake P. King, of Atlanta, Georgia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc., has been fined and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that King obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations that he effected unauthorized trades in…
Marco A. Daniel, of Chula Vista, California, a stockbroker currently registered with PFS Investments Inc., has been suspended from conducting business with California residents in an insurance capacity pursuant to a California Department of Insurance Order containing findings that Daniel was sanctioned by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for sales practice violations. PLBS 10438-AP (Apr….
John Sebastion Cangialosi, of New York, New York, a stockbroker registered with Worden Capital Management, has been sanctioned by The State of Michigan pursuant to a Stipulation and Order for Withdrawal, wherein Cangialosi agreed not to apply in the state for a securities agent or investment advisor designation due to his unethical and deceitful business…
Stephen James Sullivan, of Garden City, New York, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he traded in two customers’ investment accounts on a discretionary basis. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2014039219802 (Feb. 3, 2016)….
Raymond Thomas Clark, of Buffalo, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Dynasty Capital Partners, Inc., was subject of the revocation of his securities licensure by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon allegations that he did not cooperate with his payment of fines assessed to him by FINRA for committing sales practice violations. Letter…
Gregory William Melendez, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with International Assets Advisory, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on February 16, 2017, in which the customer requested $41,376.00 in damages based upon allegations that he effected unsuitable and unauthorized over-the-counter equity transactions in the customer’s account, and…
Jason John Lenzi, of Beaver, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly registered with The Huntington Investment Company, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he did not cooperate with FINRA’s request for Lenzi’s information in reference to Lenzi’s business activities. Case No. 2015044007201 (Feb….
Martin David Batstone, of San Diego, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Independent Financial Group, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related civil action, which settled on January 25, 2017, for $55,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that he failed to appropriately confirm the designation of beneficiaries on the customer’s investment accounts…
Leah Rebecca Bullen, of Walnut Creek, California, a stockbroker registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, was terminated from employment on January 7, 2016, based upon allegations that she effected a loan arrangement with an investor outside the auspices of her firm, and did not make disclosures to the firm about her involvement in a legal…
Marc Harold Pearl, of Auburn, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based on allegations that he failed provide FINRA staff with a response to their request for information relating to Pearl’s business activities. Letter No….
William John McBride Jr., of Los Angeles, California, a stockbroker currently registered with JP Morgan Securities LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 20, 2017, in which the customer requested $7,915.95 in damages based upon allegations that McBride made misrepresentations concerning a variable annuity that the customer purchased….
Lawrence James Rizer, of Columbiana, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with NYLife Securities, LLC, has been terminated from employment on April 6, 2017, based upon allegations that he misappropriated funds belonging to the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. Rizer purportedly took the funds for personal gain during the time he was the local…
Jeffrey Marc Grayson, of Florham Park, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended for two months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected trades in customer accounts without authorization. Letter of Acceptance,…
Mack Leon Miller, of New York, New York, a stockbroker registered with Dawson James Securities, Inc., was terminated from employment on April 20, 2017, based upon allegations that he solicited investments from customers in states that he was not licensed. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that Miller has been named in three…
Robert Charles Moriarty, of Harvard, Illinois, a stockbroker formerly registered with Investment Professionals, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 30, 2017, in which the customer requested $100,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Moriarty failed to apprise the customer about tax obligations resulting from effecting variable annuity…
Richard Paul Donohoe, of Eagle River, Wisconsin, a stockbroker currently registered with Edward Jones, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 20, 2017, wherein the customer requested $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Donohoe provided the customer with poor advice in reference to the liquidation variable annuity products…
James Flower, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Global Arena Capital Corp., has been suspended for three months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected unsuitable exchange traded notes recommendations to customers. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent,…
Karl Robert Dierman, of Columbus, Nebraska, a stockbroker formerly registered with MML Investors Services, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related civil action, in which the customer requested $39,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Dierman misappropriated the customer’s funds via forged requests for loans, and effected unauthorized transactions in the customer’s…
Jeffrey Alan Fladell, of West Palm Beach, Florida, a stockbroker currently registered with RBC Capital Markets LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 7, 2016, wherein the customer requested more than $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Fladell made unsuitable municipal debt investment recommendations to the customer….
Jodi Ann Reed, of Chicago, Illinois, a stockbroker registered with Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc., was terminated from employment on May 20, 2016, based upon allegations that the firm lost confidence in her following the receipt of two customer initiated investment related disputes pertaining to Reed’s purported sales practice violations. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)…
Nick Eugene Son, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Aegis Capital Corp., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on December 22, 2016, in which the customer requested $65,984.66 in damages based upon allegations that Son utilized the customer’s margin account without consent, and effected transactions that…
Jarrod Edward Biebel, of Marquette, Michigan, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on October 11, 2016, where the customer requested more than $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Biebel effected unauthorized structured product transactions in the customer’s account. Financial Industry…
Kim Dee Isaacson, of Salt Lake City, Utah, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, was charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in a Complaint alleging that Isaacson made omissions and misrepresentations to a firm customer concerning transactions effected in the customer’s account, and traded in a customer’s account without authorization; conduct that FINRA…
Heath Shayne Bowen, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, a stockbroker currently registered with Allegis Investment Services, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on June 27, 2016, in which the customer requested $400,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Bowen did not adequately supervise the customer’s investment portfolio, which resulted in…
Mark Emerson Despelder, of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, a stockbroker formerly registered with Citizens Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 6, 2017, in which the customer requested $19,052.90 in damages based upon allegations that Despelder misinformed customers regarding the terms and conditions of variable annuity products, and…
Former Sterne Agee Baton Rouge, LA broker James K. Cox recently submitted a letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent (“AWC”) to settle a regulatory investigation with FINRA. In the fall of 2014, Cox, then employed at Sterne Agee, convinced a client to switch from one variable annuity (“VA”) to another. He also had the client…
In early June, FINRA filed a regulatory complaint against former Morgan Stanley broker Kim Dee Issacson. Issacson had worked in Morgan Stanley’s Salt Lake City branch from December 2008 until February 2014. The regulatory complaint is apparently related to a customer arbitration claim filed against Issacson by Keith Melton and seven related entities in 2014…
Craig David Dima of Ronkonkoma, New York settled his regulatory enforcement action with FINRA by agreeing to a permanent bar from the securities industry. The bar is based on Dima’s conduct relating to an account for a 73 year-old retiree which included unauthorized trades, misrepresentations and excessive fees and commissions charged to the elderly client….
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority or FINRA, and its President and Chief Executive Officer, Robert Cook, recently announced that FINRA is implementing various measures to rein in high-risk brokers and brokerage firms (also referred to as “rogue” brokers and firms). In fact, in recent months, there have been an interesting trend in particularly the New…
Coastal Equities, Inc., a brokerage firm headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, has been censured and fined $15,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm did not properly supervise the sale of non-traditional exchange traded funds. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2014041310602 (June 9, 2017). According to the AWC,…
Geraldine Gordon, of Lexington, Kentucky, a stockbroker currently registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, has been fined $7,500.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that she made unsuitable investment recommendations to a firm customer. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2016049353501…
Salvatore Sapienza, of Latham, New York, a registered representative formerly registered with Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to provide information to FINRA in the course of an investigation into allegations of…
Paul Wescoe Smith, of Wayne, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly registered with Bolton Global Capital, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations that he sold away from his firm. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and…
Kelly G. McClain, of Louisville, Kentucky, a stockbroker currently registered with Fifth Third Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 19, 2017, in which the customer requested $32,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that she failed to properly explain the terms and conditions of exchange traded fund…
Michael Alexander Hanson, of La Mirada, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 5, 2017, in which the customer requested $520,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that he effected unsuitable transactions in the customer’s account concerning inverse levered exchange traded…
Robert Michael Gianchiglia, of Worcester, Massachusetts, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameritas Investment Corp., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on March 28, 2017, wherein the customer requested $225,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Gianchiglia effected unauthorized trades in the customer’s account, made misrepresentations to the customer, breached his…
Gabriel Yanez Jr., of Newport Beach, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Raymond James And Associates, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 12, 2017, in which the customer requested $700,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Yanez engaged in deceptive trade practices, negligently handled the customer’s investment…
Daniel Ki Roh, of Fort Lee, New Jersey, a stockbroker currently registered with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 18, 2017, in which the customer requested $7,250.00 in damages based upon allegations that he omitted information from the customer concerning the fees on mutual…
Edward Barnett Woll, of Atlanta, Georgia, a chief compliance officer of J.P. Turner & Company, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 18, 2017, in which the customer requested $69,768.00 in damages based upon allegations that he failed to supervise a stockbroker, Dennis Salerno, who effected trades in…
Calvin Edward Moores, of Brea, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Independent Financial Group, LLC, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he failed to correspond with FINRA staff in reference to information about Moores’ business activities. Letter No. 2015047356601 (Mar. 7,…
Brian Joseph Haney, of Rockville, Maryland, a stockbroker formerly registered with MML Investor Services, LLC, has been terminated from employment on April 17, 2017, based upon allegations that he utilized a third-party document in an unauthorized manner in order to effect a transaction involving one of the firm’s customers. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public…
Christopher Russell McNamee, of Miami, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Dakota Securities International, Inc., has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he failed to provide a response to FINRA staff’s request for information relating to McNamee’s business activities. Letter No. 2013035303302…
Harvey Britton Vaughn Jr., of Austin, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with Columbus Advisory Group, Ltd., has been sanctioned by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) via the revocation of his securities licensure based upon allegations that Vaughn failed to pay a $10,000.00 fine assessed to him by FINRA for having failed to make required disclosures;…
Rael Linder, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with AXA Advisors, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on March 17, 2017, based upon allegations that he effected a life insurance policy that was not suitable for the customer. This is not the first time that Linder…
Connie Jo Binz, of Bryant, Arkansas, a stockbroker formerly registered with MSI Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on June 17, 2016, in which the customer requested approximately $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Binz misstated information to the customer in the course of effecting variable…
Matthew Evan Schwartz, of Syracuse, Indiana, a stockbroker currently registered with Edward Jones, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 17, 2017, in which the customer requested $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that he poorly advised a customer in reference to equity transactions effected in the customer’s account,…
Bruce Martin Zipper, of Miami, Florida, a stockbroker currently registered with Dakota Securities International, Inc., has been identified in a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) investigation into allegations that he may have violated the terms of a suspension that FINRA imposed upon him for violations of FINRA Rules. Particularly, Zipper was fined and suspended from…
Patricia Mary Loris, of Crystal Lake, Illinois, a stockbroker currently registered with Securities America, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 17, 2017, in which the customer requested $200,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Loris breached her fiduciary and contractual duties to the customer, negligently handled the…
Pasquale James Rappa, of Miller Place, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Brookville Capital Partners, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, in which a customer was awarded $44,734.00 in damages on July 29, 2016, based upon allegations that Rappa churned the customer’s account, over-concentrated the customer’s assets and effected…
Scott Jason Hechler, of New York, New York, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on July 5, 2016, for $24,999.00 in damages based upon allegations that he made misrepresented investment products, churned the customer’s account, and deceived the customer in reference to stock transactions effected in the customer’s…
Eliot Charles Cohen, of Los Angeles, California, a stockbroker currently registered with Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 17, 2017, in which the customer requested damages estimated to exceed $5,000.00 based upon allegations that Cohen, over an eighteen-month period, effected master limited partnership and…
Elvin J. Lopez, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Brookstone Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on April 12, 2017, for $31,276.98 in damages based upon allegations that he made misrepresentations to the customer, breached his fiduciary and contractual duties, negligently managed…
William Terrence Behrens, of Saint Louis, Missouri, a stockbroker formerly registered with Fulcrum Securities, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 10, 2017, in which the customer requested $189,000.00 in damages based upon allegations against Behrens of negligent supervision in reference to the handling of the customer’s investments…
James Travis Flynn, of Greenville, South Carolina, a stockbroker registered with Voya Financial Advisors, Inc., has been terminated from employment on February 10, 2017, based upon allegations that he misled the firm in the course of the firm’s investigation of a complaint that involved Flynn’s activities. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that…
William David Nelson, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Meyers Associates, L.P., has been fined $5,000.00 by the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Montana State Auditor, pursuant to a Consent Agreement and Final Order containing findings that Nelson traded excessively in the accounts of three residents of Montana. In the Matter…
Andrey V. Tkatchenko, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Blackbook Capital LLC, has been stripped of his securities licensure with Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon allegations that Tkatchenko neglected to pay costs and fines assessed to him by FINRA for committing sales practice violations. Case No. 2011028647101 (Dec. 4,…
Kishan Parikh, of New York, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Aegis Capital Corp., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 11, 2017, in which the customer requested $350,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Parikh made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer and effected trades in the…
Roger Wilson Rodas, of Glendale, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 21, 2016, based upon allegations that Rodas made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer concerning real estate securities and investments offered via a foreign…
Anthony Joseph Verzi, of Melbourne, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate in a FINRA investigation into allegations of his unsuitable investment trading activities. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
Stephen J. Kaufman, of Freehold, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected trades in customer accounts without authorization. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No….
James Keith Cox, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a stockbroker formerly registered with Sterne, Agee & Leach, Inc., has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended for four months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he made unsuitable investment recommendations to a firm’s customer and…
Securities regulations, and their enforcement, impede capital formation. Must be time for a cocktail party for crowd funding in Harisburg. The Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities Bureau of Securities recently completed an investigation and obtained a consent order against of Premier Innovations Group, Inc. , Clique Vodka Ltd. and Noah Cohen. Premier has offices…
On May 24, 2017 David Lerner Associates (“DLA”) signed a consent order with the New Jersey Bureau of Securities involving the company’s sales of non-traded REITs. DLA is a broker-dealer with offices in New York, New Jersey and Boca Raton, Florida. Since 1992, DLA has been the underwriter and sole distributor of 10 Apple non-traded REITs….
Donald Gene Dewaay Jr., of Clive, Iowa, a stockbroker formerly registered with Deeway Financial Network, LLC, has suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he failed to correspond with FINRA staff regarding his compliance with a customer initiated investment related settlement or arbitration concerning…
John Batista Bocchino, of New York, New York, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon a FINRA Office of Hearing Officers Order Accepting Offer of Settlement containing findings that Bocchino effected unauthorized trades in customer accounts and caused an assistant of his to…
Brent David Hurt, of Chicago, Illinois, the Chief Compliance Officer of Redridge Securities, Inc., has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended for thirteen months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he inadequately supervised a stockbroker’s private securities offerings. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and…
Jose J. Perez, of Orland Park, Illinois, a stockbroker formerly registered with MetLife Securities Inc., has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected an unauthorized transfer of a customer’s assets. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent,…
WFG Investments, Inc., headquartered in Dallas, Texas, has been censured and fined $150,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon allegations that the firm failed to supervise a stockbroker who effected unsuitable trades in the firm’s customer accounts. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015045755003 (May 31, 2017). According to the AWC, from January…
Daniel P. Bailey, of Rochester, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Source Capital Group, Inc., has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that made unsuitable securities recommendations to a customer. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No….
Kenneth Alan Zegar, of New York, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Jeffries LLC, has been fined $30,000.00, stripped of his securities registration, and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he made misrepresentations to customers concerning fixed income securities transactions…
Laurence M. Rothstein, of Cumming, Georgia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Edward Jones, has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected unauthorized transactions in customer accounts and entered false customer account information into his firm’s records…
Zena Yofonovich, of Rosemont, Illinois, a stockbroker formerly registered with Pruco Securities, LLC, has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that she entered into an unauthorized agreement to borrow funds from a customer. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 1358792…
David Michael Panetta, of Nutley, New Jersey, a registered representative formerly associated with Allstate Financial Services, LLC, has been fined $7,500.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he engaged in outside business activities without his firm’s knowledge, and made false…
Andrew Caspersen, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Park Hill Group, LLC, has been barred by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from associating with any brokerage firms or investment advisories, or otherwise selling securities or providing investment advice to customers based on an SEC Order Instituting Administrative Proceedings Pursuant to…
Robert Henderson Jr., of Miami Lakes, Florida, a stockbroker currently registered with IFS Securities, has been named in a customer initiated investment related civil action on April 15, 2017, based upon allegations that Henderson breached his fiduciary and trust obligations to the customer, and additionally failed to fulfill his duties concerning the accounting of a…
John Bradford Leonard, of Toledo, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he failed to respond to a FINRA informational request regarding his activities. Case No. 2016050686801 (Apr. 14, 2017). FINRA Public Disclosure…
Christopher Adam Knutson, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Aegis Capital Corp., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 13, 2016, in which the customer requested $175,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that he made misrepresentations regarding a private placement investment held by the customer between…
Ronald Clagget Knowles, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, a stockbroker formerly registered with The O.N. Equity Sales Company, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 13, 2017, in which the customer requested $17,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Knowles made misrepresentations to the customer concerning annuity products, effected transactions…
Steven Michael Wisniewski, of Boca Raton, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Newbridge Securities Corporation, has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that Wisniewski never corresponded with FINRA regarding his compliance with the terms of a customer initiated investment related dispute settlement or…
Alexandre Santos Leal, of Miami, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 13, 2017, in which the customer requested more than $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that during the time Leal was the customer’s financial advisor, he effected…
Karonne Tace Carlsen, of San Jose, California, a registered representative currently associated with PFS Investments Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 13, 2017, wherein the customer requested more than $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Carlsen made a faulty investment recommendation for the customer to liquidate…
Sampson Pearson Junior, of Charlotte, North Carolina, a registered representative formerly associated with Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 12, 2017, in which the customer requested more than $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that he effected unauthorized transactions in the customer’s account. FINRA…
William Christian Gennity, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Alexander Capital, L.P., has been identified in a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Complaint on February 2, 2017, in which the SEC has pursued sanctions against Gennity based upon allegations that he committed fraudulent stock transactions; conduct violative of Securities Act of…
James Edward Bogart, of McLean, Virginia, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on November 30, 2016, in which the customer requested $25,711.11 in damages based upon allegations that Bogart, between 2015 and 2016, effected transactions in the customer’s managed account that failed to be suitable for the customer. Bogart’s registration…
Marlon O. Cole, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Legend Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, in which a customer was awarded $80,600.00 on June 16, 2016, based upon allegations that Cole failed to execute the customer’s instructions to sell equity positions after ten…
David James Vigil, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 24, 2017, in which the customer requested $90,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Vigil effected unsuitable transactions in the customer’s managed wrap account. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that Vigil…
Daniel Lee Pancake, of Reno, Nevada, a stockbroker formerly registered with Calton & Associates, Inc., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based on allegations that he waffled and did not provide a response to FINRA’s request for information pertaining to Pancake’s business activities. Letter…
Matthew Lee Geiser, of Grand Island, Nebraska, a stockbroker formerly registered with Independent Financial Group, LLC, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that Geiser failed to cooperate in an investigation into allegations that he misstated information to customers about variable…
David Eliott Doll, of Los Angeles, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint, which settled on February 8, 2017, for $6,239.65 in damages based upon allegations that he effected equity transactions in the customer’s individual retirement account that were not appropriate…
Theodore Henrickus Franse, of Fair Oaks, California, a stockbroker registered with Independent Financial Group, has been terminated from employment on April 10, 2017, based upon allegations that he utilized customer information in a manner which was prohibited by the firm’s policies. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that Franse has been identified in…
Joanna Espasas of Miami, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Popular Securities, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on December 21, 2015, in which the customer requested $1,173,866.00 in damages based upon allegations that Espasas made unsuitable recommendations to the customer concerning corporate debt and closed-end funds. The customer…
Kevin and Natalie Flynn have filed a FINRA arbitration claim against TD Ameritrade alleging that the firm violated FINRA’s “know your customer” rule, recommended unsuitable investments and failed to supervise its registered persons. The claim alleges $500,000 in losses. Kevin Flynn is a 60-year-old former salesman who suffered spinal damage relating to a car accident…
Edward T. McFarlane, a broker formerly in Oppenheimer’s Jenkintown, Pennsylvania branch office, in a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver & Consent, has agreed to serve a suspension and pay a fine relating the unsuitable Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”) he recommended to a customer. Between December 2010 and June 2012 McFarlane recommended 169 unsuitable trades in inverse,…
Robert Neil Tricarico, of Westport, Connecticut, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial, LLC, has been permanently barred by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from working as an investment adviser or stockbroker, or associating with any investment adviser or brokerage firm according to an Order Instituting Administrative Proceedings pursuant to Securities Exchange Act of…
Steven John Meyer, of Staten Island, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Legend Securities, Inc., was fined $100,000.00 and suspended from acting as a broker-dealer in any capacity in The State of New Hampshire pursuant to a New Hampshire Bureau of Securities Regulation Order founded upon allegations against Meyer including, inter alia: the failure…
Peter Joseph Doyle, of Bethesda, Maryland, a stockbroker registered with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, was terminated from employment on June 24, 2016, based upon allegations that he traded in customers’ investment accounts in a manner that violated the firm’s procedures and policies. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that Doyle has been named…
John Andrew Bodnar, of Burlington, Vermont, a stockbroker registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc., was terminated from employment on January 9, 2017, based upon allegations that he solicited an unauthorized loan arrangement with one of the firm’s customers. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that Bodnar has been named in…
Deane Serfer Rudofker, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., has been terminated from employment based upon allegations that he engaged in communications and solicitations of investments with customers in a manner which violated Ameriprise’s solicitation rules. This is not the first time Rudofker was terminated for misconduct by a brokerage…
David Bruce Drucker, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Aegis Capital Corp, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected unauthorized trades in customer accounts. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No….
Warren Marc Rockmacher, of Trumbull, Connecticut, a stockbroker formerly registered with Investacorp, Inc., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he failed to cooperate in a FINRA investigation by declining to provide FINRA with information requested of him. Case No. 2015044980801…
Eugen Velea, of Manasquan, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with MML Investors Services, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on August 1, 2016, for $70,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Velea induced the customer’s mutual fund purchases by making unsuitable investment recommendations. Financial Industry Regulatory…
John Thomas Lynch, Junior, of Scottsdale, Arizona, a stockbroker formerly registered with Lawson Financial Corporation, was fined $22,338.00 and subject of cease and desist sanctions imposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) pursuant to an Order Instituting Administrative Cease and Desist Proceedings Pursuant to Securities Act of 1933 Section 8A, Securities Act of 1934…
Peter Chris Marketos, of Paramus, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with Raymond James & Associates, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on March 2, 2017, in which the customer requested more than $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Marketos, from October of 2014 to February of 2016,…
Kenneth Stewart Tyrrell, of Vienna, Virginia, a stockbroker registered with UBS Financial Services Inc., was terminated from employment on August 8, 2016, based upon allegations that he engaged in private securities transactions and outside business activities without having disclosed them to UBS Financial Services Inc. or retrieving approval from the firm; conduct violative of UBS…
Sylvester King Jr., of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, was subject of a Securities and Exchange Commission Administrative Order, in which King was ordered to cease and desist from causing future violations of Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Sections 15(a) and 17(a)(1), Rule 17a-4(b)(4), as well as Investment…
James Vernon Regier, of Topeka, Kansas, a stockbroker formerly registered with VSR Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on July 14, 2016, in which the customer requested $76,642.00 in damages based upon allegations that Regier effected unsuitable transactions in the customer’s account concerning United Development Funding IV….
Michael A. Mahabir, of Monrovia, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate in a FINRA investigation into allegations that he converted customer funds. Letter of Acceptance,…
Terry Craig Sandvold, of Saint Louis Park, Minnesota, a stockbroker currently registered with Questar Capital Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 12, 2016, in which the customer requested more than $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Sandvold made misrepresentations to the customer concerning the step-up figures…
David Wesley Wells, of Hanover, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker currently registered with Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate in a FINRA investigation into allegations against him of misappropriation. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
James Anthony Nelson, of Evans City, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity by consenting to findings that he effected unauthorized transactions in customers’ accounts. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2016050825301 (May…
Travis Kent Dillard, of Tucson, Arizona, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, has been named in two customer initiated investment related arbitration claims on October 28, 2017, in which the customers collectively requested $1,000,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Dillard, between 2011 and 2015, effected over-the-counter equity transactions in their accounts despite the…
Christopher Stephen Jorgensen, of Setauket, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Summit Brokerage Services, Inc., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations of his misconduct. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No….
Dustin Paul Shafer, of Springfield, Illinois, a stockbroker currently registered with Money Concepts Capital Corp., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 10, 2017, in which the customer requested $75,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Shafer made poor investment recommendations to the customer about real estate security products,…
David Todd II, of Kent, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc., has been fined $15,000.00 and suspended for four months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that Todd, inter alia, made misleading statements to customers in the course…
James Bradley Schwartz, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Aegis Capital Corp., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 28, 2017, in which the customer requested $269,131.00 in damages based upon allegations that Schwartz, between April of 2014 and May of 2016, breached his fiduciary and…
MSI Financial Services, Inc., a brokerage firm headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, has been censured by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) by consenting to findings that excessive fees were charged by the firm within customers’ accounts regarding mutual fund transactions, and that the firm did not appropriately supervise operations to protect customers from being overcharged. Letter…
William Carlson, a former financial advisor with Forum Financial Management, a Chicago area registered investment advisor, has admitted to stealing over $900,000 from a 63-year-old investor by forging her signature on checks drawn on her account. Carlson began his scheme in 2012.The victim had a custodial account that was managed by Carlson and Forum Financial….
Colorado investor, Grace Huitt, has won an arbitration award in excess of $1 million due to misrepresentations made to her by the broker who sold her a variable annuity. Ms. Huitt purchased an ING Landmark variable annuity in 2008. At or before the time of sale, her broker at Wilbanks Securities, Inc., a brokerage firm…
Rebecca L. Gillette, of Brockport, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Edward Jones, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 7, 2017, where the customer requested more than $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Gillette poorly advised the customer in regard to the customer’s investment account contributions….
Kim Kerry Love, of Boca Raton, Florida, a stockbroker currently registered with Summit Brokerage Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 4, 2017, in which the customer requested $499,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Love effected the “unauthorized transfer” of assets from the customer’s trust account….
Michael Barry Goldberg, of Short Hills, New Jersey, a stockbroker currently registered with Morgan Stanley, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 4, 2017, in which the customer requested $33,443.87 in damages based upon allegations that Goldberg effected unit investment trust and mutual fund transactions in the customer’s account…
Minish Joe Hede, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Paulson Investment Company LLC, was terminated from employment on April 28, 2017, based upon allegations that he was uncooperative in the firm’s investigation of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, in which the customer’s claim was based upon allegations of fraud….
Timothy John Reed, of Bristow, Washington, a stockbroker formerly registered with SunTrust Investment Services, Inc., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he failed to provide a response to FINRA’s informational request. Letter No. 2016049929801 (Apr. 24, 2017). FINRA Public Disclosure also…
James Allen, of Skokie, Illinois, a stockbroker formerly registered with Citigroup Global Markets Inc., was terminated from employment on April 4, 2017, based upon allegations that Allen’s conduct was violative of the firm’s policies as discovered via the firm’s investigation into his client communications and review of Allen’s misstatements of customer account information. Financial Industry…
Jeannette Ann Adcock, of Bloomingdale, Illinois, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wayne Hummer Investments L.L.C., was terminated from employment on April 19, 2017, based upon allegations that she violated the firm’s policy by failing to apprise the firm of a customer initiated investment related complaint. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that on…
Dean Adam Myerow, of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with BB&T Securities, LLC, has been identified in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 26, 2017, in which the customer requested $125,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that included violation of MSRB and FINRA rules, failure to supervise, breach of…
Jeffrey D. Noard, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a stockbroker formerly registered with Allied Beacon Partners, Inc., has been fined and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity pursuant to a National Adjudicatory Council Decision containing findings that he made unsuitable investment recommendations to customers. In the Matter of Department…
Melody Vuicich Kump, of Austin, Texas, a stockbroker currently registered with Raymond James & Associates, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 4, 2017, in which the customer requested $24,134.00 in damages based upon allegations that Kump, between 2013 and 2017, engaged in sales practice violations and effected…
Glenn Thomas Colangelo, of Salem, Oregon, a stockbroker formerly registered with The O.N. Equity Sales Company, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint, which settled on March 15, 2017, for $300,921.00 in damages based upon allegations that Colangelo failed to act in the customer’s best interest pertaining to the customer’s investment…
Richard Anthony McCollam, of Lafayette, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with National Planning Corporation, has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity pursuant to a FINRA Office of Hearing Officers’ Hearing Panel Decision containing findings that he failed to disclose customer complaints as required…
Daniel M. King, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Brookville Capital Partners, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 1, 2017, in which the customer requested $59,330.70 in damages based upon allegations that he solicited customers’ investments for products they were not suitable for, and led…
James Davis Trent, of Columbia, South Carolina, a stockbroker formerly registered with AXA Advisors LLC, was suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity pursuant to an Order Accepting Offer of Settlement issued by FINRA Office of Hearing Officers which contained findings that Trent made unsuitable investment recommendations to…
Matt Ward, of Santa Monica, California, a stockbroker currently registered with Euro Pacific Capital, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 6, 2017, in which the customer requested $40,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Ward, between 2015 and 2016, charged the customer with excessive commissions and effected…
John George Marakas III, of Beverly Hills, California, a stockbroker currently registered with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on March 11, 2016, in which the customer requested more than $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Marakas failed to abide by the customer’s stop…
Andrew John Logullo, of Los Angeles, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameritas Investment Corp, has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended for six months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that Logullo engaged in undisclosed outside business activities and omitted information from his…
Laurence Michael Torres, of Staten Island, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with First Standard Financial Company LLC, has suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he did not relay to FINRA that he was compliant with a customer initiated investment related settlement or…
Mary Ann Wise, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Blackbook Capital, LLC, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that she failed to comply with a FINRA investigation into her involvement with another individual FINRA barred for…
Joshua William Patterson, of Houston, Texas, a stockbroker currently registered with IMS Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 7, 2017, in which the customer requested $1,233,805.00 in damages based upon allegations that Patterson breached his contractual and fiduciary duties to the customer, failed to conduct due…
Stephen J. Landa, of Easton, Connecticut, a stockbroker formerly registered with Invest Financial Corporation, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected unsuitable transactions in a customer’s account. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2016049485101…
Ricardo E. Urrutia, of Bronx, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 15, 2016, in which the customer requested $9,496.04 in damages based upon allegations that Urrutia made misrepresentations to the customer concerning a variable annuity product. Financial…
Anthony John Cummings, of Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland, a stockbroker formerly registered with Edward Jones, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity by consenting to findings that he converted customer funds. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2016051104901 (May 9, 2017). FINRA Public Disclosure reveals that on…
Eugene A. Riggio, of Hawthorne, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wilmington Capital Securities, LLC, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity by consenting to findings that Riggio obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations that he misappropriated funds. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No….
Felippe Teixeira Alves, of New York, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with National Securities Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on June 20, 2016, in which the customer requested $5,750,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Alves effected unauthorized trades, churned the customer’s investment account, made investment based…
Scott Sherwin Polish, of Mentor, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity by consenting to findings that he obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations that Polish converted customer funds. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent,…
Alonza Barnett Junior, of Greensboro, North Carolina, has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon his failure to provide FINRA staff with information about his activities. Letter No. 2017053125201 (Mar. 9, 2017). Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that Barnett has been identified…
David Alan Lavine, of Houston, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with UBS Financial Services Inc., has been fined and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon his failure to confirm with FINRA staff that he was compliant with a settlement agreement or customer initiated investment related…
Christopher S. Laws, of Roswell, Georgia, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, was named in a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation on January 15, 2016, in which the SEC is examining allegations that Laws, inter alia, failed to disclose that the brokerage firm he worked for was not government affiliated when dealing…
Raymond John Pirrello Junior, of Hackensack, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with Garden State Securities, has been fined and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon his failure to provide FINRA staff with information about his activities. Letter No. 2016050071901 (July 11, 2016). Financial Industry…
Robert Anthony Guidicipietro, of Holmdel, New Jersey, a stockbroker currently registered with Aegis Capital Corp., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on March 1, 2017, where the customer requested $250,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Guidicipietro breached his fiduciary duties, made unsuitable investment recommendations and misrepresentations to the customers,…
Teryl Lee Trenchard, of Reston, Virginia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Capital Securities Management, Inc., has been identified in a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) investigation on March 10, 2017, wherein FINRA is examining alleged fraudulent activities of Trenchard. Trenchard was terminated by Capital Securities Management on March 10, 2017, based upon allegations that he…
Jonathan Spencer Williams, of Timonium, Maryland, a stockbroker formerly registered with NYLife Securities LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 6, 2017, in which the customer requested $37,901.22 in damages based upon allegations that Williams effected transactions in the customer’s account that may not have been authorized. Financial…
Daniel P. Reilly, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint, which settled on January 25, 2017, for $16,727.00 in damages based upon allegations that he effected unauthorized mutual fund trades in the customer’s account….
Frank Harmon Black, of Charlotte, North Carolina, owner of Southeast Investments, N.C., Inc., has been fined $170,000.00 and barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based on an Extended Hearing Panel Decision containing findings that he failed to supervise the firm’s business operations in a manner which was…
Anastasios P. Belesis, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with John Thomas Financial, has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he failed to notify FINRA concerning his compliance with a customer initiated investment related arbitration award or a settlement…
Jeffrey Alan Hill, of Bemidji, Minnesota, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, was sanctioned by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), in which his securities registration was revoked by FINRA for failing to fulfill his payment of fines and disgorgement associated with a prior FINRA disciplinary action against him. Letter No. 2015047008703 (Mar. 17,…
James Emory Poe, of Forth Worth, Texas, an operator and joint owner of Jim Poe & Associates, Inc., was subject of sanctions including an undertaking, revocation, and cease and desist imposed by the State of Texas Securities Board pursuant to a Disciplinary Order containing allegations that he, inter alia, charged excessive fund management fees, omitted…
William Bartly Wolf, of Newark, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on September 2, 2015, based upon allegations that Wolf effected mutual fund trades in the customer’s investment account without the customer’s consent. Financial Industry Regulatory…
Stephen Brown, of Pittsford, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc., was charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Department of Enforcement in a Complaint based upon allegations that he, inter alia, engaged in private securities transactions and outside business activities without disclosing them to his firm. Department…
Charles Alan Correal, of Upper Saint Clair, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 20, 2017, in which the customer requested $22,600.00 in damages based upon allegations that Correal effected unsuitable stock transactions in the customer’s account. Financial Industry…
Voigt C. Kempson, of Sparta, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with Commonwealth Financial Network, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected unauthorized transactions in a customer’s account. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No….
Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, a brokerage firm headquartered in El Segundo, California, has been censured by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm charged customers with excessive fees in reference to mutual fund transactions, and inadequately supervised its business operations to make sure customers were not overcharged. Letter of…
Brant Andrew Ray, of Southaven, Mississippi, a stockbroker formerly registered with Commonwealth Financial Network, has been charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Department of Enforcement in a Complaint alleging that Ray engaged in an unauthorized borrowing arrangement with a customer of the firm. Department of Enforcement v. Brant Andrew Ray, No. 2015047096601 (May 1,…
William H. McWilliams, of Jefferson City, Missouri, a stockbroker formerly registered with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., has been fined $7,500.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected transactions in customer accounts that were not authorized by customers. Letter…
Richard L. Brown, of Farmingdale, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Arive Capital Markets, has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that Brown failed to apprise FINRA staff of his compliance with a settlement agreement or customer initiated arbitration claim. Letter No….
Joshua Gottlieb, of Woodland Hills, California, a registered representative with Benefit Funding Services, LLC, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations that he sold away from his firm. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
Joseph Manuel Focil, of Santa Monica, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 6, 2016, in which the customer requested more than $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Focil failed to execute the sale of the customer’s equity…
Brent D. Johns, of Dubuque, Iowa, a stockbroker formerly registered with Edward Jones, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 10, 2017, in which the customer requested $35,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that he poorly advised the customer concerning liquidity within a fixed annuity policy issued to the…
Joseph C. Farah, of Irvine, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Gold Coast Securities, Inc., has been charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Department of Enforcement in a Complaint alleging that Farah excessively traded and churned a customer’s investment account. Department of Enforcement v. Joseph C. Farah, No. 2014041432401 (May. 8, 2017). According to…
Craig Gary Langweiler of Newton, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly registered with Summit Brokerage Services, Inc., was named in a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Wells Notice, which indicated that a disciplinary action against Langweiler had been recommended by FINRA. Wells Notice No. 20140403477 (May. 1, 2017). The Notice indicated that from December of 2011 to…
Brandon Christopher Oliver, of Hunt Valley, Maryland, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on June 8, 2016, for $25,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Oliver, inter alia, made misrepresentations to the customer concerning the surrender of the customer’s…
Wayne Frederick Slattery Jr., of New York City, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with MetLife Securities Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 4, 2016, in which the customer’s damages are estimated to exceed $5,000.00 based upon allegations that Slattery induced the customer’s purchase of a variable…
Mark Joseph Glattly, of Beverly Hills, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with TD Ameritrade, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 30, 2017, in which the customer requested $855,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that the options strategy Glattly recommended was unsuitable for the customer. Financial Industry Regulatory…
Ronald D. Broadstone, of New Albany, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with UBS Financial Services, Inc., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to comply with a FINRA investigation request concerning allegations of Broadstone misappropriating customer funds. Letter…
Kyusun Kim, of San Diego, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Independent Financial Group, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on March 7, 2017, where the customer requested $350,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Kim violated federal and state securities laws, breached his contractual and fiduciary duties, and…
William Madison Swayne II, of Seattle, Washington, a stockbroker formerly registered with Pacific West Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, in which a customer was awarded $1,134,911.49 in damages on November 16, 2016, based upon allegations that Swayne made misrepresentations and omissions to the customer, and negligently handled…
Jeffrey L. Scheibner, of Irvine, California, a registered representative formerly associated with Accelerated Capital Group, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended for three months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected trades in customer accounts without authorization. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
Leavitt Freeman Sanders, of West Point, Georgia, a stockbroker formerly registered with INVEST Financial Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint, which settled on January 16, 2017, for $11,503.00 in damages based upon allegations that Sanders effected investment strategies concerning options products that were misrepresented and unsuitable for the customer….
Jose Ramon Gonzalez, of Chicago, Illinois, a stockbroker formerly registered with American Trust Investment Services, Inc., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he did not participate in a FINRA investigation into allegations of excessive trades having been effected in…
Jonathan M. Lo, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with NYLife Securities LLC, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate with a FINRA investigation into allegations that he effected unsuitable exchanges of…
Jeffrey Timothy Kluge, of Saint Paul, Minnesota, a stockbroker currently registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he failed to provide FINRA staff with information concerning his activities. Letter No. 2016052377201 (Apr. 10,…
Robert Hayes Hoffman, of Greenwood, Indiana, a stockbroker formerly registered with Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 17, 2017, in which the customer requested $3,200,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Hoffman sold away from his firm, churned the customer’s account, and effected unauthorized…
Scott Allen Sibley, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Raymond James & Associates, Inc., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that Sibley, inter alia, made unsuitable investment recommendations to customers, traded in customer accounts without authorization,…
Jeffrey Thomas Rathmanner, a stockbroker registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has been terminated from employment on April 5, 2017, based upon allegations that Rathmanner made representations to others on behalf of Merrill Lynch which the firm had not authorized. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that on March 16,…
Robert Daniel Witt, of Libertyville, Illinois, a stockbroker registered with Voya Financial Advisors, Inc., has been terminated from employment on October 14, 2016, based upon the firm’s allegations that transactions were effected by Witt in a customer account despite the customer never having provided Witt with authorization. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals…
Gregory Walter McCloskey, of Irvine, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Newport Coast Securities, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he sold away from his firm. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015044037901 (May. 1,…
Summit Equities, Inc., a brokerage firm headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, has been censured and fined $325,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm did not adequately supervise registered representatives’ private securities transactions as well as recommendations of variable annuity share classes. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent,…
James Davis Trent, of Columbia, South Carolina, a stockbroker formerly registered with AXA Advisors LLC, was charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Department of Enforcement in a Complaint containing allegations that he made unsuitable investment recommendations to customers. Department of Enforcement v. James Davis Trent, No. 2014041539301 (Apr. 27, 2017). According to the Complaint,…
Baris Dincer, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Revere Securities LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on June 1, 2016, in which the customer requested $45,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Dincer effected unauthorized corporate debt transactions in the customer’s account. Financial Industry Regulatory…
Pamela Lynn Kourtakis, of Dana Point, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on September 8, 2016, in which the customer requested $5,835.18 in damages based upon allegations that Kourtakis effected the purchase of a variable annuity contract that was not…
Anthony Randall Bartlett, of Worcester, Massachusetts, a stockbroker formerly registered with MetLife Securities, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on May 13, 2016, in which the customer requested $41,686.62 in damages based upon allegations that Bartlett made misrepresentations to the customer concerning a variable annuity. Bartlett has been registered with…
Ann Marie Comcowich, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, a registered representative formerly associated with Prudential Investment Management Services LLC, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that she failed to cooperate in a FINRA investigation into allegations of her unauthorized customer account withdrawals….
Steven Kent Quinly, of Walnut Creek, California, a stockbroker currently registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on February 21, 2017, in which the customer requested $116,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Quinly made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer as…
Andoni Yturralde, of New York, New York, a stockbroker registered with deVere USA Inc., has been terminated from employment on January 27, 2017, based upon allegations that Yturralde failed to cooperate with the procedures and policies of the firm, failed to effect trades in accordance with a customer’s instructions, and effected unauthorized equity transactions in…
Greg D. Templeton, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations of his sales practice violations and “mishandling” of…
Charles Henry Frieda, of Irvine, California, a stockbroker currently registered with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on March 29, 2017, based upon allegations that Frieda overconcentrated the customer’s holdings in equities that the customer was not suitable for. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public…
Garrett Andrew Ahrens, of Lafayette, Louisiana, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on October 22, 2015, in which the customer requested damages estimated to be greater than $5,000.00 based upon allegations that Ahrens effected the unsuitable switch of policies issued by Navy…
The Guiliano Law Group has filed an FINRA Arbitration action against G.F. Investment Services LLC based upon the conduct of Richard Walker Lunn Martin, or Richard W. Martin, the chief of gloom and doom, and speculative moron that invested the accounts of virtually all his customers in highly risky inverse and/or leveraged ETF securities. Martin…
Markos John Pappas, of Houston, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with Edward Jones, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on August 4, 2016, in which the customer requested $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Pappas effected the unsuitable purchase of the customer’s immediate annuity issued by Mass Retiree Choice….
Arthur J. Smithee Junior, of Orem, Utah, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he engaged in unapproved outside business activities and sold securities to customers outside the auspices…
Unfortunately, for what is a substantial percentage of claimants who win arbitration awards against their brokers and/or their brokerage firm, FINRA has declined to address an all to common situation that investors face – that of unpaid arbitration awards. Last week, FINRA’s governing board failed to significantly address the problem of unpaid arbitration awards that…
Patrick Churchville, president of a Rhode Island investment advisor, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison in March of this year relating to a Ponzi scheme he operated since 2010. Churchville was president of ClearPath Wealth Management, LLC. In 2015 the SEC filed a civil complaint alleging that Churchville and ClearPath diverted investor deposits…
Wallace Martin Giakas, of Little Silver, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with Buckman, Buckman & Reid, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related civil action on August 3, 2015, in which the customer requested more than $15,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Giakas induced the customer’s private placement investment based…
Lynn Grossman, of Westport, Connecticut, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on March 30, 2017, in which the customer requested $168,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Grossman made misrepresentations and unsuitable recommendations to the customer concerning a variable annuity that the…
Andrew Bennett Kramer, of Brooklyn, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Capital Securities Management, Inc., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate in a FINRA investigation into allegations of Kramer’s wrongdoing referenced in a customer…
Hossein Amirriahei, of Los Angeles, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that she failed to cooperate in an investigation into allegations of her unauthorized trading in customer accounts. Letter…
Neil Palazzo, of Syosset, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with David Lerner and Associates, Inc., has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected transactions in customer accounts without authorization. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent,…
Eric Alan Zakarin, of Westfield, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint, which settled on June 28, 2016, for $3,719.53 in damages based upon allegations that Zakarin effected unauthorized mutual fund transactions in the customer’s account. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)…
Jay Martin Chapler, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Silver Leaf Partners, LLC, has been fined $22,500.00 and suspended for four months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that Chapler, inter alia, took part in outside business activities that…
Walter Marino, of Bohemia, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Legend Equities Corporation, was charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in a Complaint alleging that he made unsuitable investment recommendations to customers and misrepresented the source of customer funds used to purchase investments. Department of Enforcement v. Walter Marino, No. 2015046537501 (Apr. 24,…
Jay Martin Chapler, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Silver Leaf Partners, LLC, has been fined $22,500.00 and suspended for four months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that Chapler, inter alia, took part in outside business activities that…
Bahram Mirhashemi, of Artesia, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on April 10, 2017, for $85,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Mirhashemi mishandled the customer’s investment account, and effected equity trades in the customer’s account on an excessive…
David Steven Rasdolsky, of Reston, Virginia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on July 29, 2015, based upon allegations that he made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer concerning mutual funds, and omitted facts concerning the fees pertaining…
Richard William Lunn Martin of Miami, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with G.F. Investment Services, LLC, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon an Order Accepting Offer of Settlement issued by FINRA Office of Hearing Officers, which contained findings that Martin, inter alia, made unsuitable…
Howard Jay Rubin, of Murrieta, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with MetLife Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on March 24, 2016, in which the customer’s damages are estimated to exceed $5,000.00, based upon allegations that Rubin made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer concerning equity indexed annuity…
Thomas Damian McKenzie, a stockbroker formerly registered with MSI Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 3, 2017, in which the customer requested $6,114.00 in damages based upon allegations that McKenzie failed to execute the customer’s instructions concerning the reallocation of sub-accounts in the customer’s variable…
Leon Edward Dixon, of Miami, Florida, a registered representative formerly associated with AXA Advisors, LLC, has been fined $7,500.00 and suspended for five months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that Dixon, inter alia, engaged in unauthorized private securities transactions. Letter of Acceptance,…
Thomas John Trea, of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly registered with MSI Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on August 5, 2015, based upon allegations that Trea induced the customer’s variable annuity purchase based upon Trea’s misrepresentations. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure also reveals…
Angelina Ozlem Todurge, of Palm Beach, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that she obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations that she converted funds. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and…
David Jay Homan, of Bay City, Michigan, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on April 6, 2016, for $206,500.00 in damages based upon allegations that Homan misappropriated funds during the period in which he was trustee of the customer’s…
Scott Andrew Valentine, a stockbroker formerly registered with Capital One Investing, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on March 27, 2017, in which the customer requested damages estimated to exceed $5,000.00 based upon allegations that Valentine effected the unsuitable purchase of the customer’s variable annuity. Valentine’s registration with Capital…
Peyton Nelson Jackson, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Alexander Capital, L.P., and Legend Securities, Inc., has been charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority in a Complaint which alleges that Jackson failed to cooperate in a FINRA investigation into allegations that he effected fraudulent transactions in customer accounts. Department of Enforcement…
David K. Stone, of Action, Massachusetts, a stockbroker formerly registered with Liberty Tree Advisors, LLC, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any principal capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to supervise a firm representative’s private securities transactions. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
Andrew Scott Corbman, of Lansdowne, Virginia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Kovack Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on April 20, 2017, for $100,000.00 in damages based upon allegations including breach of contract and unsuitability pertaining to the customer’s stock purchases. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)…
Raul Enrique Jacobs, of Orland Park, Illinois, a stockbroker formerly registered with Waddell & Reed, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity after failing to provide FINRA with information concerning his activities. Letter No. 2016050202901 (Feb. 14, 2017). FINRA later sanctioned Jacobs for failing to…
Aileen Eppig, of Hauppauge, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that she failed to cooperate in a FINRA investigation into allegations that she engaged in unauthorized loan arrangements…
Robert Allan Stroud, of Erie, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly registered with Allegheny Investments, Ltd., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on March 2, 2017, based upon allegations that Stroud made unsuitable recommendations regarding the customer’s purchase of a variable annuity issued through Jackson National Life. Stroud’s registration with Allegheny Investments,…
William Cambell Webb, of Panama City, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Raymond James Financial Services, has been fined $15,000.00 and suspended for eighteen months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he engaged in outside business activities and unauthorized loan arrangements with…
Kathleen Jeanette Tarr, of Lafayette, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on February 27, 2017, for $550,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Tarr made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer regarding real estate securities. Financial Industry Regulatory…
John Edward Olinghouse, of Sparks, Nevada, a stockbroker formerly registered with HD Vest Investment Services, has been fined $15,000.00 and suspended for one year from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity, based upon consenting to findings that he fabricated customer account documentation. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No….
Allan Montalbano, of Westbury, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with National Securities Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on March 31, 2017, for $15,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Montalbano breached his contractual duties, made misrepresentations to the customer, breached his fiduciary obligations, and violated…
Garden State Securities, Inc., a brokerage firm headquartered in Red Bank, New Jersey, was censured and fined by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm, inter alia, failed to supervise its exchange traded fund business. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, https://securitiesarbitrations.com//inverse-leveraged-etf-funds/No. 2013035131702 (Apr. 12, 2017). According to the AWC,…
Caffe Aldo Lamberti is one of my favorite restaurants in all of South Jersey. So my wife and I were rather excited when we received a “Special Invitation” in the mail for a “Complimentary Evening of Fine Dining” at our favorite restaurant, while at the same time we would learn about the “latest strategies to lower…
Demitrios Hallas, a former registered representative of Forefront Capital Markets and and PHX Financial was charged today by the United States Securities & Exchange Commission with the violation of the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws in connection with the recommendation and sale of unsuitable securities. United States Securities & Exchange Commission v. Hallas,…
John Columbia, of Garden City, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Woodstock Financial Group, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on August 30, 2016, for $60,500.00 in damages based upon allegations that Columbia made misrepresentations to the customer, breached his contractual obligations, negligently handled the customer’s portfolio,…
Michael Salvatore Stanton, a former branch office manager and director of capital markets for Legend Securities, Inc., has been charged in a Complaint by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Department of Enforcement containing allegations that Stanton failed to supervise a registered representative who defrauded a disabled, blind and elderly investor. Department of Enforcement v. Michael…
James Joseph Beaupre, of Boulder, Colorado, a stockbroker currently registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on March 21, 2017, in which the customer requested $10,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Beaupre failed to provide the customer with accurate information concerning the fees and administration…
Todd Karl Osgood, of Tampa, Florida, a stockbroker currently registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on March 22, 2017, in which customers requested $11,488.00 in damages based upon allegations that Osgood effected an unauthorized withdrawal from the customers’ variable annuity issued by the firm’s…
Richard G. Cody, of Spring Lake, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered Concorde Investment Services, LLC, was charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Department of Enforcement in a Complaint alleging that he obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations of his business activities which occurred while his FINRA securities registration was suspended. Department of Enforcement…
Daniel James Lauletta, of Valley View, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related civil action on February 18, 2015, in which the customer requested $455,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Lauletta breached his contractual duties to the customer, and engaged in negligent…
Dominick & Dominick LLC, a brokerage firm headquartered in New York, New York, was censured and fined $20,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm, inter alia, charged excessive commissions to customers. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2014041218901 (Apr. 7, 2017). According to the AWC, between…
Kenneth Sydney Kaufman, of White Plains, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with David Lerner Associates, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on June 10, 2015, based upon allegations that Kaufman made misrepresentations to the customer concerning real estate securities effected in the customer’s account. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority…
Sherman Thomas Felix, of Garden City, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Spartan Capital Securities, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on November 12, 2015, in which the customer requested $31,711.00 in damages based upon allegations that Felix made unsuitable recommendations to the customer concerning stock investments, where…
Darren C. Goodrich, of El Segundo, California, a stockbroker and market maker formerly registered with BMA Securities LLC, has been barred by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from acting as an investment adviser, broker or associating with entities which sell securities or offer advice to the investor public according to an Order Instituting Administrative…
Scott Kevin Erickson, of Athens, Georgia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on March 24, 2017, in which the customer requested $8,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Erickson, in his capacity as the customer’s financial advisor, effected unauthorized mutual…
James Anthony Nelson, of Evans City, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on June 6, 2016, in which the customer requested more than $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Nelson, from 2014 to 2016, made misrepresentations to the customer concerning…
John William Rafal, of Essex Connecticut, former president and chief executive officer of Essex Financial Services, Inc., has been barred by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from acting as an investment adviser, broker or associating with entities that sell securities or advise the investor public according to an Order Instituting Administrative Proceedings Pursuant to…
Mikael C. Lee, of San Mateo, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on December 27, 2016, in which the customer requested more than $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Lee misrepresented the terms of investments effected in the customer’s account,…
Shimshon Plotkin, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, a stockbroker currently registered with Independent Financial Group, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on June 20, 2016, in which the customer requested $1,000,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Plotkin effected unsuitable transactions in the customer’s account, breached his fiduciary and contractual…
Donald Lee Wells, of Seattle, Washington, a stockbroker currently registered with Titan Securities of Addison Texas (CRD No. 131392), has been fined $2,500.00 and subject of cease-and-desist sanctions pursuant to a Consent Order issued by the State of Washington Department of Financial Institutions Securities Division based upon allegations that Wells, inter alia, violated the Securities…
Melissa Lynne Maxwell, of Pepper Pike, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with The Huntington Investment Company, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 29, 2015, in which the customer requested $6,642.25 in damages based upon allegations that Maxwell made misrepresentations to the customer concerning the penalties associated with the…
David Anthony Kamm, of Saint Augustine, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Raymond James & Associates, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint, which settled on June 23, 2016, for $150,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that from May 29, 2013, to February 29, 2016, Kamm effected unsuitable over-the-counter equity…
Howard Deen Richards, of Plymouth, Minnesota, a stockbroker formerly registered with NFP Advisor Services, has been barred by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from acting as an investment adviser, broker or associating with entities which sell securities or offer advice to the investor public pursuant to an Order Instituting Administrative Proceedings Pursuant to Sections…
Christopher Paul Scalese, of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker associated with Kestra Investment Services, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 10, 2017, in which the customer requested $1,326,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Scalese made misrepresentations and unsuitable recommendations to the customer, and effected unsuitable real estate…
William Scholander, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly associated with Radnor Research & Trading Company LLC, has been barred by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from acting as an investment adviser, broker or associating with entities which sell securities or offer advice to the investor public based upon an Order Instituting Administrative…
Amy Elizabeth Elias, of Jersey City, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with E*Trade Securities LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, in which the customer was awarded $10,000.00 in damages on April 14, 2016, based upon allegations that Elias effected unsuitable government debt transactions in the customer’s account, breached…
Mark A. Sutherland, of Moosic, Pennsylvania, a broker formerly registered with MSI Financial Services Inc, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on September 28, 2015, based upon allegations that Sutherland made misrepresentations to the customer concerning a variable annuity transaction which had been purchased by the customer in February of…
UBS Financial Services, Inc., a broker-dealer headquartered in New York, New York, has been censured and disgorged of $8,227,566.00 plus interest by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) pursuant to an Order Instituting Administrative Proceedings Pursuant to Section 15(b)(4) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and UBS Financial Services, Inc.’s Offer of Settlement, which…
The Guiliano Law Group is investigating claims on behalf of investors involving Paul Wescoe Smith formerly associated with Bolton Global Capital in Wayne, Pennsylvania in connection with the sale of the unregistered securities of the Haverford Group. On February 2, 2016, according to FINRA Public Disclosure Records, Smith was discharged or terminated by Bolton Global…
David A. Tufts, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to provide recorded testimony in a FINRA investigation into allegation of his supervisory misconduct….
Robert J. Murray, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Spartan Capital Securities LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on December 22, 2016, in which the customer requested $374,839.00 in damages based upon allegations that Murray converted the customer’s funds, effected unsuitable and excessive over-the-counter equity…
Lori C. Weaver, of Renton Washington, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on March 22, 2017, in which the customer requested $70,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Weaver effected unsuitable and illiquid real estate investment trust transactions in the customer’s…
Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation, a brokerage firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been censured and fined $100,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon the firm’s consent to findings that it failed to supervise the private securities transactions that two stockbrokers engaged in. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2013039024401 (Apr. 6, 2017)….
Legend Equities Corporation, a brokerage firm headquartered in Delaware, was censured by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm took advantage of charitable entities and retirement plan customers by overcharging them in mutual fund transactions. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2016050259801 (Apr. 4, 2017). According to the…
Wendy B. Feldman, and Peter Joseph Doyle, of Washington, District of Columbia, stockbrokers registered with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, have been terminated from employment on June 24, 2016, based upon allegations that they violated their firm’s procedures and additionally failed to comply with regulatory rules pertaining to exercising discretion in customer accounts. Financial Industry Regulatory…
Michael Alan Siegel, of Edison, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with National Securities Corporation, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon his failure to provide a response to FINRA staff’s information request. Letter No. 2016050346301 (Oct. 28, 2016). FINRA Public Disclosure reveals…
William Ferrell Albin, of Las Vegas, Nevada, a stockbroker registered with Waddell & Reed, Inc., has been terminated from employment on July 21, 2016, based upon allegations that he violated policies of the firm by exercising discretion in customer accounts without the customers’ written authorization. This is not the first time that Albin has been…
Mark Schklar, of New Woodstock, New York, stockbroker formerly registered with BB&T Securities, LLC, has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended for eight months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he sold away from his firm. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No….
Georgraphicly challenged Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation, a FINRA member brokerage firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, in which customers were collectively awarded $922,466.00 in damages based upon allegations of negligence, failure to supervise, breach of contract, unsuitability, misrepresentations and omissions, breach of fiduciary duty, and…
Renee Rochelle Fields, of Manchester, Missouri, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., was terminated from employment on October 3, 2016, based upon allegations that Fields exercised discretion in customers’ accounts without their consent, effected a mutual fund trading strategy which was unsuitable for customers, and failed to apprise customers of material information…
Becky Vee Halphin, of North Kansas City, Missouri, a stockbroker formerly registered with General Securities Corp., has been barred from registering as a broker-dealer representative or investment adviser representative in the State of Missouri based upon a Missouri Commissioner of Securities Consent Order containing findings that she engaged in unethical and dishonest business activities. In…
Stacey Lee Rognon, of Houston, Texas, a stockbroker currently registered with IMS Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on July 15, 2016, in which the customer requested $3,000,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Rognon made misrepresentations to the customer concerning investments, breached his fiduciary obligations to the…
Tracy Rae Turner, of Carlsbad, California, a stockbroker formerly associated with Colorado Financial Service Corporation, has been fined $272,879.04 and barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon a FINRA Office of Hearing Officers Default Decision containing findings that Turner effected unauthorized private securities transactions and made…
Steven W. Shirley, of Friendswood, Texas, a stockbroker currently registered with IMS Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on November 10, 2016, in which the customer requested $100,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Shirley breached his fiduciary duties to the customer, and failed to conduct reasonable due…
John Sherman Bixby, of Lincoln, Nebraska, a stockbroker registered with Ameritas Investment Corp., was terminated from employment on June 15, 2016, based upon allegations that he engaged in sales practices and communications with customers in a manner which violated Ameritas’ procedures and policies. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that on October 25,…
The Investment Center, headquartered in Bedminster, New Jersey, was reprimanded and fined $50,000.00 by Texas State Securities Board pursuant to a Consent Order containing findings that the firm failed to supervise a registered representative’s activities, which consisted of making unsuitable investment recommendations to customers. In the Matter of The Dealer Registration of The Investment Center,…
Thomas Benjamin Carreras, of West Palm Beach, Florida, a stockbroker currently registered with Ameritas Investment Corp., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on February 27, 2017, for $8,500.00 in damages based upon allegations that Carreras transacted in the customer’s account in a negligent fashion, breached his fiduciary and…
Douglas Lee Hodges, a stockbroker currently registered with Hilltop Securities Inc. and Hilltop Securities Independent Network Inc., has been subject of investigation conducted by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) into allegations that from April of 2012 to March of 2014, Hodges failed to supervise a registered representative’s activities involving unit investment trust and mutual fund…
Ronald Arthur Christopher Jr., of Altamonte Springs, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrimac Corporate Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on October 13, 2016, in which the customer requested $400,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Christopher breached his fiduciary obligations to the customer, negligently handled the…
Andrew Raymond Scheirer II, of Lake Mary, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with First Allied Securities, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on July 18, 2016, for $30,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Scheirer defrauded the customer, breached his contractual duties, and effected private equity transactions in…
David Khezri, of Holbrook, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Cape Securities, Inc. has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected unauthorized trades in customer accounts. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015044589701 (Sept….
Michael Daniel Shaw, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a stockbroker formerly registered with VSR Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, in which customers were collectively awarded $307,000.00 in damages on February 4, 2016, based upon allegations that Shaw breached his fiduciary and contractual duties to the customers, negligently…
Legend Securities Inc., a former New York based brokerage firm whose license was cancelled by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in January of 2017, was fined $300,000.00 by the Securities Commissioner of South Carolina based upon an Administrative Order containing findings that the firm charged customers with fees which were not reasonable, made unsuitable investment…
William Stafford Thurmond, of El Paso, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with EDI Financial, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, where the customer was awarded $212,731.00 in damages on January 20, 2016, based upon allegations that Thurmond breached his fiduciary obligations to the customer, effected trades which were neither…
Garden State Securities, Inc., a brokerage firm headquartered in Red Bank, New Jersey, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, in which the customer was awarded $142,168.00 in damages on July 5, 2016. The customer’s claim was based upon allegations that the firm breached its fiduciary and contractual duties to the…
GWN Securities, Inc., a brokerage firm headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, has been fined $20,000.00 by Florida Office of Financial Regulation based upon consenting to findings that the firm failed to discover that its registered representatives had engaged in outside business activities, utilized advertising materials that had not been approved by firm principals, and…
Anthony David Scott Sr., of Downers Grove, Illinois, a stockbroker formerly registered with MSI Financial Services, Inc. has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 8, 2017, in which the customer requested more than $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Scott failed to abide by the customer’s instructions concerning…
David L. Sheppard, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Aegis Capital Corp., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations of his sales practice violations. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and…
Brian J. Mocogni, of East Providence, Rhode Island, a stockbroker formerly registered with MetLife Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on March 10, 2016, in which the customer requested more than $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Mocogni made misrepresentations to the customer concerning a variable annuity…
Darrell Eugene Masters, of Cincinnati, Ohio, a stockbroker currently registered with Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 25, 2017, in which the customer requested $41,663.08 in damages based upon allegations that Masters failed to disclose the risks pertaining to direct participation programs or limited…
Joseph Alan Likens, of Des Peres, Missouri, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on March 20, 2017, for $92,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Likens made unsuitable investment recommendations and misrepresentations to the customer, and sold securities to the…
Peyton Nelson Jackson, of New York, New York, has been subject of an investigation conducted by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), in which FINRA has determined that Jackson be disciplined for failing to provide information and documentation to FINRA staff in reference to allegations of his alleged wrongdoing and failing to appear before FINRA staff…
Susan Lavon Welo, of Mayville, North Dakota, a stockbroker formerly registered with Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 24, 2017, in which the customer requested $45,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Welo failed to abide by the customer’s instructions to invest in short…
Mamta Rai, a stockbroker formerly registered with Valic Financial Advisors, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 27, 2016, in which the customer requested $45,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Rai misrepresented the returns that the customer would be guaranteed pursuant to her variable annuity investment. Financial…
Lloyd Henry Dotson, of New Canaan, Connecticut, a stockbroker formerly registered with Commonwealth Financial Network, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate in a FINRA investigation into allegations that he engaged in outside business activities without…
James Yan-Sin Lee, of San Francisco, California, a stockbroker currently registered with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 16, 2016, in which the customer requested $19,026.75 in damages based upon allegations that Lee made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer concerning investments effected in…
Christopher D. Stoddard, of Norwell, Massachusetts, a stockbroker registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, was terminated from employment on November 23, 2016, based upon allegations of his conduct which coincided with Stoddard’s September 16, 2016 termination from his former employer, Morgan Stanley. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that Stoddard has been named…
Edward Lonnie Dover III, of Winter Park, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with SunTrust Investment Services, Inc., was terminated from employment on September 20, 2016, based upon allegations that he violated his firm’s procedures and policies concerning the handling of a customer’s fixed annuity transaction. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that Dover…
John Amador Blakezuniga of Irvine, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Vanguard Capital, has been fined $25,000.00 and suspended for twenty-two months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he made unsuitable investment recommendations to customers, falsified compliance documents, and entered into unauthorized borrowing…
Neal Charles Moon, and Natalie E. Fogiel Moon, of Dallas, Texas, stockbrokers formerly registered with Waddell & Reed, have been sanctioned by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) pursuant to an Office of Hearing Officers Order Accepting Offer of Settlement containing findings that the Moons, inter alia, engaged in private securities transactions. Department of Enforcement v….
John Christopher Oldham, of Wautoma, Wisconsin, a stockbroker formerly registered with NFB Financial Group, LLC, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he engaged in an unauthorized commission sharing agreement with an unregistered institution, and caused the…
Clay Emerson Hoffman, of Brunswick, Georgia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Summit Brokerage Services, Inc., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon a FINRA Office of Hearing Officers Default Decision and Order containing findings that he obstructed an investigation into allegations that Hoffman…
Jeffrey Paul Davis, of Wethersfield, Connecticut, a stockbroker formerly registered with Harvest Capital LLC, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he made unsuitable investment recommendations to firm customers. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2013039456301 (Apr….
Matthew Park Best, of Shippenville, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker currently registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 16, 2017, in which the customer requested $32,546.00 in damages based upon allegations that Best made faulty assurances to the customer concerning payments that the customer would…
Lance Jeffrey Ziesemer, of Wayzata, Minnesota, a stockbroker formerly registered with Feltl & Company, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that Ziesemer failed to provide a response to FINRA personnel’s information request. Letter No. 2016049847001 (Sept. 26, 2016). Ziesemer was previously…
Sean Michael Logue, of Parsippany, New Jersey, a stockbroker currently registered with Hennion & Walsh, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on February 28, 2017, in which the customer requested $150,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Logue effected unsuitable municipal bond transactions in the customer’s investment account. Financial…
Sherman Marcel White, of Park Forest, Illinois, a stockbroker formerly registered with U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that White did not provide a response to FINRA personnel’s information request as required. Letter No. 2016051595401 (Feb. 27, 2017)….
Dallas Dan George, of Franklin, Tennessee, a stockbroker currently registered with AXA Advisors, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 27, 2017, based upon allegations that George failed to apprise the customer of the fees pertaining to the customer’s variable annuity purchase. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public…
Keith Matthew Smith, of Mountain Top, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker currently registered with Signator Investors, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 27, 2017, based upon allegations that Smith made unsuitable recommendations to the customer concerning an investment in a fixed annuity. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure…
Olori Dennis Hamilton, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Woodstock Financial Group, Inc., has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that Hamilton did not provide FINRA personnel with information concerning his compliance with a settlement or arbitration award pertaining…
Brian Kenneth Court, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Aegis Capital Corp., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 24, 2017, in which the customer requested $65,451.00 in damages based upon allegations that Court, from June of 2015 to November of 2016, churned the customer’s account,…
Joel Matthew Price, of Gig Harbor, Washington, a stockbroker formerly registered with RP Capital LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on August 31, 2016, in which the customer requested $158,491.00 in damages based upon allegations that Price made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer, failed to conduct due diligence…
Joseph C. Farah, of Irvine, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Gold Coast Securities, Inc., has been named in a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) investigation, wherein FINRA recommended disciplinary action to be taken against Farah based upon allegations that Farah potentially violated Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Section 10(b), SEC Rule 10b-5, FINRA Rules…
Robert Andrew Kahn, of Creve Coeur, Missouri, a stockbroker formerly registered with Edward Jones, was terminated from employment on September 15, 2016, based upon the firm’s allegations that Kahn committed violations of Edward Jones’ policies by engaging in discretionary trading in customer accounts, and effecting stock trades in customer accounts on an excessive basis. Financial…
Gregory John Chachas Jr., of La Jolla, California, a stockbroker registered with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, was terminated from employment on February 2, 2017, based upon allegations that he violated his firm’s policies by failing to report conflicts of interest to his firm in reference to Chachas’ securities transactions. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)…
Richard Allen Sena, of Cincinnati, Ohio, a stockbroker currently registered with Ross, Sinclaire & Associates, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on February 22, 2017, in which the customer requested $200,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Sena made risky municipal debt investment recommendations to the customer which were…
Citizens Securities, Inc., a brokerage firm headquartered in Dedham, Massachusetts, was censured and fined $50,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm overcharged charitable entities and retirement plan customers in reference to mutual fund transactions. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2016049977401 (Mar. 31, 2017). According to the…
Kenneth Leopold Williams, of Staten Island, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with First Standard Financial Company LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 5, 2017, in which the customer requested $100,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Williams utilized the customer’s margin without consent, and effected unauthorized…
Ryan Hilary Riley, of Okemos, Michigan, a stockbroker currently registered with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 22, 2017, in which the customer alleged more than $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Riley made misrepresentations to the customer regarding an investment in a…
Joan Katherine Norton, of Woburn, Massachusetts, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc., has been named in a regulatory investigation being conducted by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in regard to Norton’s potential violations of FINRA Rules 2010, 2310, and NASD Rule 3110. According to FINRA Public Disclosure, Norton may have made unsuitable…
Arismendy Abreu, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with E.J. Sterling, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on December 20, 2015, in which the customer requested $50,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Abreu made misrepresentations to the customer, effected unsuitable stock and mutual fund transactions,…
Mark Christopher Hotton, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ladenburg, Thalmann & Co., Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 20, 2016, in which the customer requested $736,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that he breached his contractual duties, violated New Jersey Uniform Securities…
Robert Philip DePalo, of Greenwich, Connecticut, a former chief executive officer of McBarron Capital, LLC, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that DePalo failed to provide a response to FINRA pursuant to an information request. Letter No. 2015044211102 (Aug. 4, 2016)….
Joral Townsend Schmalle, of Berkeley, California, a stockbroker currently registered with Sigma Financial Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on June 6, 2016, in which the customers requested $1,600,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Sigma did not reasonably supervise Schmalle’s activities and inadequately performed due diligence on the…
Deborah Dickson Kelley, of San Francisco, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Stifel Nicolaus & Company, Inc., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that she obstructed an investigation into allegations that she provided unauthorized gifts to a public pension portfolio…
Joshua Forry, of Wilmington, North Carolina, a registered representative with NYLife Securities LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related complaint, which settled on March 6, 2017, for $5,854.89 in damages based upon allegations that Forry made poor recommendations to the customer concerning the replacement of the customer’s variable life insurance policy. Guiliano…
Jimmy Dale Mullins, of Fort Worth, Texas, a stockbroker currently registered with Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 21, 2017, based upon allegations that Mullins failed to disclose the illiquidity pertaining to a real estate security effected in the customer’s account. Financial Industry Regulatory…
Gregory Harold Zastrow, of Plymouth, Wisconsin, a registered representative formerly associated with Bankers Life and Casualty Company, was fined $10,000.00 and suspended for nine months by the State of Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance based upon consenting to findings that he engaged in unfair marketing practices concerning fixed annuities and life insurance products,…
Jarred M. Lawson, of Jacksonville, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he made misrepresentations and omissions to customers, and furnished misleading account documentation…
James Andrew Geake, of Skokie, Illinois, a stockbroker currently registered with Madison Avenue Securities, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on March 1, 2017, for $60,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Geake negligently managed the customer’s investments, breached his contractual duties, and made unsuitable investment recommendations…
Steven Roland Knuttila, of Perham, Minnesota, a stockbroker currently registered with Capital Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on February 20, 2017, in which the customer requested $139,722.14 in damages based upon allegations that Knuttila made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer concerning investments in real estate,…
Corinne Renae Mittag, of Omaha, Nebraska, a stockbroker formerly registered with BancWest Investment Services Inc., has been charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Department of Enforcement in a Complaint alleging that she effected an unauthorized transaction in a customer’s account and made false representations to her firm regarding the transaction. Department of Enforcement v….
Peter N. Girgis, of Staten Island, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Joseph Gunnar & Co., LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 5, 2016, in which the customer requested $687,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Girgis misappropriated funds from the customer, effected unauthorized and unsuitable…
Brent Spicuzza, of Chesterfield, Missouri, a stockbroker formerly registered with AXA Advisors, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on March 21, 2016, based upon allegations that Spicuzza made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer concerning the purchase of energy sector mutual funds. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure…
Robert James Hudson, of Essex Junction, Vermont, a stockbroker formerly registered with VSR Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 14, 2017, in which the customer requested $250,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Hudson caused the customer to incur significant tax burdens via the liquidation…
Norman Kirby Farra, Junior, of Tampa, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with International Assets Advisory, LLC, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate in a FINRA investigation into allegations of his involvement in undisclosed private…
James Davis Henderson, of Jamestown, New Jersey, a stockbroker currently registered with Investacorp, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 13, 2017, in which the customer requested $16,864.60 in damages based upon allegations that Henderson effected the unauthorized distribution of Franklin Templeton mutual funds from the customer’s investment…
Christopher John Frattini, of Hoboken, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with John Carris Investments LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on February 3, 2016, for $6,500.00 in damages based upon allegations that Frattini effected equity transactions in the customer’s account which were not suitable for the…
Jay Dee Jordan, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a stockbroker formerly registered with WFG Investments, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on December 28, 2016, in which the customer requested $88,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Jordan effected unsuitable stock transactions in the customer’s account. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority…
Robert Mark Star, of Bluffton, South Carolina, a stockbroker formerly registered with EDI Financial, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 12, 2016, in which the customer requested $640,800.00 in damages based upon allegations that Star overconcentrated the customer’s investment portfolio in private placements, and made unsuitable investment…
Hilary Joseph Zimmerman, of Ridgeland, Mississippi, has been fined and permanently barred in all capacities which require securities registration by the Securities Division of the Mississippi Secretary of State based upon consenting to findings that altered the account documentation of customers, and failed to act in customers’ best interests in reference to customers’ exchange traded…
Shane Timothy Ennis, a stockbroker currently registered with Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 9, 2017, in which the customer’s damages are estimated to be in excess of $5,000.00 based upon allegations that Ennis effected shoddy equity transactions in the customer’s account, and failed…
David Howard Bigler, a stockbroker currently registered with UBS Financial Services Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on February 2, 2017, in which the customer requested $21,000,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that between 2013 and 2016, UBS Financial Services Inc. failed to supervise Bigler’s activities concerning the customer’s…
David Ladin, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Allstate Financial Services, has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended for four months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he engaged in outside business activities and entered into loan arrangements without authorization…
Joseph Hsioh-Tsuei Lee, of Irvine, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Cetera Investment Services LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 8, 2017, in which the customer requested $40,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Lee made misrepresentations and omissions to the customer regarding the fees pertaining to…
Jacob Glick, of Scottsdale, Arizona, a stockbroker formerly registered with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 8, 2016, in which the customer requested $30,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Glick made misrepresentations to the customer concerning investments in mutual funds. Financial Industry Regulatory…
Louis Anthony Pepe, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Capital Securities Management, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 7, 2017, based upon allegations that Pepe failed to adjust the customer’s investment strategy in light of the customer’s constant stock losses. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority…
David K. Mallett, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wunderlich Securities, Inc., has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that he failed to respond to FINRA personnel’s information request. Letter No. 2015047762601 (Feb. 3, 2017). FINRA Public Disclosure reveals that on December 8, 2015,…
Nick Morgan Campbell, of Irving, Texas, a stockbroker with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., was terminated from employment based upon allegations that Campbell committed violations of Raymond James’ policies and procedures. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that Campbell has been identified in three customer initiated investment related disputes containing allegations of his…
Mark David Yadron, of Prescott, Arizona, a stockbroker currently registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 3, 2017, in which the customer requested $5,095.35 in damages based upon allegations that Yadron effected unauthorized closed-end fund trades in the customer’s investment…
Nina Sue Jessee, of Abingdon, Virginia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Investors Capital Corp., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on February 3, 2017, based upon allegations that Jessee effected unsuitable transactions in the customer’s account regarding investments in real estate, insurance, and equipment leasing products. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority…
TGP Securities, Inc., a brokerage firm headquartered in Summit, New Jersey, has been censured and fined $10,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm failed to appropriately supervise private securities transactions effected by two of the firm’s registered representatives. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015043159502 (Mar….
George Russel Thoreson, of Bellevue, Washington, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on February 1, 2017, in which the customer requested $453,886.65 in damages based upon allegations that Thoreson made unsuitable stock recommendations to the customer. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)…
Jesse Lee Starr, of San Diego, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Lucia Securities, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related civil action on January 27, 2017, based upon allegations that Starr made misrepresentations to the customer concerning risks of a recommended investment strategy, effected unsuitable direct investment program transactions in the…
Richard Jay Bernstein, of Beverly Hills, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on February 1, 2017, in which the customer requested $81,738.82 in damages based upon allegations that Bernstein placed unsuitable and unauthorized equity trades in the customer’s investment account. Financial Industry Regulatory…
James Gilbert Blair, of Coronado, California, a stockbroker currently registered with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on February 1, 2017, in which the customer requested $300,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Blair effected unauthorized and unsuitable over-the-counter equities transactions in the customer’s account,…
Frank Anthony Spadaro, of Mineola, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Joseph Stone Capital L.L.C., has been named in a Notice of Proposed Agency Action and Opportunity for Hearing by the Office of the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Montana State Auditor, in which Spadaro was alleged to have utilized customers’ margin accounts in…
Shahida Arunima Hossain, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 24, 2017, based upon allegations that Hossain invested the customer’s assets in a manner which exceeded the customer’s conservative investment objectives, and utilized margin in the customer’s investment account…
Ian Charles Kass, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wilson-Davis & Co., Inc., has been identified in a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Order Instituting Administrative and Cease-And Desist Proceedings based upon allegations that Kass aided and abetted securities fraud and facilitated the sale of unregistered securities. In the Matter of Delaney…
Carl Wayne Busch, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a stockbroker currently registered with WFG Investments, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 3, 2017, in which the customer requested $50,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Busch failed to conduct adequate due diligence in reference to the customer’s convertible…
Kevin Richard Graetz, of New York, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Paulson Investment Company LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on December 22, 2016, in which the customer requested $1,000,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Graetz sold away from his firm, and made fraudulent omissions and…
Rhonda Janeen Matthews, of Austin, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with Prospera Financial Services, Inc., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based on allegations that she failed to provide FINRA with a response to FINRA personnel’s information request. Letter No. 2015048158201 (Sept. 19, 2016)….
Charles Chamberlin Shafe, of Maitland, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Transam Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 7, 2017, in which the customer requested $15,597.00 in damages based upon allegations that Shafe was responsible for the customer’s poor investment performance on a real estate security…
Hallmark Investments, Inc., a broker-dealer headquartered in New York, New York, along with the firm’s chief executive officer, Steven G. Dash, president, Stephen P. Zipkin, and sales supervisor, William H. Coons, were charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Department of Enforcement in a Complaint containing allegations of excessive mark-ups and unregistered securities sales. Department…
Lek Securities Corporation, a broker-dealer headquartered in New York, New York, along with the firm’s chief executive officer and part-owner, Samuel Lek, and former registered representative, Sergey Pustelnik, has been charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a Complaint containing allegations that the firm, Lek and Pustelnik engaged in a market manipulation scheme…
Christopher Lee Vazquez, of Middle Village, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 24, 2017, in which the customer requested $25,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Vazquez made investment related misrepresentations to the customer and effected a John…
John Scott Jaeger, of West Des Moines, Iowa, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameritas Investment Corp, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 23, 2017, in which the customer requested $27,145.00 in damages based upon allegations that Jaeger effected an unsuitable real estate investment trust transaction in the customer’s…
Jeffrey David Day, of Sarasota, Florida, a stockbroker currently registered with Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 23, 2017, based upon allegations that Day made guarantees to the customer regarding the performance of a variable annuity investment, and failed to disclose fees…
Jason Hunter Likens, of Orlando, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with International Assets Advisory, LLC, has been terminated from employment on January 31, 2017, based upon allegations that he failed to provide FINRA personnel with a response to FINRA’s request for information, which the firm claimed was conduct violative of FINRA Rule 8210. Likens was…
Matthew Aaron Bell, of San Antonio, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with WFG Investments, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint, which settled on February 10, 2017, for $43,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Bell made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer regarding over-the-counter equity products. Financial Industry Regulatory…
John Ezmat, of Verona, New Jersey, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member based upon allegations that he failed to provide FINRA personnel with a response to FINRA’s information request. Letter No. 2016049344101 (Oct. 17, 2016). Why FINRA wanted to speak with Mr. Ezmat, one never knows. It…
David Sanford James, of Century City, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with UBS Financial Services Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on November 18, 2016, based upon allegations that James, from January of 2016 to August of 2016, breached his fiduciary duties and overcharged the customer in reference to…
John Joseph Stapleton, of Uniondale, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Craig Scott Capital, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 3, 2017, in which the customer requested $48,223.26 in damages based upon allegations that Stapleton effected unsuitable stock transactions in the customer’s account. Craig Scott Capital however…
Frederick Peter Baerenz, of Great Falls, Virginia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Pacific West Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, in which customers were collectively awarded $331,000.00 in damages on July 11, 2016, based upon allegations including misrepresentation, unsuitability, fraud, breach of contract, and violation of SEC Rule…
Phillip Hinze, of Golden Valley, Minnesota, a stockbroker formerly registered with Oak Ridge Financial Services Group, Inc., has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected trades in a customer’s investment account without authorization. Letter of Acceptance,…
Austin Richard Dutton Jr., of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker currently registered with Newbridge Securities Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim based upon allegations that Dutton breached his fiduciary and contractual duties owed to the customer, negligently managed the customer’s investment portfolio, and made misrepresentations and omissions concerning real estate…
Anna Chin, of Austin, Texas, a registered representative formerly associated with NYLife Securities LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on March 1, 2017, based upon allegations that Chin recommended that the customer purchase a variable universal life insurance policy in addition to fixed annuities, despite the products having failed…
Brett Allen Machtig, of Bloomington, Minnesota, a stockbroker formerly registered with Investors Capital Corp., was subject of cease and desist sanctions and a $5,000.00 fine by Minnesota Department of Commerce based upon consenting to findings that Machtig effected an equity indexed annuity which was not suitable for a customer. Case No. 1369 (Sept. 15, 2015)….
John Shaw Notman, of Stockton, California, a stockbroker currently registered with Berthel, Fisher & Company Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 2, 2016, in which the customer requested $650,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Notman made misrepresentations to the customers and effected unsuitable transactions…
Denise Ann Cerveny, of Secaucus, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with Regal Securities, Inc., has been fined $7,500.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that she altered the new account documentation of twenty of the firm’s customers by cutting and…
Nelson Michael Polun, of Bel Air, Maryland, a stockbroker currently registered with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint, which settled for $4,546.96 in damages on March 13, 2017, based upon allegations that Polun made misrepresentations to the customer concerning preferred stock investments, and omitted that…
Wade Theodore Papapanagiotu, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with John Thomas Financial, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 4, 2016, in which the customer requested $50,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Papapanagiotu breached his fiduciary duties to the customer and effected unsuitable over-the-counter…
Garry Lynn Osing, of Cordova, Tennessee, a stockbroker currently registered with WFG Investments, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 31, 2017, in which the customer requested $30,924.00 in damages based upon allegations that Osing made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer regarding real estate securities and equipment…
Niaz Elmazi, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Global Arena Capital Corp, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he did not provide FINRA personnel with a response regarding his compliance with a customer initiated…
Kevin C. Yang, of Pasadena, California, a stockbroker currently registered with Morgan Stanley Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on December 18, 2016, for $57,500.00 in damages based upon allegations that Yang made misrepresentations to the customer and effected unsuitable structured transactions in the customer’s account. Financial…
Joel Eric Breiter, of Westhampton, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Oppenheimer & Company, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 27, 2017, in which the customer requested $430,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Breiter effected unsuitable over-the-counter equity transactions in the customer’s account. Financial Industry…
Richard Alan Kern, of Beavercreek, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, has been fined $7,500.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected trades in customer accounts without authorization. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 20160502058-01 (Mar….
Wood (Arthur W.) Company, Inc., headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, has been fined $10,000.00 and statutory disqualified by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) pursuant to a National Adjudicatory Council Decision containing findings that the firm, inter alia, charged customers commissions which were excessive, and failed to supervise commissions charged by registered representatives. In the Matter of…
Paul Douglas Stanley, of Edmond, Oklahoma, a stockbroker and principal formerly registered with Waddell & Reed, Inc., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he obstructed an investigation into allegations that he violated his firm’s policies concerning supervision, compensation and…
Ultralat Capital Markets, Inc., a brokerage firm headquartered in Miami, Florida, has been censured and fined $140,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm charged customers with excessive markups and failed to supervise business activities to prevent non-market foreign exchange rates from being utilized or markups from being…
Feltl & Company, a broker-dealer headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been censured and fined $150,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm, inter alia, failed to supervise a registered representative’s trading activities. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2010024882202 (Feb. 28, 2017). According to the AWC, between October…
Lyle J Boudreaux, of Houston, Texas, a stockbroker currently registered with Independent Financial Group, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 27, 2017, in which the customer requested $120,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Boudreaux was liable for losses sustained by the customer in reference to exchange…
Ramon Manuel Almonte, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, a stockbroker currently registered with UBS Financial Services Inc. and UBS Financial Services Incorporated of Puerto Rico, has been identified in one-hundred and twenty five customer initiated investment related disputes between January 27, 2014, and February 15, 2017, in which customers’ claims are based upon allegations that…
Joseph Louis Derrico, of Staten Island, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Woodstock Financial Group, Inc., has been named in a regulatory investigation by the State of Montana Securities Division on February 1, 2017, based upon a customer’s complaint referencing Derrico’s misconduct in connection with over-the-counter equity transactions effected in the customer’s account. Financial…
William Mark Heiden, of Newport Beach, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 24, 2017, in which the customer requested $950,718.24 in damages based upon allegations that Heiden, from 2012 to 2016, effected equity transactions in the customer’s account which were…
Phillip Leung Wong, of Wayland, Massachusetts, a stockbroker currently registered with Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 26, 2017, based upon allegations that Wong made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer concerning exchange traded fund and stock transactions, which caused the customer to sustain…
Mark Eben Lilley, of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, a stockbroker currently registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 11, 2016, in which the customer requested $100,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Lilley, from 2012 to 2016, omitted and misrepresented facts…
Akio Lawrence Bley, of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly registered with Mutual Service Corporation, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that Bley sold away from his firm. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2014040860301 (Jan….
Robert Russel Tweed, of San Marino, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Concorde Investment Services, LLC, has been named in an investigation by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) pursuant to the receipt of a Wells Notice regarding Tweed’s conduct. FINRA Public Disclosure reveals that Tweed has been identified in twelve customer initiated investment related disputes…
Christopher Michael Connolly, of Houston, Texas, a registered representative formerly associated with Planmember Securities Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment related civil action on February 6, 2017, in which the customer requested $250,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Connolly failed to inform the customer about costs pertaining to the customer’s life…
Ane S. Plate, of Orlando, Florida, was barred by the Securities and Exchange (SEC) Commission from working as an investment advisor or broker, or associating with firms selling securities or providing investment advice based upon an Order Instituting Administrative Proceedings containing findings that Plate pled guilty to embezzlement, theft, or misapplication in violation of 18…
Kyle Evan Murphy, of Glen Allen, Virginia, a stockbroker formerly registered with NYLife Securities LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 23, 2017, based upon allegations that Murphy failed to apprise the customer regarding penalty free withdrawals from the customer’s variable annuity contract. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)…
Armand Joseph Fisher, of Glastonbury, Connecticut, a registered representative formerly associated with MetLife Securities Inc., has been censured and fined $5,000.00 by The State of Connecticut Insurance Department based upon allegations that he effected the sales of annuity products for two customers that were not in the customers’ best interests. Case No. FC 15-54 (Sept….
Kevin Keane, of Chicago, Illinois, a stockbroker currently registered with National Securities Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on June 26, 2014, for $11,800.00 in damages based upon allegations that Keane negligently handled the customer’s investment account, breached his fiduciary duties, made misrepresentations to the customer, effected…
Ahmad Wares, a stockbroker formerly registered with EKN Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 23, 2016, in which the customer requested $288,340.00 in damages based upon allegations that Wares breached his fiduciary duties, effected over-the-counter equity trades in the customer’s account on an excessive basis,…
Todd Douglas Ryman, of Atlanta, Georgia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Raymond James & Associates, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 15, 2017, in which the customer requested $300,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Ryman committed securities related misconduct in reference to the customer’s transactions regarding…
William Nicholas Athas, of Ronkonkoma, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with K.C. Ward Financial, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on February 16, 2017, in which the customer requested $290,000.00 in damages based upon allegations including: the use of fraudulent or manipulative contrivances or devices; breach of duty of…
Carlos Jose Freire, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, a stockbroker currently registered with UBS Financial Services Inc., and UBS Financial Services Incorporated of Puerto Rico, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on July 27, 2016, in which the customer requested $222,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Freire, as the…
Vincente Castillo, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, a stockbroker currently registered with UBS Financial Services Inc., and UBS Financial Services Incorporated of Puerto Rico, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 6, 2017, in which the customer requested $325,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Castillo overconcentrated the customer’s…
Phil Fiore Jr., of Stamford, Connecticut, a stockbroker registered with UBS Financial Services Inc., has been terminated from employment on November 30, 2016, based upon allegations that he failed to abide by his firm’s procedures, including: the operation of a golf tournament without approval; communications with the public without the firm’s authorization; and Fiore’s lack…
Wayne David Kandas, of Tempe, Arizona, a stockbroker formerly registered with MetLife Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on May 26, 2016, based upon allegations that Kandas made misrepresentations to the customer regarding variable annuity products. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that Kandas has been…
Robert W. Berry, of Fairlawn, Ohio, a stockbroker currently registered with Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc., has been fined and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that effected unauthorized trades in customer accounts. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015046243901 (Mar. 7,…
Michael Jean-Paul Mason, of Millington, Tennessee, a stockbroker formerly registered with Edward Jones, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon a FINRA Office of Hearing Officers’ Default Decision containing findings that he falsified customer account documentation and failed to accurately inform his firm…
Glenn McDowell, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly associated with National Securities Corporation, Inc., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon a FINRA Office of Hearing Officers’ Default Decision containing findings that McDowell effected unauthorized trades in a customer’s account. Department of…
Frederick Martin Quinn Jr., of Toledo, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with Allstate Financial Services, LLC, has been fined and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that Quinn, inter alia, signed the names of customers on annuity exchange documentation without the customers’…
Melissa A. Strouse, of San Diego, California, a stockbroker currently registered with First Financial Equity Corporation, has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any principal capacity based upon an FINRA Office of Hearing Officers’ Order Accepting Offer of Settlement containing findings that she failed to…
Michael Robert Molinaro, of Long Beach, New York, a chief compliance officer of Charles Vista, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on August 26, 2015, in which the customer requested $130,628.37 in damages based upon allegations that Molinaro failed to supervise the activities of a registered representative concerning over-the-counter…
Jeffrey Neil Cadan, of New York, New York, a stockbroker registered with Morgan Stanley, was terminated from employment on December 21, 2016, based upon allegations of Cadan’s misconduct pertaining to his implemented investment strategy involving government debt products, as well as his exercise of discretion in customer account(s). Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure…
Ernest Julius Romer III, of Sterling Heights, Michigan, a stockbroker registered with CoreCap Investments, Inc., has been terminated from employment on January 20, 2017, based upon allegations that he violated the firm’s policies relating to his undisclosed outside business activities and transactions in customer accounts. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that on…
Steven Howard Bright, of Dallas, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wunderlich Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on September 30, 2016, in which the customer requested $17,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Bright effected exchange traded note transactions in the customer’s account on an excessive and…
Brad C. Lawing, of Springfield, Missouri, a stockbroker currently registered with Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 19, 2017, in which the customer requested $8,500.00 in damages based upon allegations that Lawing failed to apprise the customer concerning the fees associating with the switching…
Steven Rocco Colli, of Morristown, New Jersey, a stockbroker currently registered with Morgan Stanley, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on February 16, 2017, based upon allegations that Colli, from 2014 to 2017, utilized the customer’s margin without authorization to effect options and equity transactions. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)…
Damian Marlon Bell, of Daphne, Alabama, a stockbroker currently registered with WFG Investments, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 19, 2017, in which the customer requested $1,000,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Bell made misrepresentations and omissions to customers concerning private placements, and failed to adequately…
James D. Zahakos, Staten Island, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Edward Jones, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 19, 2017, in which the customer requested $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Zahakos made misrepresentations to the customer concerning the purchase of a single premium immediate…
Matthew Hugh Hurley, of San Diego, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on November 10, 2016, for $15,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Hurley failed to execute upon the customer’s stop loss order, and charged the customer…
Jason Edward Seurer, of Milbank, South Dakota, a stockbroker formerly registered with Edward Jones, has been penalized $7,500.00 and suspended for eighteen months by The State of South Dakota Division of Securities based upon Seurer consenting to findings that he sold away from his firm via his promissory note investment transactions. (Jan. 19, 2017). Previously,…
Joseph Francis Valdini, of Garden City, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Worden Capital Management LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on March 21, 2016, for $79,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Valdini breached his fiduciary and contractual duties to the customer, violated New Jersey…
Gregory Wade Gobble, a stockbroker formerly registered with Uvest Financial Services Group, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on August 25, 2015, based upon allegations that Gobble made misrepresentations to the customer concerning the Behringer Harvard Real Estate Investment Trust. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure additionally reveals…
Charles Harvey Kuhtz III, of Hartland, Wisconsin, a financial advisor for Edward Jones, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 18, 2017, in which the customer requested $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Kuhtz made misrepresentations to the customer regarding a Hartford Protector Variable Universal Life policy. Kuhtz’s…
Jeffrey Carmen Sica, of Parsippany, New Jersey, a registered representative associated with Sica Wealth Management, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on April 27, 2015, for $211,250.00 in damages based upon allegations that Sica effected unsuitable stock and exchange traded fund (ETF) transactions in the customer’s account. Financial…
Joseph Peter Canciglia, of Hackensack, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 20, 2016, in which the customer requested $20,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Canciglia advised a customer to invest $20,000.00 into a unit investment…
Alan Neal Rose, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 16, 2017, in which the customer requested $100,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that from 2013 to 2016, Rose over-concentrated the customers’ portfolio in investments…
Enrique Fernandez, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, a stockbroker formerly registered with UBS Financial Services Inc., has been named in eighteen customer initiated investment related disputes between April 16, 2014, and January 6, 2017, based upon allegations that Fernandez made omissions and misrepresentations to customers concerning the safety of investments in Puerto Rico municipal bonds…
Joseph Kelly, of New York, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Spartan Capital Securiites, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 4, 2016, in which the customer requested $450,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Kelly made misrepresentations to the customer concerning equity investments, and excessively traded…
David Jose Lugo, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, a stockbroker formerly registered with UBS Financial Services, has been named in one-hundred and twenty-four customer initiated investment related disputes between November 19, 2013, and January 29, 2017, based upon allegations against Lugo which include overconcentration of customer assets, misrepresentation, and unsuitability concerning the investments in Puerto…
David Gulyamov, of Brooklyn, New York, a registered representative with LPL Financial LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 13, 2017, based upon allegations that Gulyamov made misrepresentations to the customer concerning a variable annuity, and effected an investment purchase that failed to be suitable for the customer….
Garland Sean James, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Garden State Securities, Inc., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to provide information to FINRA personnel as requested. Letter No. 2015047471301 (Sept. 13,…
Stephen Frederick Owen III, of Annapolis, Maryland, a stockbroker currently registered with UBS Financial Services Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 12, 2017, in which the customer requested $650,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that from 2015 to 2017, Owen overconcentrated the customer’s investment portfolio in speculative…
Ryan Michael Murnane, of Staten Island, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Woodstock Financial Group, Inc., was named in an investigation by the State of Montana Securities Department on February 1, 2017, in which Muranne’s conduct is under review for allegedly contacting a customer numerous times to solicit investment related business despite Murnane not…
Philip Orezio Fatta, of Holtsville, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Blackbook Capital, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on June 15, 2016, in which the customer requested $381,195.16 in damages based upon allegations that Fatta breached his fiduciary and contractual duties, churned the customer’s account, effected unsuitable…
Tom Gilliam Parks, Jr., of Stephenville, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 19, 2017, in which the customer requested $180,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Parks made unsuitable investment recommendations and misrepresentations to the customer concerning oil…
Laurence Michael Braunstein, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on August 5, 2016, in which the customer requested $100,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Braunstein, from 2014 to 2015, effected unsuitable closed end fund, unit investment trust,…
Marcus Joseph Debaise, of Glastonbury, Connecticut, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to provide a response to FINRA pursuant to an information request. Letter No. 2015046925901 (May…
Dario Suarez, of Ponce, Puerto Rico, a stockbroker currently registered with UBS Financial Services Inc. and UBS Financial Services Incorporated of Puerto Rico, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 18, 2017, in which the customer requested $1,000,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Suarez effected unsuitable transactions involving…
Robert Lansing Hicks, of Irvine, California, a former owner of Finance 500, Inc., a brokerage firm headquartered in Irvine California, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 11, 2017, in which the customer requested $102,500.00 in damages based upon allegations that Hicks breached his contractual and fiduciary obligations to…
Joshua David Stamm, of Lynchburg, Virginia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has been fined $10,000.00, prohibited from working in a supervisory capacity, and placed on heightened supervision based upon a Virginia State Corporation Commission Division of Securities Order containing allegations that Stamm engaged in outside business activities without…
Michael Allen Toy, of Sunnyvale, California, a stockbroker currently registered with LPL Financial LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 11, 2017, based upon allegations that Toy failed to abide by the customer’s investment instructions concerning the trading of mutual fund investments. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public…
Paul Theodore Dicicco, of Millbury, Massachusetts, a stockbroker formerly registered with Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on March 28, 2016, in which the customer requested $6,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Dicicco made misrepresentations to the customer concerning the features of a variable annuity…
Barry F. Connell, of Chester, New Jersey, an investment adviser representative and stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, has been charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a Complaint alleging that he misappropriated firm customers’ funds. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Barry F. Connell, No. 1:17-cv-00831 (S.D.N.Y. filed Feb. 3, 2017). According to…
Patrick O. Howard, of Dallas, Texas, along with two entities controlled by him, Howard Capital Holdings, LLC, and Optimal Economics Capital Partners, LLC, have been charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a Complaint alleging that Howard and his firms committed securities fraud. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Patrick O. Howard, et al.,…
Brandon M. Adkins, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint, which settled on September 2, 2014, for $22,966.32 in damages based upon allegations that Adkins made misrepresentations and unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer regarding exchange…
Keith Michael Rogers, of Hamilton, Alabama, a stockbroker formerly registered with G.L.S. & Associates, Inc., has been permanently barred by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from working as an investment adviser or broker, or otherwise associating with any firm which provides investment advice or sells securities to the public, according to an Order Instituting…
Nicholas H. Shermeta, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, a stockbroker formerly registered with Northland Securities, Inc., has been permanently barred by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from working as an investment adviser or broker, or associating with any firm which provides investment advice or sells securities to the public, according to an Order Instituting Administrative And…
Michael Roy Blueweiss, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with UBS Financial Services Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on November 3, 2014, based upon allegations that Blueweiss churned the customer’s account, concentrated the customer’s investment portfolio in structured products and annuities, and omitted information from the…
Peter Rajinder Kohli, of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, chief executive officer and present of DMS Advisors and chairman and trustee of DMS Funds, has been charged along with DMS Advisors, Inc., Marshad Capital Group, Inc., and The DMS Funds in a Complaint by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) alleging that Kohli and the firms committed fraud…
Cecil E. Nivens, of Gastonia, North Carolina, a registered representative formerly associated with NYLife Securities, LLC, was charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Department of Enforcement in a Complaint alleging that Nivens failed to execute upon customers’ investment instructions, and furnished documentation to customers containing false and misrepresented information. Department of Enforcement v. Cecil…
Craig David Dima, of Ronkonkoma, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with K.C. Ward Financial, has been fined and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon an Office of Hearing Officers’ Order Accepting Offer of Settlement containing findings that Dima effected unauthorized trades in a customer’s…
Beaconsfield Financial Services, Inc., a broker-dealer headquartered in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, has been censured and fined $12,500.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm failed to supervise private securities transactions facilitated by one of the firm’s registered representatives. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2016047658101 (Feb. 27, 2017). According…
Patrick Dennis Combs, of Houston, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, has been fined $7,500.00 and suspended for seven months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he participated in private securities transactions, and concealed these activities from his firm. Letter…
Harold S. Pomeranz, of Garden City, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc., has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he made unsuitable investment recommendations to a customer. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
Patric Ken Baccam, of Hemet, California, has been charged by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a Complaint alleging that Hemet, inter alia, concocted a scheme to defraud investors in the sale of unsecured promissory notes. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Baccam, Docket No. 17-cv-172 (C.D. Cal. 2017). According to the Complaint,…
Bill Alfons Holubec, of Des Moines, Iowa, a stockbroker formerly registered with Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 9, 2017, in which the customer requested $500,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Holubec effected unsuitable transactions in the customer’s account and made misrepresentations to…
Michael Nicholas Guilfoyle, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Legend Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on October 2, 2015, for $99,999.00 in damages based upon allegations that Guilfoyle excessively traded or churned the customer’s investment account, made unsuitable over-the-counter equity recommendations,…
Kelly Clayton Althar, of San Francisco, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Financial West Group, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon an Office of Hearing Officers’ Order Accepting Offer of Settlement containing findings that Althar effected trades in a customer’s account on an…
Albert Dishner, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on December 30, 2016, for $205,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that include churning, excessive trading, violation of state and federal securities laws, violation of…
Shannon Kathleen Daniels, of Bloomfield, Missouri, a stockbroker formerly registered with U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., has been has permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that she did not provide a response to FINRA’s information request. Letter No. 2016050764201 (Nov. 18, 2016)….
Eric Joseph Miller, of Scottsdale, Arizona, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon an Office of Hearing Officers Default Decision containing findings that Miller failed to attend a disciplinary hearing and testify concerning his firm’s activities. Department of Enforcement v. Eric Joseph Miller, No….
Austin Wayne Morton of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, a stockbroker formerly registered with Edward Jones, was charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Department of Enforcement in a Complaint which alleged that Morton converted a senior customer’s funds. Department of Enforcement v. Austin Wayne Morton, No. 2016052347901 (Feb. 24, 2017). According to the Complaint, in September of 2016, $20,000.00…
Jed Edward Turner, of Missoula, Montana, a stockbroker formerly registered with Western International Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on August 10, 2016, in which the customer requested $181,668.00 in damages based upon allegations that Turner negligently handled the customer’s stock portfolio. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public…
Efthimios Emmanouilidis, of Wellesley, Massachusetts, a stockbroker currently registered with Morgan Stanley, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on August 11, 2016, in which the customer requested $500,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Emmanouilidis made misrepresentations to the customer concerning managed accounts. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure…
Scott William Palmer, of Hackensack, New Jersey, a stockbroker currently registered with Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on July 26, 2016, in which the customer requested $75,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Palmer effected unsuitable stock transactions in the customer’s investment account. Financial Industry…
Michael J. Spears, of Houston, Texas, a stockbroker currently registered with IMS Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on August 19, 2016, in which the customer requested $1,667,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Spears breached his fiduciary duties owed to the customer, made misrepresentations concerning real estate…
David Howard Fagenson, of Palm Beach, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with UBS Financial Services Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on September 26, 2016, based upon allegations that from 2013 to 2016, Fagenson effected unauthorized trades in the customer’s account and failed to abide by the customer’s instructions…
Stephen Eugene Winkelman Junior, of Pasadena, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Centaurus Financial, Inc., was named in an Order issued by The State of Kansas Securities Commissioner which revoked Winkelman’s securities registration and instituted cease and desist sanctions against him based upon allegations that Winkelman falsified a customer’s consolidated financial statement and inflated values…
John Scott Elliott, of Overland Park, Kansas, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., has been fined and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to respond to a FINRA information request. Letter No. 2016051253201 (Dec. 1, 2016)….
Brett Scott Murphy, of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on August 11, 2016, in which the customer requested $2,000,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Murphy effected unsuitable unit investment trust transactions in the customer’s account,…
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member broker dealers, including Invest Financial Corporation, SII Investments, Investment Centers of America, and National Planning Corporation, have all been censured and fined by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firms overcharged charitable organization and retirement account customers in mutual funds transactions, and did…
Li-Lin Hsu, of Los Angeles, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., has been permanently barred from associating with any FINRA member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that she failed to respond to FINRA’s information request. Letter No. 2015045016702 (Jun. 1, 2016). Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure…
Joshua Daniel Mosshart, of Westlake Village, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on February 2, 2017, in which the customer requested $50,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Mosshart solicited the customer to invest in products were not approved by LPL…
James Edward Knee, of Concord, New Hampshire, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on December 21, 2015, for $17,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Knee made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer concerning a royalty trust purchase. Financial…
Gary Woodruff Peterson, of Rockford, Illinois, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, was prohibited from offering or selling securities in the State of Illinois based upon consenting to The State of Illinois Securities Department allegations that Peterson effected excessive trades in a customer’s account for purposes of accumulating excessive commissions to the customer’s…
Zachary Samuel Berkey, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Four Points Capital Partners LLC, has been named in The State of Montana Securities Division’s December 11, 2014 investigation into allegations that Berkey effected trades in a customer’s account on an excessive basis and made unsuitable investment recommendations to customers. Financial Industry Regulatory…
Lori Cousineau Weaver, of Renton, Washington, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. were sanctioned by The State of Washington Securities Division based on an Order which imposed fines and a suspension of Weaver’s securities registration based upon consenting to findings that Weaver and Ameriprise Financial Services effected unsuitable sales of non-traded real…
Jean Ann Walsh-Josephson, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, a stockbroker formerly registered with Thrivent Investment Management Inc., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that she failed to provide a response to FINRA’s information request. Letter No. 2015046529801 (Jan. 26, 2016). FINRA…
Purshe Kaplin Sterling Investments headquartered in Albany, New York, was censured and fined $750,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Department of Enforcement, and ordered to pay $3,373,303.68 in restitution according to an Office of Hearing Officers’ Order Accepting Offer of Settlement containing findings that the firm failed to supervise a registered representative’s dual relationship with…
Dion R. Padilla, of San Antonio, Texas, a stockbroker with Next Financial Group, Inc., was fined $10,000.00 and suspended for fifteen months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon an Office of Hearing Officers’ Order Accepting Offer of Settlement containing findings that Padilla made an unauthorized variable…
Eric J. Arnett, of Spring Hill, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Dalton Strategic Investment Services, has been charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in a Complaint which alleged that Arnett, inter alia, engaged in unauthorized outside business activities. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015044778302. (Feb. 13, 2017). According to the Complaint,…
Diana Lynne Stamborski, of Palatine, Illinois, a stockbroker formerly registered with LaSalle St Securities, L.L.C., has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that she engaged in outside business activities in violation of her firm’s policies. Letter of Acceptance,…
Joan Marie Larsen, of Freehold, New Jersey, has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that she failed to cooperate in a FINRA investigation into allegations that she accepted an unauthorized loan from a customer. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No….
Joseph Albert Ambrosole, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Meyers Associates, L.P., has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected trades in customer accounts on an unauthorized basis. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
Joseph Henry Murphy III, of Madison, Wisconsin, a stockbroker formerly registered with RBC Capital Markets, LLC, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he traded in customer accounts on a discretionary basis in violation of his firm’s…
Adam S. Fritzsche, of Atlanta, Georgia, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, has been fined and suspended for one year from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he made unsuitable investment recommendations to customers and made misrepresentations on firm documentation concerning…
Larry Westly Farmbry, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly registered with First Allied Securities, Inc., has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected trades in customer accounts on a discretionary basis in violation of his firm’s…
Eugene D. Anderson, of Apache Junction, Arizona, a stockbroker formerly registered with Thrivent Investment Management, Inc., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations that Anderson converted customer funds. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
Eric S. Darty, of Birmingham, Alabama, a stockbroker formerly registered with BBVA Securities Inc., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he obstructed an investigation into allegations that he converted customer funds. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No….
Alejandro Falla, of Miami, Florida, a former president and chief executive officer of Ultralat Capital Markets, Inc., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he omitted information from customers concerning non-market foreign exchange rates pertaining to transactions involving bond…
Kennister Ulesley Daley, of Boca Raton, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Dawson James Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 5, 2017, in which the customer requested $65,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Daley, from April of 2015 to February of 2016, traded options excessively…
Manuel Francisco Porrata Monserrate, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, a stockbroker formerly registered with Oriental Financial Services Corp., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on September 27, 2016, for $90,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Monserrate effected unsuitable municipal debt transactions in the customer’s account in reference…
Jeffrey Scott Davis, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 4, 2017, in which the customer requested $20,415.28 in damages based upon allegations that Davis omitted information concerning the fees and surrender penalties on two variable…
Bruce Benjamin Greenwald, of Pepper Pike, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 3, 2017, in which the customer requested $800,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Greenwald failed to abide by the customer’s investment based instructions, and made misrepresentations to…
Karen McKinley, of Manchester, New Hampshire, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that she obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations of potential non-compliance regarding trading in customer accounts that was referenced by…
Kevin Mark Reed, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, a stockbroker formerly registered with Fifth Third Securities, Inc., has been terminated from employment on July 8, 2016, based upon allegations that he altered the documentation of firm customers. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)Public Disclosure reveals that Reed has been identified in two customer initiated investment related disputes…
Jonathan Eric Altman, of Boston, Massachusetts, has been charged by the Massachusetts Securities Division of the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in a Compliant which alleged that Altman made unsuitable investment recommendations pertaining to equities and real estate investment trust products, effected unauthorized transactions, excessively traded in the customer’s account, and…
Brian Hunter Anderson, of Birmingham, Alabama, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 31, 2016, based upon allegations that Anderson made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer regarding direct investments and oil and gas products. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)Public Disclosure…
Dennis Albert Mehringer Jr., of Pasadena, California, a stockbroker currently registered with Western International Securities, Inc., was charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in a Complaint alleging that Mehringer, inter alia, made investment recommendations which were not suitable for customers. Department of Enforcement v. Mehringer, Jr., No. 2014041868001 (Dec. 16, 2016). According to the…
Nathan Thomas Koenig, of Perrysburg, Ohio, a stockbroker previously registered with The Huntington Investment Company, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 4, 2016, in which the customer requested $14,461.87 in damages based upon allegations that Koenig misrepresented a variable annuity, and omitted that the customer would forego guaranteed…
Richard Grant Cody, of Spring Lake, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with Westminster Financial Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 18, 2017, based upon allegations that Cody misappropriated funds belonging to the customer in connection with over-the-counter equity transactions. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public…
Roger Salvatore Zullo, of Boston, Massachusetts, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial, LLC, was charged along with LPL Financial, LLC, in a Compliant by the Enforcement Section of Massachusetts Securities Division of the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which contained allegations that, inter alia, Zullo defrauded LPL Financial LLC’s customers…
Todd Joseph Henrich, of Edison, New Jersey, a stockbroker currently registered with National Securities Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on September 29, 2015, for $26,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Henrich negligently handled the customer’s investment portfolio, breached his fiduciary duties, made misrepresentations to the…
David Jonathan Bolton, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, a stockbroker formerly registered with Signator Investors, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on April 1, 2016, based upon allegations that Bolton effected unsuitable class A share mutual fund transactions in an elderly customer’s account, and charged the customer with excessive commissions…
Chadwick C. Collins, of Carlsbad, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on April 18, 2016, for $86,559.31 in damages based upon allegations that Collins, from December of 2015 to March of 2016, failed to disclose commissions charged to…
Samuel T. Januszeqski-Ytrt, of Mineola, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Blackbook Capital LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on November 21, 2016, in which the customer requested $250,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Januszeqski-Ytrt breached his fiduciary duties, made misrepresentations concerning investments, and defrauded the customer…
Brad William McDowell, of Niles, Illinois, a stockbroker registered with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, was terminated from employment on June 17, 2016, based upon allegations that McDowell did not properly secure confidential information pertaining to the firm’s customers. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that McDowell has been named in three customer initiated…
Curtis Dean Milakovich, of Naples, Florida, a stockbroker currently registered with Kovack Securities Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on August 31, 2016, based upon allegations that Milakovich made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer, implemented an unsuitable strategy for investing, and churned the customer’s account. The customer additionally…
Jill M. Cody, of Spring Lake, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with Westminster Financial Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 18, 2017, based upon allegations that Cody misappropriated the customer’s funds. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals that Cody has been identified in…
Baris Cabalar, of Hauppauge, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Legend Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on March 8, 2016, in which the customer requested $100,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Cabalar violated the Arkansas Securities Act, churned the customer’s account, breached his contractual and…
Dean Sadrudin Mustaphalli, of Forest Hills, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Sterne Agee Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on December 1, 2015, for $400,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Mustaphalli made misrepresentations to the customer concerning direct investment products, and effected…
Michael Jay Sharenow, of Florham Park, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on November 1, 2016, based upon allegations that Sharenow effected unauthorized corporate debt securities transactions in the customer’s account. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals…
James Paul Kolf, of Madison, Wisconsin, a stockbroker formerly registered with MSI Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on January 30, 2017, in which the customer requested $8,113.06.00 in damages based upon allegations that Kolf omitted information concerning the surrender penalties on a variable annuity contract. Financial…
Tyre Fred Newsome, of New York, New York, a stockbroker with Garden State Securities, Inc., was terminated from employment on April 4, 2016, based upon allegations that he made unsuitable investment recommendations to the firm’s customers concerning investments. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure additionally reveals that on April 18, 2011, a customer filed…
Stephen Skeffington Eubanks, of Las Vegas, Nevada, a stockbroker with Bright Trading, LLC, was terminated from employment on August 26, 2016, based upon allegations that he failed to provide disclosure to his firm concerning an outside business activity which consisted of his ownership in Eubiquity Capital LLC. On November 1, 2016, Eubanks was charged by…
Joseph Patrick Fuller, of New York, New York, a stockbroker registered with Cape Securities, Inc., was terminated from employment on July 6, 2016, based upon allegations that Fuller effected unauthorized trades in a firm customer’s account. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure also reveals that on March 7, 2013, at which time Fuller was…
James Rose, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with UBS Financial Services, Inc., has been fined $25,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he engaged in outside business activities and private securities transactions which were not authorized…
James Calder, of Borger, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with Raymond James, has been fined $15,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he engaged in outside business activities in violation of his firm’s policies. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent,…
Edward Jones, a broker-dealer headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri, was censured and fined $125,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm overcharged customers pertaining to the interest rates on customers’ loans. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2016048760501 (Feb. 1, 2017). According to the AWC, in January…
Further Lane Securities, L.P., a brokerage firm headquartered in New York City, New York, was censured and fined $126,673.78 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon an Office of Hearing Officers’ Default Decision which contained findings that the firm excessively charged customers’ mark-ups in reference to bond transactions, and did not reasonably supervise a…
John Sherman Jumper, of Memphis, Tennessee, a former chief executive officer, chief compliance officer, and chief financial officer of Alluvion Securities, LLC, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations that Jumper misappropriated…
Ziv Ohel, of Deerfield, Illinois, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on December 6, 2016, in which the customer requested $6,521.98 in damages based upon allegations that from February of 2015 to February of 2016, Ohel made misrepresentations and unsuitable recommendations…
Rick Douglas Konecny, of Chicago, Illinois, a stockbroker currently registered with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on June 23, 2016, in which the customer requested $400,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Konecny effected unauthorized and unsuitable transactions in the customer’s account, and overconcentrated the…
Lawson Financial Corporation, a brokerage firm headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, as well as Robert Lawson (president, chief executive officer, and chief compliance officer), and Pamela Lawson (owner and chief operating officer) were sanctioned by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Office of Hearing Officers according to an Order Accepting Offer of Settlement containing findings that the…
Gary Marlin Arford, of Lynwood, Washington, a stockbroker formerly registered with Comprehensive Wealth Management, LLC, was named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on September 12, 2016, wherein the customer requested $140,760.00 in damages based upon allegations that Arford made unsuitable investment recommendations and effected unsuitable transactions in the customer’s account pertaining to…
Jeremy T. Monte, of Fairport, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with American Portfolios Financial Services, has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he partook in outside business activities and private securities transactions which his firm did…
Clarence Mark Tingle, of Lewes, Delaware, a stockbroker currently registered with Morgan Stanley, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected discretionary trades in customer accounts without authorization. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2014042951501…
Tomas Juhan Velken, of Lafayette, California, a stockbroker currently registered with Sigma Financial Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on June 6, 2016, in which the customer requested $1,600,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Velken failed to reasonably conduct diligence concerning tenant in common investments which the customer…
Michael Lee Child, of Draper, Utah, a stockbroker currently registered with H. Beck, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint, which settled on July 6, 2016, for $35,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Child effected transactions in the customer’s account which were not suitable, and was liable for the…
Jesus Delacarridad Rodriguez, of Miami, Florida, a stockbroker currently registered with IMS Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on August 19, 2016, in which the customer requested $1,667,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Rodriguez breached his fiduciary duties, made misrepresentations to the customer, and negligently handled the…
Hyun Sik Cho, of Dewitt, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Pruco Securities, L.L.C., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations that he partook in unauthorized loan transactions with customers. Letter…
Jon Brett Schmidhammer, of Dublin, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on October 14, 2016, in which the customer requested $500,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Schmidhammer converted the customer’s funds, breached his fiduciary and contractual duties to…
Gerald James Ohalloran, a stockbroker currently registered with Kovack Securities Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on August 2, 2016, in which the customer requested $135,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Ohalloran breached his fiduciary and contractual duties to the customer, made misrepresentations and omissions concerning investments, and…
Donnie Eugene Ingram, of Winter Haven, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Investors Capital Corp., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on November 16, 2016, in which the customer requested $906,353.70 in damages based upon allegations that Ingram effected unsuitable transactions in the customer’s account pertaining to corporate debt, equity…
Paul Robert Nitz, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, a stockbroker currently registered with HD Vest Investment Services, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on July 13, 2016, in which the customer requested $528,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Nitz made unsuitable equity investment recommendations to the customer, made misrepresentations to the…
Neal Charles Moon, and Natalie E. Fogiel Moon, both of Dallas, Texas, and stockbrokers formerly registered with Waddell & Reed, have been charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Department of Enforcement in a Complaint alleging that the individuals effected unauthorized private securities transactions. Department of Enforcement v. Moon et al., No. 2015046926801(July 8, 2016)….
Jeanpaul Charles Skovronck, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Legend Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on August 29, 2016, in which the customer requested $200,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Skovronck negligently handled the customer’s investment portfolio, breached his fiduciary and contractual…
Perry De Leeuw, of Duluth, Georgia, a stockbroker formerly registered with PFS Investments Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on December 5, 2016, in which the customer requested $100,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Leeuw took possession of a customer’s funds in connection with an outside business activity…
Ty Kevin Bauer, a stockbroker formerly registered with J.P. Turner & Company, L.L.C., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on March 3, 2016, in which a customer requested $500,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that from 2011 to 2016, Bauer effected unsuitable corporate debt and direct investment transactions, and churned…
Douglas Wayne Studer, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Kovack Securities Inc., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon Studer’s consent to findings that he failed to cooperate in a FINRA investigation into allegations of his misconduct regarding an inheritance…
Andrew Patrick Murino, a stockbroker currently registered with Alexander Capital, L.P., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on December 1, 2016, in which the customer requested $38,084.00 in damages based upon allegations that Murino effected unauthorized and unsuitable over-the-counter equity trades in the customer’s account, and breached his fiduciary duty…
Howard Davis Brous, of Great Neck, New York, the former president and founder of defunct HD Brous, as a stockbroker currently registered with Wunderlich Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on August 25, 2016, in which the customer requested $2,500,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Brous breached…
Frank Hamrak, of New York, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Beech Hill Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on November 21, 2016, in which the customer requested $185,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that from March 20, 2014, to November 9, 2016, Hamrak effected unsuitable transactions…
Robert Francis Stefanelli, a stockbroker formerly registered with Legend Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on December 12, 2016, in which the customer requested $50,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Stefanelli utilized high pressure sales tactics, and effected equity and options margin trades in the customer’s account…
Robert Michael Giusti, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 24, 2015, in which a customer was ultimately awarded $300,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that from 2010 to 2015, Giusti made…
Garland Wayne Benton Jr., of Richardson, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with Reef Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 14, 2014, in which the customer requested $946,670.00 in damages based upon allegations that Benton engaged in unauthorized investment solicitations, breached his contractual duties, omitted facts concerning…
Harris Wayne Kirk, or Richardson, Texas, a stockbroker currently registered with Reef Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on February 11, 2016, in which the customer requested $250,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Kirk breached his contractual duties, and failed to conduct proper due diligence as well…
Shaun Evan Stein, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with J.P. Turner & Company, L.L.C., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on June 30, 2014, in which the customer requested $75,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Stein breached his contractual duties owed to the customer, engaged…
Keith Lawton James Connolly, of Syosset, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with J.D. Nicholas & Associates, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on July 20, 2016, for $43,976.90 in damages based upon allegations that Connolly effected unsuitable equity transactions in the customer’s account, overconcentrated the customer’s…
Charles Bernard Lynch, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, has been named in Forty Three customer initiated investment related disputes between October 6, 2014, and August 9, 2016, which collectively settled for $6,932,566.03 in damages based upon allegations against Lynch which included unsuitability, misrepresentation, negligence, and account mismanagement. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority…
Ricardo Francois, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Caldwell International Securities, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to respond to a FINRA information request. Letter No. 2015043464602 (October 30, 2015). Prior to…
Mark Zeltser, of Brooklyn, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Meyers Associates, L.P., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to respond to a FINRA information request. Letter No. 2014039091902 (Nov. 9, 2015). Prior to his…
Marcious Dickerson, of Livonia, Michigan, a stockbroker currently registered with Centaurus Financial, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on September 1, 2015, for $97,983.70 in damages based upon allegations that Dickerson breached his fiduciary and contractual duties to the customer, effected unsuitable transactions in the customer’s account,…
Matthew Ian Turner, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on August 8, 2014, for $23,115.00 in damages based upon allegations that Turner effected unsuitable equity transactions in the customer’s account. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority…
Charles Henry Frieda, of Irvine, California, a stockbroker currently registered with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, has been named in thirty-two customer initiated investment related disputes between October 6, 2014, and October 25, 2016, which have collectively settled for $5,268,553.00 in damages based upon allegations that Frieda effected unsuitable transactions in the customers’ accounts, which…
Steve Dale Heath, of Newport News, Virginia, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial, LLC, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he effected trades in a customer’s account on an unsuitable and unauthorized basis. Letter of…
In July 2014, we wrote about the dismantling of the Pennsylvania Securities Commissioner, which was seen as an impediement to “capital formation” in the Keystone State. We called it: Securities Fraudsters: You have a friend in Pennsylvania. So here we go again. By way of background, each year in Pennsylvania, investors conservatively lose $3 billion as…
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy issued an Investor Bulletin concerning the potential risks associated with alternative mutual funds. According to the Investor Bulletin: Alternative Mutual Funds Are Not Typical Mutual Funds Alternative mutual funds (sometimes called alt funds or liquid alts) are publicly offered, SEC-registered mutual funds that hold non-traditional investments or…
Barry F. Connell, formerly of the Ridgewood office of Morgan Stanley, Inc., formerly known as Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Inc., was charged by the United States Securities & Exchange Commission for the Connell, for the violation of Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Advisers Act, in that while acting as an investment adviser, by use…
Honetta C. Kao, of Brooklyn, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Meyers Associates, L.P., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that Kao failed to respond to FINRA’s request for Kao’s information. Case No. 2014039091901 (Nov. 9, 2015). Prior to Kao’s…
Richard Gomez of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Avenir Financial Group, has been suspended for one year from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that Gomez, inter alia, effected unauthorized and excessive trades in the customers’ accounts. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
Michael Christopher Venturino, of Uniondale, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Aegis Capital Corp., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 12, 2016, in which the customer requested $515,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that from June of 2014 to January of 2016, Venturino effected over-the-counter equity trades…
Kerry Patrick Raheb, a stockbroker formerly registered with the Garden City, New York office of Spartan Capital Securities, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on July 21, 2014, in which the customer requested $37,214.99 in damages based upon allegations that Raheb coerced the customer to purchase over-the-counter equities which…
Daniel John Dunn, of Mission Viejo, California, a stockbroker currently registered with Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on August 17, 2015, in which the customer requested $48,624.47 in damages based upon allegations that Dunn made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer concerning the sale of…
Brian J. Zimmerman, of San Diego, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Liberty Partners Financial Services, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, in which the customer was awarded $20,000.00 in damages on March 14, 2016, based upon allegations that Zimmerman made misrepresentations and omissions to the customer, churned the…
Hugh Wilkens Levey, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Source Capital Group, Inc., was permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate with FINRA in an investigation into allegations that Levey misappropriated funds. Letter…
John David Fenimore, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Aegis Capital Corp., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on June 9, 2014, in which the customer requested $250,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Fenimore utilized the customer’s margin in an unsuitable manner, effected equity trades in…
Alfred Talens Jr., of Indianapolis, Indiana, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that Talens failed to provide FINRA personnel with a response to a request for Talens’ information. Case No. 2015044377301 (Oct. 13,…
Daniel George McPherson, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, a stockbroker currently registered with Cetera Advisors LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on March 7, 2016, in which the customer requested $40,151.00 in damages based upon allegations that McPherson effected unsuitable fixed annuity transactions in the customer’s account. Financial Industry Regulatory…
Thomas Edward Andrews, of Salt Lake City, Utah, a barred stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on October 20, 2016, in which forty-four customers have collectively requested $10,504,799.00 in damages based upon allegations that Andrews churned the customers’ accounts, negligently managed the customers’…
Indra Ramsahai, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Aegis Capital Corp, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on July 18, 2016, for $90,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Ramsahai churned the customer’s investment account and effected unsuitable leveraged exchange traded fund transactions. Financial…
William Jeffrey Carlton, of Vienna, Virginia, a stockbroker currently registered with UBS Financial Services Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on November 10, 2016, in which the customer requested $525,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Carlton effected unsuitable equity and limited partnership interest transactions in the customer’s account,…
James Bryant Eichner Junior, of New York, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with National Securities Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on June 30, 2015, in which the customer requested $500,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Eichner negligently handled the customer’s investment account and breached his fiduciary…
Allan P. Montalbano, of Garden City, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with National Securities Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on June 20, 2016, in which the customer requested $350,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Montalbano breached his contractual and fiduciary duties, negligently handled the customer’s investment…
Ronald Edward Siemon, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, was permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate with FINRA in an investigation into allegations of Siemon’s misconduct asserted via a customer…
Eugene Theodore Smietana, of Traverse City, Michigan, a stockbroker formerly registered withEugene Theodore Smietana, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint, which settled on December 7, 2015, for $87,750.00 in damages based upon allegations that Smietana effected equity trades in the customer’s account on an excessive and unsuitable basis. Financial Industry…
Patrick J. Sands, of Quincy, Massachusetts, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, was terminated from employment on November 19, 2015, based upon allegations that he sold securities outside the auspices of his firm, which was a violation of his firm’s policies. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Public Disclosure reveals…
William David Utanski, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a stockbroker currently registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on March 7, 2016, for $3,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Utanski effected unsuitable stock transactions in the customer’s account pertaining to Dendreon Corporation, which…
James Christopher Hayne, a stockbroker formerly registered with Cetera Advisors LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on December 13, 2016, in which the customer requested $500,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Hayne Hayne breached his fiduciary duties, effected stock trades on an excessive basis, failed to diversify the…
Bernardo Misseri, of Staten Island, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Legend Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, in which the customer was awarded $50,000.00 in damages on August 12, 2016, based upon allegations that Misseri breached his fiduciary duties, negligently handled the customer’s portfolio, failed to…
Henry Al Dean Watson, a stockbroker formerly registered with J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, LLC, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate with FINRA in an investigation into allegations of his misconduct. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
Joseph C. Noyes IV, a stockbroker formerly registered with Santander Securities LLC, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that Noyes falsified customer documents, and effected an annuity exchange which was not suitable for a customer. Letter of…
Richard Michael Gholson, of Pahoa, Hawaii, a principal formerly registered with Cuso Financial Services, L.P., has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to supervise the suitability of unit investment trust recommendations made by the firm’s…
James Coleman Starks, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Caldwell International Securities, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon allegations that Starks did not respond to a letter from FINRA which requested information from Starks. Case No. 2015043464601 (Oct….
Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc., a brokerage firm headquartered in Syracuse, New York, and its former registered representative, Charles Lee Deremo, of Eagan, Minnesota, have been censured and fined by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that Deremo made unsuitable investment recommendations to a firm customer, and the firm failed to…
By: Dana N. Pescosolido Once again, the author analyzes FINRA customer arbitration awards in his unique way, and draws comparisons between 2015 and 2016. Bottom line, customers won “something” a little less often in 2016, but won a little more money when they did. Read on for a detailed analysis. FINRA’s published statistics are accurate…
Lance Shaw of Havcrford, Pennsylvania, formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, was recently barred from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) after failing to respond to the FINRA Staff for “information.” FINRA suspended Shaw in May 2016, but decided not to bar him until August 2016. Why FINRA wanted to talk to Shaw is a secret…
Christiane Olsen, of New York, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with UBS Financial Services Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on November 28, 2016, for $29,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Olsen effected unsuitable master limited partnership and stock transactions in the customer’s account that…
What does the Whitney Bank or JC Whitney have to do with Salomon Brothers or Salomon Smith Barney? What does a Salomon or a Whitney have to do with Johnny Prinzivalli from Long Island? Nothing. But Salomon Whitney Financial is a brokerage firm with a fancy sounding name located lovely Farmingdale, New York, and founded by a…
James Walter Ignatowich, of Boca Raton, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Newbridge Securities Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on December 21, 2016, in which the customer requested $61,469.00 in damages based upon allegations that Ignatowich violated the Iowa Securities Act, made misrepresentations to the customer, negligently handled…
Sanctions levied on Fox Financial Mangement Corporation, a brokerage firm based on Carrollton, Texas, along with principals Brian A. Murphy, of Frisco, Texas, and James E. Rooney, Jr., of Carrollton, Texas, were affirmed by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) National Adjudicatory Council in a Decision which confirmed findings that the firm and principals, inter alia,…
Cyrus M. Alphonse, of Boston, Massachusetts, a former registered principal with Summer Street Research Partners, has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any principal capacity based upon consenting to findings that, inter alia, he failed to supervise a subordinate registered representative’s private securities transactions. Letter…
Ameritas Investment Corp., a brokerage firm headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, has been censured and fined $145,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm failed to supervise recommendations made by its registered representatives pertaining to equity indexed annuities. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015046904101 (Jan. 11, 2017). According…
Matthew Meehan, a stockbroker formerly registered with E.J. Sterling, LLC, has been fined $15,000.00 and suspended for twelve months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity after consenting to findings that he effected unsuitable trades in customer accounts. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2016050114901 (Jan. 11, 2017). According…
John Columbia, of Garden City, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Woodstock Financial Group, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on April 15, 2015, for $167,383.05 in damages based upon allegations that Columbia made misrepresentations to the customer, breached his contractual duties, negligently handled the customer’s…
William Robert Berg, of Mesa, Arizona, a stockbroker currently registered with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on October 19, 2016 for $25,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that in 2014, Berg overconcentrated the customer’s assets in oil and gas equities that were…
Zak William Shapiro, of Los Angeles, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on June 22, 2016, in which the customer requested $32,196.55 in damages based upon allegations that between April of 2015 to April of 2016, Shapiro effected trades in…
Edward Louis Barger, of Miami Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 4, 2016, which was based upon allegations that between August of 2011 and December of 2015, Barger effected unsuitable closed-end funds and equity transactions in the customer’s…
George Craig Merhoff Jr., a stockbroker currently registered with Cetera Advisors LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on July 14, 2016, which is based upon allegations that Merhoff committed violations of securities laws in the State of Oregon, breached his fiduciary and contractual duties to the customer, effected unsuitable…
Lisa Ann Wolf, of Chicago, Illinois, a stockbroker currently registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on April 10, 2015 for $150,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that from July of 2008 to June of 2014, Wolf made misrepresentations and…
Jacquin P. Fink, a stockbroker currently registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on October 13, 2016, in which the customer requested $300,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that between October 2015 and October 2016, Fink made unsuitable equity investment recommendations to the…
Gerald Tagge, of Omaha, Nebraska, a stockbroker currently registered with Cetera Advisors LLC, has been named or tagged in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on September 30, 2015, in which the customer requested $125,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Tagge solicited and ultimately accepted promissory notes from the customer outside the auspices…
Charles Alan Correal, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on February 29, 2016, in which the customer requested $180,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that between 2008 to 2016, Correal effected unsuitable transactions in the customer’s account pertaining…
Jason Wilk, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with National Securities Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment related complaint, which settled on September 7, 2016 for $15,000.00 based upon allegations that Wilk effected unsuitable over-the-counter equities transactions in the customer’s account. On the same day, another customer initiated investment…
Robert Alden Cannon, of Issaquah, Washington, a stockbroker formerly registered with Pacific West Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on December 16, 2014, in which the customer requested $175,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Cannon negligently handled the customer’s investment account, committed violations of FINRA Rule 2111…
Joel Anthony Benanti, of Farmingdale, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Laidlaw and Company (UK) Ltd., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on July 19, 2016, in which the customer requested $22,269.00 in damages based upon allegations that between 2012 and 2013, Benanti effected unsuitable equity transactions in the…
Daniel Cleophas Alcide, of Red Bank, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with J.P. Turner & Company, L.L.C., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on December 3, 2015, in which the customer requested $150,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Alcide engaged in high pressure sales tactics, made misrepresentations concerning…
James William Flower, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd., has been named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint, which settled on November 12, 2015 for $45,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Flower effected unsuitable equity transactions and churned the customer’s investment account. Financial Industry…
Gregg D. Templeton, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., was named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on December 20, 2016, which settled for $562,500.00 in damages based upon allegations that from July 1, 2010 to March 31, 2015, Templeton misappropriated the customer’s funds, effected…
David L. Ferland, of York, Maine, a stockbroker formerly registered with Invest Financial Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment related civil action, which settled on July 26, 2016, for $749,804.03 in damages based upon allegations that Ferland misled the customer regarding the purchase of an unsuitable annuity transaction, a home equity loan,…
The Broker-Dealer Task Force and Office of Investor Education of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an Investor Alert on January 9, 2017, which discussed how investors can detect when brokers effect excessive trades in their brokerage accounts. The SEC also detailed how investors could respond when notified by brokerage firms regarding substantial trading…
Donald J. Fowler, of Massapequa, New York, and Gregory T. Dean, of Seaford, New York, both of whom are stockbrokers formerly registered with J.D. Nicholas & Associates, Inc., have been charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a Complaint alleging that Fowler and Dean excessively traded and fraudulently churned customer accounts, and effected…
Victor Lee, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with UBS Financial Services Inc., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm in any capacity after consenting to findings that he engaged in an outside business activity which was not authorized by his firm, and falsified…
Salomon David Krispeal, of Hauppauge, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with John Thomas Financial, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on December 11, 2015. The claim was based upon allegations that Krispeal engaged in sales practice violations in the accounts of two customers. Krispeal was fined $2,500.00…
Kelly Clayton Althar, of San Francisco, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Financial West Group, has been charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in a Complaint alleging that Althar effected trades in a customer’s account on an excessive basis and made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer. Department of Enforcement v. Kelly Clayton Althar,…
Thomas E. Stamborski, of Palatine, Illinois, a stockbroker formerly registered with LaSalle Street Securities, L.L.C., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon Stamborski’s consent to findings that he failed to cooperate with a FINRA investigation into allegations that he engaged in unauthorized outside…
Bradley Joseph Ross, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a stockbroker with UBS Financial Services Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 19, 2016, in which the customer requested $99,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Ross effected unauthorized trades and overconcentrated the customer’s assets in exchange traded funds, mutual…
James Michael Noto, of Trinity, Florida, a stockbroker currently registered with Summit Brokerage Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on August 3, 2016 for $25,000.00 in damages. The customer’s claim was based upon allegations that Noto effected an unsuitable variable annuity contract. FINRA Public Disclosure reveals…
Craig Lansing Hayward, of Lafayette, Colorado, a stockbroker currently registered with Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 11, 2016, in which the customer requested $707,500.00 in damages based upon allegations that between 2007 and 2014, Hayward negligently handled the customer’s account, breached his fiduciary…
Charles Louis Laubach, of Baltimore, Maryland, a stockbroker formerly registered with Chapin David Investments, has been terminated from employment on March 18, 2016, based upon allegations that he did not follow his firm’s supervisory protocols and mismarked investment transaction tickets. This is not the first time that Laubach has been terminated by a brokerage firm…
Steven Joel Shmulewitz, of Garden City, New York, a stockbroker with Craft Capital Management LLC, has been named in a customer initiated investment related complaint, which settled for December 21, 2016 for $30,000.00 in damages. The customer’s complaint was based upon allegations that Shmulewitz failed to execute the customer’s October 2016 stop loss orders pertaining…
Christopher J. Cowans, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on December 11, 2015, in which the customer has requested $600,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that between March of 2011 and December of 2013, Cowans effected excessive transactions in the customer’s…
Zahir Walji, of Austin, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., was named in two customer initiated investment related arbitration claims between June 6, 2010, and June 10, 2016, in which the customers collectively requested $1,640,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Walji was liable to customers who had not received repayment of…
Mitchel Allan Foote, of Manhattan, Kansas, a stockbroker formerly registered with Broker Dealer Financial Services Corp., was named in a customer initiated investment related written complaint on May 12, 2014, in which the customer requested $30,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Foote misrepresented an illiquid real estate security investment to a customer. FINRA Public…
Cory David Bataan, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Aegis Capital Corp., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on August 25, 2015 for $25,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Bataan made unsuitable investment recommendations concerning over-the-counter equities and generated commissions and fees which were…
Thomas Alan Braley, of Saginaw, Michigan, a stockbroker and financial advisor formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim which settled on December 2, 2016 for $75,000.00 in damages. The customer’s claim was based upon allegations that between January of 2013 and…
John Bernard Steffen, of Florence, Kentucky, an insurance broker formerly registered with Silver Oak Securities, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated written complaint on June 23, 2016, in which the customer requested $285,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Steffen churned the customer’s account, breached his fiduciary duty, and effected unsuitable variable annuity…
David Albert Ross, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a stockbroker registered with Woodbury Financial Services, was terminated from employment on April 15, 2016, based upon allegations that Ross, inter alia, effected unauthorized loan arrangements with the firm’s customers and engaged in an outside business activity that was not authorized by Woodbury Financial Services. FINRA Public Disclosure reveals…
Brian Patrick Murphy a registered representative associated with Signator Investors from July 2015 through July 2016, and with MetLife Securities, Inc. from December 2006 through December 2014, conducting business under the name “Murphy Financial Advisors” in Moorestown, New Jersey, was arrested January 13, 2017 and was charged with stealing $890,000 from a customer thought he…
Jason Vincent Mediate, of Staten Island, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Alexander Capital, L.P., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim, which settled on November 17, 2015 for $112,500.00 in damages based upon allegations that Mediate effected transactions in the customer’s investment account without proper authorization. FINRA Public Disclosure…
Kyle Patrick Harrington, of San Diego, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with National Securities Corporation, has become the subject of a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) investigation, which focuses on allegations that Harrington possibly engaged in private securities transactions, converted customer funds, and failed to cooperate with FINRA regarding allegations of his misconduct. FINRA Matter…
Michael A. Pellegrino Jr., of Red Bank, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, was terminated from employment on December 2, 2016, based upon allegations that Pellegrino conducted communications with an individual which the firm prohibited business to be conducted with. The firm further alleged that Pellegrino provided a party with advice on…
Joe Don Treece, of Bentonville, Arkansas, has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in any capacity based upon allegations that Treece failed to provide a response to a FINRA investigatory request, or otherwise comply with a settlement agreement or an arbitration award. Case No. 12-00453 (Dec. 1, 2016). FINRA Public…
Marc Ang, of Sherman Oaks, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Pruco Securities, LLC, has been terminated from employment on November 23, 2016, based upon allegations that Ang, inter alia, engaged in outside business activities which were not approved by Pruco Securities, utilized a business name and advertising mechanism which was not authorized, and established…
Carlos Velazquez, of Elgin, Illinois, a stockbroker associated with Waddell & Reed, has been terminated from employment on December 1, 2016, based upon allegations that Velazquez admitted to falsifying statements to the firm’s personnel concerning the purpose of an outside business activity which Velazquez was involved in. Who knows what this means, as it could…
Mark Nicholas Wesley, of Independence, Ohio, a stockbroker with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., was permitted to resign by the firm on June 17, 2016, based upon allegations that Wesley, inter alia, effected authorized trades in in customer accounts, and utilized discretion in accounts without firm approval. FINRA Public Disclosure reveals that Wesley has been named…
Victor Eugene Lambert III, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, was named in a written customer complaint, which settled on April 7, 2016 for $85,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Lambert effected unsuitable equity transactions in the customer’s investment account. FINRA Public Disclosure reveals that Lambert has been identified…
Alan Joseph Thomilson, of Edwardsville, Illinois, a stockbroker currently registered with Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment arbitration claim which settled on October 24, 2016 for $75,000.00 in damages, based upon allegations that Thomilson made misrepresentations and unsuitable recommendations to the customer regarding the replacement of the customer’s existing…
Kim Dee Isaacson, of Midvale, Utah, a stockbroker currently registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) investigation on April 8, 2016, which focuses on allegations that Isaacson made misrepresentations to a customer concerning the customer’s investment performance and account details. FINRA Public Disclosure reveals that Isaacson…
Michael Laurence DiGaetano, of Lewiston, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with J.P. Turner & Company, L.L.C., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim in which the customer has requested $725,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that DiGaetano breached his fiduciary and contractual obligations to the customer, negligently handled the customer’s…
Caeron Arlington McClintock, of New York, New York, a broker formerly registered with EJ Sterling, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on November 22, 2016, in which the customer has requested $135,593.00 in damages based upon allegations that McClintock breached his fiduciary and contractual duties to the customer, churned the…
David Bruce White, of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a stockbroker currently registered with Centaurus Financial, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on July 27, 2016, in which the customer requested $75,000.00 in damages based upon allegation that White’s recommendations in limited partnership interests and direct participation programs caused the customer…
John Paul Corsi, of Parma, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with WRP Investments, has been fined $20,000.00 and suspended for twenty months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he participated in an undisclosed outside business activity and private securities transaction, and made…
Gary Saitowitz, of Atlanta, Georgia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc., has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended for eighteen months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member based upon consenting to findings that Saitowitz, inter alia, made unsuitable investment recommendations, participated in a private securities transaction, and misstated customer…
Alfred William Valz, of Manasquan, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with UBS Financial Services Inc., has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that Valz placed unauthorized trades in the accounts of customers. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
James Carolan Speno, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that Spendo effected transactions in customer accounts without authorization. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent,…
LPL Financial, LLC, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, was censured and fined $900,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm failed to distribute account notices containing customer suitability information. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015045887301 (Dec. 21, 2016). According to the AWC, between 2009 and 2016, the…
Regal Securities, a broker-dealer headquartered in Glenview, Illinois, has been censured and fined $25,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm failed to supervise the evaluation and authorization of outside business activities. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015043657202 (Dec. 21, 2016). According to the AWC, in…
Principal Securities Inc., headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, has been censured and fined $125,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm failed to create and implement adequate supervision systems pertaining to consolidated reports. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015043589501 (Dec. 21, 2016). According to the AWC,…
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, a broker-dealer headquartered in New York, New York, has been censured and fined $2,750,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm failed to create and preserve adequate procedures and systems geared to ensure that customers’ margin securities would be properly controlled and held…
Ross, Sinclaire & Associates, LLC, a broker-dealer headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, was censured and fined $214,545.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm, inter alia: made material omissions regarding municipal offerings; failed to conduct adequate due diligence; and failed to supervise investment offerings. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and…
Mark H. Botsford, of Alexandria, Virginia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he engaged in outside business activities which were not approved by Wells Fargo. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
The tail wagging the dog. Broker sell you unsuitable investments, no problem. We will just secretly change your investment objectives. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, a broker-dealer headquartered in Purchase, New York, has been censured and fined $1,500,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm failed to set forth…
Jaime Hazael Aguilar, of San Diego, California, a stockbroker previously registered with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, LLC, has been fired by his firm on May 10, 2016, based upon allegations that Aguilar was involved with a customer in pursuing a financial transaction outside the auspices of Morgan Stanley. FINRA Public Disclosure reveals that Aguilar has…
Kenneth John Saunders, of Coral Springs, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Investors Capital Corp., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration action on March 11, 2016, in which the customer requested $150,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Saunders made misrepresentations to the customer concerning investments, and effected unsuitable investments in…
Joshua David Arnold, of Edina, Minnesota, a stockbroker formerly registered with TradingBlock, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim from September 12, 2016, in which the customer requested $250,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Arnold breached his contractual and fiduciary duties to the customer, made unsuitable investment recommendations, and negligently…
William Dean Byrd, of Tampa, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc., was named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on June 2, 2016, which settled for $42,500.00 in damages based upon allegations that Byrd breached his fiduciary obligations to the customer, made misrepresentations concerning investments, and made investment recommendations…
Matthew J. Giannone, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., has been fined $7,500.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he entered into an unauthorized loan arrangement. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No….
Rodger James Burskey, of Commerce Township, Michigan, a stockbroker formerly registered with Voya Financial Advisors, Inc., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate with FINRA in its investigation into allegations that Burskey made unsuitable…
Source Capital Group, Inc., a broker-dealer headquartered in Westport, Connecticut, has been charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Department of Enforcement in a Complaint alleging that the firm, inter alia, failed to disclose to investors certain material facts concerning interests in limited partnerships. Department of Enforcement v. Source Capital Group, Inc., No. 2014038889501 (Dec. 23, 2016)….
First Financial Equity Corporation, headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, was censured and fined $230,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Department of Enforcement according to an Office of Hearing Officers’ Order Accepting Offer of Settlement containing findings that the firm failed to supervise key aspects of the firm’s operations, which included the commissions charged by the…
Kirk Lynn Ferguson, of Salt Lake City, Utah, president and chief compliance officer of ACAP Financial, and Gary Hume, of Salt Lake City, Utah, compliance officer of ACAP Financial, have been sanctioned by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) according to an Office of Hearing Officers’ Order Accepting Offer of Settlement containing findings that Ferguson and…
Joseph Chad Zastrow, of Fort Collins, Colorado, a stockbroker currently registered with Thrivent Investment Management Inc., was named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on August 5, 2016, which settled for $2,861.98 in damages based upon allegations that Zastrow failed to retrieve the customer’s information regarding suitability prior to making investment recommendations, and…
Guy Bernard Deemer, of Sewickley, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly registered with Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., has been terminated by his firm on September 1, 2015, based upon allegations that Deemer did not abide by Oppenheimer’s policies which pertained to the way customers would be charged for services. FINRA Public Disclosure reveals that Deemer has been…
Raymond Willis Harrison, a stockbroker formerly associated with ProEquities, Inc. has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on October 12, 2016, in which the customer has requested $603,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Harrison made omissions to the customer concerning investments, did not conduct a reasonable level of due diligence…
Paul Ricky Mata, of Rancho Cucamonga, California, was barred by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from working as an investment advisor or broker, or associating with brokerage firms selling customers’ securities or advising customers, according to an SEC Order enjoining Mata’s future acts of fraud in violation of Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Section…
Vincent Paul Sturm, of Perry, Iowa, a stockbroker formerly registered with LPL Financial LLC, was terminated by the firm and VisionPoint Advisory Group, LLC on August 26, 2016, based upon allegations that Sturm solicited loans from customers in violation of his firms’ policies. Since September 7, 2016, Sturm has been registered with Berthel, Fisher &…
Wayde Christian Carter Walker, of New York, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with National Securities Corporation, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on December 28, 2015, in which the customer requested $513,218.40 in damages based upon allegations that Walker made misrepresentations to the customer concerning investments, breached his fiduciary…
Mark Christopher Quale, a stockbroker formerly registered with First Financial Equity Corporation, was terminated by his firm on March 31, 2016, based upon allegations that Quale furnished documents to First Financial Equity Corporation containing customer signatures which were not genuine. FINRA Public Disclosure reveals that Quale has been named in four customer arbitrations concerning allegations…
Michael Murphy Hurtgen, of Greenwood Village, a stockbroker formerly registered with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., was terminated by his firm and affiliate Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. on February 23, 2016, based upon allegations that he solicited investors’ interest in a private placement. The firm indicated that the private placement was connected to…
Theodore Michael Jenkin, a stockbroker from Alpharetta, Georgia, was terminated from his employer, Investacorp, Inc. based upon allegations that Jenkin did not abide by his firm’s procedures and policies concerning investments not authorized by the firm for Jenkin to sell to his customers. Since September 10, 2015, Jenkin has been registered with Kestra Investments Services,…
John Jacob Avey, a stockbroker from Denver, Colorado, was terminated by employer Bosc, Inc. on January 15, 2016, based upon allegations that Avey admitted to the firm that a document which Avey provided in connection with a customer’s investment account contained signatures which were not authentic. FINRA Public Disclosure reveals that Avey has been named…
Brooke Ashley Clements, of Greenwood Village, Colorado, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, was terminated by the firm on May 1, 2015, based upon allegations that Clements effected transactions in customer accounts on a discretionary basis, when the firm did not authorize time and place based discretion to be…
John Mark Gregory, of New York, New York, was terminated from Citigroup Global Markets Inc. on March 12, 2015, based upon allegations that Gregory had customers sign blank documents which Gregory then completed without the customer’s involvement. Gregory was also alleged to have altered the data contained on forms that he had utilized previously for…
Matthew James Streckenbach, of Appleton, Wisconsin, has been terminated from Pruco Securities, LLC on April 26, 2016, based upon allegations that Streckenbach submitted forms to his firm which contained forged customer signatures. The company alleged that Streckenbach provided applications to Pruco Securities, LLC, for purchases of life insurance policies containing unauthentic applicant signatures. Since May…
Achilleas Psihudakis, of Bayside, New York, was terminated by his employer, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated on April 16, 2015, based upon allegations that Psihudakis utilized discretion in customer accounts, which was conduct that his broker prohibited. FINRA Public Disclosure reveals that on August 15, 2016, Psihudakis’ securities registration with Maryland Securities Commissioner…
Eric Wayne Harding, of Scottsdale, Arizona, has been terminated from employment with United Planners Financial Services of America on October 6, 2016, based upon allegations that Harding had failed to abide by the policies of the firm concerning repayment of monies that were owed to the firm. This is not the first time that Harding’s…
David Kenneth Rubenstein, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, was terminated from employment on April 11, 2016, based upon allegations pertaining to misconduct committed at his prior firm, Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. FINRA Public Disclosure reveals that Rubenstein’s registration was terminated from Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. on July…
Steve Dale Health, of Newport News, Virginia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Capital Securities Management, Inc., is currently the subject of a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) investigation which was launched on November 11, 2016, and focuses on allegations that Heath may have traded in customer accounts on a discretionary basis, and effected or recommended…
Rodney Bahy Ibrahim, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Maxim Group, LLC, was terminated from the company on June 23, 2015, based upon allegations that he made misrepresentations to a customer following a wire transfer request. FINRA Public Disclosure reveals that on December 9, 2009, Ibrahim was named in a customer…
Walter Joseph Marino, of Hauppauge, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Legend Equities Corporation, has been named in four customer initiated investment related arbitration actions between March 14, 2016, and July 18, 2016, in which the customers have collectively requested $433,101.00 in damages based upon allegations that Marino excessively charged the customers with commissions…
Charles John Obryant III, of Raleigh, North Carolina, a stockbroker formerly registered with Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on October 2, 2015, which settled for $632,298.00 in damages based upon allegations that Obryant negligently handled the customer’s investment account, breached his fiduciary duty, and effected…
Dean John Kajouras, of New York, New York, a stockbroker with Fordham Financial Management, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on March 7, 2016, in which the customer requested $115,414.22 in damages based upon allegations that Kajouras made misrepresentations to the customer concerning investments, breached his contractual obligations, effected…
Joel Nathan Burstein, of Coral Gables, Florida, a stockbroker currently registered with Raymond James & Associates, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim or civil action on March 5, 2016, in which the customer requested $200,000,000.00 in damages based upon allegations including fraud, theft, misappropriation of customer funds, conspiracy to…
Marc Neil Kalter, of Garden City, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Woodstock Financial Group, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on March 21, 2016, in which the customer requested $182,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Kalter breached his fiduciary duty to the customer, excessively traded and churned…
Rabinder Deshmukh, of Miami, Florida, a stockbroker with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim from March 18, 2016, in which customers requested $9,000,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Deshmukh made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer, which included overconcentrating the customers’ assets in risky investments….
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC, both headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri, have been censured and fined $1,000,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firms failed to supervise consolidated reports that were disseminated to customers concerning outside assets. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and…
Joel Martin Weiner, of Boyton Beach, Florida, a stockbroker formerly associated with LaSalle Street Securities L.L.C., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he engaged in unauthorized outside business activities. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015044783402 (Dec. 21,…
Frank J. Bodi, of Atlanta, Georgia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Coastal Equities, Inc., has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity after consenting to findings that he effected trades in customer accounts without authorization. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2014041310601 (Dec….
Daryl Eugene Allison, of Lubbock, Texas, a stockbroker and former president of Caprock Securities, Inc., has been fined $10,000.00 and fined from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any principal capacity based upon consenting to findings that, inter alia, Allison failed to supervise registered representatives’ closed end fund sales to customers….
Texas E&P Partners, a Texas based broker-dealer formerly known as Chestnut Exploration Partners, Inc., has been expelled from Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) membership, and the firm’s president, Mark A. Plummer, has been barred from associating with any FINRA member in any capacity according to a FINRA Office of Hearing Officers Extended Hearing Panel Decision…
Suzanne Hagmeyer, of Naperville, Illinois, a former stockbroker with World Equity Group, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm in any capacity after consenting to findings that she made misstatements to customers concerning variable annuity transactions. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2013036907001 (Dec….
Stockbroker Fraud Lawyers | Scott F. Goldman, of Arlington Heights, Illinois, a stockbroker formerly associated with LPL Financial LLC, was fined $10,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he made unsuitable investment recommendations to customers. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
Phillip Howard Palmer, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, a stockbroker and principal formerly registered with First Independent Financial Services, has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that Palmer, inter alia, failed to supervise variable annuity withdrawal transactions. Letter of Acceptance,…
Robert Steven Beck, of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm in any capacity after consenting to findings that he effected discretionary trades in a customer’s account. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2014042560001 (Dec….
Richard Edwin Seidel, of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly registered with Pruco Securities, LLC, has been suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm in any capacity after consenting to findings that he engaged in an unauthorized borrowing arrangement with a firm customer. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2016050057401…
Kenneth Alan Balser, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, a stockbroker formerly registered with Cetera Advisors, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate in a FINRA investigation into allegations of Balser’s participation in private securities transactions or…
Capital One Investing, LLC, a broker-dealer headquartered in Seattle, Washington, was censured and fined $500,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm, inter alia, did not provide customers with required notifications pertaining to suitability determinations, and failed to supervise distributions of required notices to customers. Letter of Acceptance,…
Dougherty & Company LLC, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been censured and fined $140,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) based upon consenting to findings that the firm failed to supervise a registered representative who effected unsuitable and unauthorized investment transactions. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015047008701 (Nov. 28, 2016). According to the…
Neeraj Roy Chaudhary, of El Segundo, California, a stockbroker with Euro Pacific Capital, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim in which the customer alleged that Chaudhary effected unsuitable investment transactions concerning private placements in the customer’s account. Guiliano Law Group Our practice is limited to the representation of investors….
Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer headquartered in Fairfield, Iowa, has been censured by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) after consenting to findings that the firm overcharged charitable organization and retirement account customers in connection with mutual funds transactions. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015046952401 (Dec. 17, 2016). According to the AWC, Cambridge provides…
Michael Timothy Dolan, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, a stockbroker currently registered with Dougherty & Company LLC, was charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Department of Enforcement in a Complaint alleging that Dolan effected unauthorized private securities transactions. Department of Enforcement v. Dolan, No. 2013039306601 (Dec. 14, 2016). According to the Complaint, from October of 2010 to October…
Manuel Mejia-Gomez, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, a stockbroker formerly associated with Popular Securities LLC, has been fined $15,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity after consenting to findings that he effected transactions in customer accounts without authorization. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015044285701…
Allstate Financial Services, LLC, headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, has been censured and fined $1,000,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) after consenting to findings that the firm, inter alia, had mass incomplete or missing accounts records concerning customer suitability. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015047806501(Dec. 15, 2016). According to the AWC, between 2001…
Marc Donald Bushey, of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, a stockbroker formerly registered with NYLife Securities LLC, was permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm in any capacity after consenting to findings that he converted customer funds. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2016051803901 (Dec. 13, 2016). According to the AWC, customer…
Kai Chen, of San Francisco, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in any capacity after consenting to findings that he exercised discretion in customer accounts without authorization. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2013039280301 (Dec….
Athanasios Tomaras, of Oldsmar, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Fulcrum Securities, LLC, has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim from October 17, 2016, in which the customer requested $189,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that from July of 2013 to January of 2016, Tomaras made unsuitable investment recommendations to the…
Robert Edward Wamhoff, from Saint Charles, Missouri, a stockbroker formerly registered with VSR Financial Services, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim from February 27, 2016, in which the customer alleged that Wamhoff effected unsuitable investments in the customer’s account. Two days prior, another customer filed an investment related arbitration…
Daniel A. Cabrera, of Helotes, Texas, a stockbroker currently registered with BBVA Securities Inc., was subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim which settled for $44,676.57 in damages. The customers’ claim was based upon allegations that Cabrera made misrepresentations, or misled the customers concerning investments in four variable annuity contracts that the customers…
Jesse Julian Griffin Jr., of Palm City, Florida, a stockbroker formerly associated with VSR Financial Services, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration action from June 19, 2015, which settled for $52,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Griffin effected unsuitable transactions in the customers’ accounts. FINRA Public Disclosure reveals that…
Kevin Mark Nevin, of Saint Louis Park, Minnesota, a stockbroker formerly associated with VSR Financial Services, has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on September 30, 2016, in which the customer requested $50,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Nevin breached his fiduciary and contractual relationship with the customer, effected unsuitable…
Richard Lyndon Brown, of Massapequa, New York, a stockbroker formerly associated with Brookstone Securities, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim from September 22, 2015, in which a customer was awarded $72,135.95 in damages based upon allegations that Brown breached his contractual and fiduciary duties to the customer, abused the…
Timothy Charles Hobbs, of Bedford, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with VSR Financial Services, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration action from February 3, 2014, in which the customer requested $82,500.00 in damages based upon allegations that Hobbs breached his fiduciary duty to the customer, and effected investment transactions in…
Henry John Kulig III, of Clearwater, Florida, a stockbroker currently registered with FSC Securities Corporation, is the subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration action in which the customer was awarded $65,333.33 in damages. The customer’s claim was based upon allegations that Kulig made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer concerning American Realty Capital…
Eduardo Guillermo Diaz, of Biloxi, Mississippi, a former stockbroker formerly registered with Next Financial Group, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration action in which the customer received $250,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Diaz made misrepresentations to the customer concerning investments, failed to provide the customer with information concerning…
Thomas Paul Schober, of Westborough, Massachusetts, a former stockbroker who had been registered with SII Investments, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on September 21, 2016, in which the customer requested $5,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Schober effected unsuitable investment transactions in the customer’s account. FINRA Public…
Brian Harris Brunhaver, of Snohomish, Washington, a stockbroker previously registered with LPL Financial LLC, and Pacific West Securities, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim from February 24, 2014, in which customers requested $637,100.00 in damages based upon allegations that Brunhaver effected unsuitable investments in real estate investments trusts within…
George William Cole, of Toms River, New Jersey, a stockbroker currently registered with Next Financial Group, has been named in a customer initiated, investment related arbitration claim in which the customer requested $1,000,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Cole provided customers with unsuitable investment recommendations which caused the customers to suffer substantial losses. The…
Robert Boris Hardcastle, of Chesterfield, Missouri, a stockbroker formerly registered with VSR Financial Services, has been nemed in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim in which the customer requested $366,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Hardcastle breached his fiduciary duty to the customers, made misrepresentations to the customers concerning investments, and effected unsuitable…
Ibrahim Ethem Kurtulus, of New York, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Windsor Street Capital, LP, has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on January 13, 2015, in which the customer requested $45,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Kurtulus effected unsuitable investment transactions in the customer’s account. FINRA Public…
Peter M. Alomar, of Garden City, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Woodstock Financial Group, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim from January 28, 2016, in which the customer requested $293,924.00 in damages based upon allegations that Alomar effected unsuitable investment transactions in the customer’s account, and breached…
Jerry Gale Lowrimore, of Carmel, California, a stockbroker with M.L. Stern & Co., LLC, has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration action on February 12, 2016, which settled for $250,000.00 in damages. The customer’s claim was based upon allegations that Lowrimore made unsuitable investment recommendations to the customer, and effected an unsuitable…
Maroof Miyana, of Pompano Beach, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Legend Securities, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim from November 24, 2014, which settled for $72,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Miyana effected unsuitable transactions in the customer’s investment account. FINRA Public Disclosure also reveals that on…
Robert Emmitt Gill, of Tinton Falls, New Jersey, a stockbroker formerly registered with J.P. Turner & Company, L.L.C., has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity after consenting to findings that he engaged in an unauthorized borrowing arrangement with a firm customer. Letter of…
Ralph Worthington, of New York, New York, chairman and chief executive officer of Gilford Securities, has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on December 2, 2014, in which the customer requested $875,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Gilford was liable, as a control person for the firm, for a subordinate…
Brandt Bob Wendland, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, a stockbroker currently registered with Feltl & Company, has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 30, 2014, in which the customer requested $55,000.00 in damages. The customer’s claim was based upon allegations that Wendland effected unsuitable trades in penny stocks and leveraged exchanged…
Gregory Martin Ellis, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a stockbroker formerly registered with VSR Financial Services, has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration action on July 22, 2015, in which the customer requested $445,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Ellis negligently handled the customer’s account, breached his fiduciary duties to the customer,…
Douglas Jay Williams, of The Woodlands, Texas, a stockbroker currently registered with VFinance Investments, was subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim filed on May 23, 2014, alleging that Williams effected unsuitable investments in the customer’s account, and made poor investment recommendations which caused the customer to bear losses. According to Williams, the…
William Louis Baumner, of Boca Raton, Florida, a stockbroker currently registered with Buckman, Buckman & Reid, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration action on December 16, 2015, in which the customer requested $100,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Baumner made misrepresentations to the customer concerning investments. FINRA Public Disclosure…
Frank David Marinelli, of Brooklyn, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with J.P. Turner & Company, L.L.C., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration action, which settled for $15,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Marinelli negligently handled the customer’s account, breached his fiduciary duty to the customer, effected trades in the…
Francesco Anthony Scarso, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with PHX Financial Services, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim from November 23, 2015, which settled for $12,500.00 in damages based upon allegations that Scarso had effected an options transaction in the customer’s investment account which had…
Wesley Clint Smith, of Lumberton, Texas, a stockbroker previously registered with Edward Jones, has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim from November 17, 2015, in which the customer requested $9,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Smith’s unauthorized distribution of the customers’ funds caused the customer to bear tax liabilities. On…
Jack Graham Merritt, of Huntington Beach, California, a stockbroker currently registered with Crown Capital Securities, L.P., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on November 2, 2015, which settled for $19,000.00 in damages. The arbitration claim was based upon allegations that Merritt breached his fiduciary and contractual duties to the customer,…
Matthew Niederbaumer, of Huron, South Dakota, a stockbroker currently registered with Thrivent Investment Management Inc., was fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity after consenting to findings that he effected unauthorized trades in a customer’s account. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2016050492401 (Dec….
Mark Robert Holcombe, of Westport, Connecticut, a stockbroker formerly registered with Source Capital Group, Inc., has been fined $10,000.00 and suspended from associating with a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity after consenting to findings that he participated in unauthorized private securities transactions. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015048236401 (Dec….
Kevin Curry, of New York, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Peterson Investments, Inc., has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm in any capacity after consenting to findings that he effected unauthorized trades in a customer’s account. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No….
ACAP Financial Inc., a broker-dealer headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been expelled from Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) membership per an Office of Hearing Officers’ Order Accepting Offer of Settlement containing findings that ACAP Financial, inter alia, facilitated unregistered securities sales. Department of Enforcement v. ACAP Financial, et al., No. 2012030459101 (Dec. 6,…
Tyson Jon Palyka, of Trenton, Michigan, a stockbroker formerly registered with J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, LLC, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity after consenting to findings that he effected trades in customer accounts without authorization. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No….
Christopher B. Ariola, of Aliso Viejo, California, a stockbroker with Bay Mutual Financial, LLC, was barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity per an Office of Hearing Officers’ Default Decision containing findings that Ariola made unsuitable recommendations to investors. Department of Enforcement v. Christopher B. Ariola, No. 2012034139101 (Dec….
Dennis Anthony Edmonds, of Wilmington, North Carolina, a stockbroker formerly registered with J.P. Turner & Company, L.L.C., was suspended for eleven months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm in any capacity after consenting to findings that he engaged in unauthorized outside business activities. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No….
Anthony Mastroianni, Jr., of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly associated with Alexander Capital, L.P., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member after consenting to findings that he failed to cooperate in a FINRA investigation into allegations that Mastroianni churned or excessively traded a customer’s account. Letter…
Louise J. Neale, of Atlanta, Georgia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm in any capacity after consenting to findings that she failed to cooperate in a FINRA investigation into allegations that Neale mishandled her…
Michael S. Lavolpe, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Meyers Associates, L.P., has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity per an Office of Hearing Officers’ Default Decision containing findings that Lavolpe failed to provide FINRA with a response to its requests…
Ronald F. Paull III, of Olyphant, Pennsylvania, a stockbroker formerly associated with LPL Financial LLC, has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity after consenting to findings that he effected trades in customer accounts without authorization. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015046621101…
Paul J. McCabe, Jr., of New York, New York, a stockbroker registered with Olympus Securities, LLC, has been permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm in any capacity after consenting to findings that McCabe failed to cooperate in a FINRA cycle investigation of Olympus Securities. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
John S. Simpson, of Hunt Valley, Maryland, a stockbroker formerly registered with RBC Capital Markets, LLC, was permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity after consenting to findings that he obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations of his unauthorized trading in customer accounts. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
Alejandro Falla, of Coral Cables, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with BAC Florida Investments, was fined $60,000.00 and suspended for eighteen months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity per an Office of Hearing Officers’ Order Accepting Offer of Settlement containing findings that Falla made misleading statements and omissions…
Brian Carey Sak, of Deerfield, Illinois, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley, was permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity after consenting to findings that he obstructed a FINRA investigation into allegations that Sak engaged in selling away or the unauthorized solicitation of a firm customer…
John N. Crook, of Macon, Georgia, a stockbroker formerly registered with Raymond James & Associates, Inc., has been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on August 18, 2016, in which the customer requested $4,800,000.00 in damages based upon allegations including breach of contract, negligence, intentional omissions and misrepresentation, fraud, breach of fiduciary…
Ari M. Baum, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 5, 2016, in which the customer requested $1,285,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that unsuitable corporate debt investments were effected by Baum in the customer’s…
Ronald A. Frumkes, of New York, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Wunderlich Securities, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on October 30, 2014, in which the customer has requested $600,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that from May 29, 2014 and October 15, 2014, Frumkes provided unsound…
Wayne I. Miller, of Scottsdale, Arizona, the president and chief executive officer of Accelerated Capital Group, have been named in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on September 15, 2016, in which the customer requested $400,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Miller failed to supervise sales of promissory notes issued via Aequitas Capital…
William R. Pintaric Jr., of Youngstown, Ohio, a stockbroker formerly registered with WFP Investments, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on April 1, 2016, in which the customer requested $345,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Pintaric led customers to make significant sums of money in investments which were…
Leslie R. “Butch” Cabrinha, a stockbroker currently registered with Centaurus Financial, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 16, 2014, which was settled for $75,000.00 in damages. The customer’s claim, which pertained to Cabrinha’s conduct, was based upon allegations that the branch manager failed to supervise one of…
George Stefanou, of Orlando, Florida, a stockbroker currently registered with Edward Jones, has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on February 24, 2015, which settled for $50,000.00 in damages. The customer’s claim was based upon allegations that Stefanou made an unsuitable investment recommendation concerning the transfer of the customer’s 457(b) and…
Cynthia Bolker, of San Diego, California, a stockbroker formerly registered with NYLife Securities LLC, was permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm in any capacity after consenting to findings that Bolker engaged in unauthorized borrowing arrangements with customers, and falsified statements to her firm and FINRA concerning such. Letter…
Keith A. Bradley, of Houston, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with VSR Financial Services, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on July 12, 2016, in which the customer requested $100,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Bradley negligently handled the customer’s investment account, and effected unsuitable investment transactions. Bradley’s…
Luis Marquez, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with Laidlaw & Company Ltd., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim from October 10, 2015, in which the customer requested $340,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Marquez effected unsuitable investment transactions in the customer’s account. Since 1998, Powers has…
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, headquartered in New York, York, New York, was censured and fined $6,250,000.00 by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) after consenting to findings that the firm failed to supervise loan management accounts, and failed to supervise suitability transactions pertaining to Puerto Rico securities. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No….
Christopher James Conroy, of New York, New York, a stockbroker currently registered with UBS Financial Services, was fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity after consenting to findings that he effected unauthorized discretionary trades in customer accounts. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, No. 2015047589801 (Nov….
Jeffrey A. Hill, of Bemidji, Minnesota, a stockbroker formerly associated with Dougherty Company LLC, was fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity after consenting to findings that he utilized unauthorized discretion in customer accounts, and made unsuitable investment recommendations to customers. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
Glen J. Rauch, of Syosset, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Avenir Financial Group, Inc., was barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity per an Office of Hearing Officers’ Order Accepting Offer of Settlement containing findings that Rauch effected unsuitable and unauthorized transactions in customer accounts, and…
James V. Regier, of Topeka, Kansas, a stockbroker formerly associated with VSR Financial Services, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on July 14, 2016, in which the customer requested $76,642.00 in damages based upon allegations that Regier effected unsuitable investment transactions in the customer’s account pertaining to United Development…
Christopher P. Anthony, of Fort Worth, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with Rhodes Securities, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on August 10, 2016, in which the customer requested $100,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that from 2014 through 2015, Anthony churned the customer’s investment account, and effected unsuitable…
Anthony J. Mazzo, of Boca Raton, Florida, a stockbroker formerly associated with UBS Financial Services, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on August 5, 2016, which was settled for $138,855.92 in damages based upon allegations that Mazzo guaranteed investment performance to customers, and omitted facts to the customer concerning…
Levi D. Lindemann, of Oakdale, Minnesota, a stockbroker formerly registered with J.P. Turner & Company, L.L.C., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on March 28, 2016, in which the customer requested $340,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Lindemann negligently handled the customer’s investment account, breached his fiduciary duty to…
Sven Bernhard Karlen, of Lebanon, New Hampshire, a stockbroker formerly registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, has been fined $15,000.00 and suspended for six months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm in any capacity after consenting to findings that he effected trades in customer accounts without authorization, mismarked order tickets, caused…
VALIC Financial Advisors, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, was censured and fined $1,750,000.00 in damages by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) after consenting to findings that, inter alia, the firm failed to supervise its variable annuities business, and failed to create supervisory protocols pertaining to multiple share classes of variable annuities. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
John Burns, of Chesterfield, Missouri, a stockbroker formerly registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., has been fined $17,500.00 in damages and suspended for fourteen months from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority member in any capacity after consenting to findings that he effected unsuitable and unauthorized trades in customer accounts. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver…
VFG Securities, Inc., as well as Jason B. Vanclef, of Culver City, California, a stockbroker and chief executive officer currently registered with VFG Securities, Inc., were censured by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) per an Office of Hearing Officers’ Order Accepting Offer of Settlement containing findings that Vanclef made investment recommendations to customers based upon…
Noble Financial Capital Markets, headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, as well as the firm’s president, Nicolaas Petrus Pronk, have been charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Department of Enforcement in a Complaint alleging that the firm and Pronk defrauded the firm’s customers. Department of Enforcement v. Noble Financial Capital Markets et al., No. 2013035740901…
Principal Securities, Inc., a broker-dealer headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, was censured by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) after consenting to findings that the firm excessively charged its customers through mutual funds transactions, and failed to implement adequately supervisory procedures and protocols to make sure that eligible mutual funds customers received sales charge waivers. Letter…
HD Vest Investment Services, a broker-dealer headquartered in Irving, Texas, was censured by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) after consenting to findings that the firm overcharged customers within mutual funds transactions, and failed to supervise the firm’s mutual funds business in order to ensure that customers received sales charge waivers when eligible for such. Letter…
Bryan G. Mazliach, of Melville, New York, a stockbroker registered with Laidlaw & Company Ltd., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim from February 8, 2016, in which the customer requested $200,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Mazliach charged the customer with excessive commissions, and traded excessively in the customer’s…
Casey J. Alexander, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Gilford Securities Incorporated, has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on December 2, 2014, which was settled for $50,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Alexander, as a control person for Gilford Securities, was liable for the wrongful…
Mark S. Garfinkel, of Boca Raton, Florida, a stockbroker with Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on February 18, 2015, based upon allegations that Garfinkel made misrepresentations to the customer concerning investments, and effected unsuitable investments in the customer’s account. FINRA Public Disclosure reveals that Garfinkel…
Frederick E. Monroe, Jr., of Albany, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Voya Financial Advisors, Inc., has been subject to fifteen customer initiated investment related arbitration claims from June 5, 2015, to February 8, 2016, in which customers have alleged that Monroe misappropriated the customers’ funds. Fourteen of the fifteen customer initiated arbitration claims…
Robert C. Bragg, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, a stockbroker formerly registered with VSR Financial Services, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on February 24, 2015, which was settled for $60,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Bragg made misrepresentations to the customer concerning investments, and made unsuitable investment recommendations….
Ronald E. Harrison, of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with GWN Securities Inc., had his securities registration in The State of Texas suspended for ninety days based upon allegations that Harrison made an unsuitable investment recommendation to a customer, and effected transactions without having been properly registered with the Texas Securities Commissioner….
Gary D. Moore, of Sarasota, Florida, a stockbroker currently registered with National Planning Corporation, has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on May 18, 2016, in which the customer alleged that Moore effected unsuitable real estate investment trust transactions in the customer’s account. FINRA Public Disclosure reveals that Moore has been…
Toni L. Robertson, of Lubbrock, Texas, a stockbroker formerly registered with Caprock Securities, Inc., was permanently barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm in any capacity based upon her failure to respond to FINRA’s request for information concerning her activities. Docket No. 2015046415002 (Oct. 21, 2016). FINRA Public Disclosure reveals…
Paul V. Blum, of West Palm Beach, Florida, a stockbroker registered with RBC Capital Markets, LLC, is subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim from August 18, 2016, in which the customer requested $525,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Blum made unsuitable recommendations concerning investments of corporate bonds in the energy sector….
Nicholas M. Giaallourakis, of Boca Raton, Florida, a stockbroker formerly associated with VSR Financial Services, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim from October 20, 2015, which settled for $14,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Giaalourakis violated Florida Securities Act, breached his contractual and fiduciary duties to the customer,…
John S. Cangialosi, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Legend Securities, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim from November 20, 2015, which was settled for $9,999.00 in damages based upon allegations that Cangialosi made misrepresentations to the customer concerning investments, effected unsuitable investments in the…
Frederick Bremer, of Casselberry, Florida, a former stockbroker with G.A. Repple & Company, has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on August 17, 2015, in which the customer requested $60,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Bremer effected unsuitable investment transactions regarding Church Capital Funding and other church bonds which California…
Aldo N. Marchena, of Boca Raton, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Northeast Securities, Inc., has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on July 27, 2016, in which the customer requested $75,000.00 in damages based upon allegations that Marchena breached his fiduciary duties to the customer by making unsuitable recommendations of…
James N. Forster II, of New York, New York, a stockbroker formerly registered with Joseph Gunnar & Co., LLC, has been subject to a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim on March 24, 2016, which was settled for $7,500.00 in damages based upon allegations that Forster traded in the customer’s investment account without authorization. FINRA…