Dario Alberto Ochoa of Guaynabo Puerto Rico a stockbroker registered with Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner Smith Incorporated is referenced in a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim where the customer requested $210,000.00 in damages based upon accusations that (1) investment recommendations made by the stockbroker were unsuitable for the customer in view of the customer’s objectives for investing and concerns about risks and (2) misrepresentations were made to the customer regarding the terms and conditions of municipal bonds which Ochoa steered the customer towards during the time that the stockbroker was registered with Merrill Lynch. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Arbitration No. 19-03277 (Nov. 4, 2019).
FINRA Public Disclosure confirms that Ochoa has been identified in five additional customer initiated investment related disputes involving allegations of the stockbroker’s bad business practices while associated with securities broker dealers including Santander Securities LLC and Merrill Lynch. Specifically, a customer filed an investment related arbitration claim in reference to Ochoa’s activities in which the customer sought between $1,000,000.00 and $5,000,000.00 in damages founded on accusations that while Ochoa was employed by Santander Securities, an investment related contract was breached by the stockbroker or the securities broker dealer; fiduciary duties had been breached; transactions failed to be reasonably supervised by the securities broker dealer and were unsuitable; the customer’s account was handled by the stockbroker in a negligent manner; and municipal bond and closed end funds transactions violated securities and caused the customer to suffer losses. FINRA Arbitration No. 18-02140 (June 12, 2018).
Another customer filed an investment related arbitration claim concerning Ochoa’s conduct where the customer requested unspecified damages supported by allegations that when Ochoa was registered with Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner Smith Incorporated, false or misleading statements had been made to the customer in regard to government bonds; recommendations failed to be suitable in view of the customer’s objectives for investing and concerns about risks; and transactions generated unwarranted losses for the customer’s account. FINRA Arbitration No. 18-02235 (June 18, 2018).
In addition, Ochoa is the subject of a customer initiated investment related arbitration claim in which the customer sought $3,881,246.25 in damages based upon accusations that the customer was charged excessive commissions by the stockbroker; an investment related contract was breached; transactions lacked supervision by the securities broker dealer; the customer’s account was handled by the stockbroker in a negligent manner; fiduciary duties had been breached by the stockbroker; the customer was defrauded; transactions violated securities laws or rules; and the customer’s account was over concentrated in speculative mutual funds and municipal debt investments causing the customer increased losses. FINRA Arbitration No. 18-03104 (Sept. 5, 2018).
Ochoa is referenced in another customer initiated investment related arbitration claim where the customer requested $100,000.00 in damages founded on allegations that transactions effected in the customer’s account by the stockbroker were not suitable for the customer in view of the customer’s objectives for investing and concerns about risks; transactions violated securities laws or rules; the customer was defrauded by making investments through the stockbroker; fiduciary duties had been breached; the customer’s account was handled in a negligent manner; transactions failed to be reasonably supervised by the securities broker dealer; an investment contract was not complied with; and the customer was charged excessive commissions on closed end funds and municipal bonds which Ochoa advised the customer to purchase while the stockbroker was employed by Santander Securities. FINRA Arbitration No. 19-02164 (Aug. 5, 2019).
Ochoa has been employed by Merrill Lynch since November 4, 2010.
