Shakela Carter of Fort Lauderdale Florida is a stockbroker formerly registered with Merrill Lynch who has been charged by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in a Complaint alleging that she failed to testify in an investigation into accusations of her selling away from the firm. Department of Enforcement v. Shakela Carter Disciplinary Proceeding No. 20160492021-01 (Jan. 31 2018).
According to the Complaint, on March 9, 2016, Merrill Lynch notified FINRA that Carter was the subject of an internal investigation into allegations of her unauthorized taking of property and engaging in conduct violative of investment statutes as well as industry rules and regulations. Apparently, the firm later notified FINRA that the firm had focused its investigation on outside business activities that Carter engaged in. Then, on April 22, 2016, FINRA was reportedly made aware that the firm concluded that Carter facilitated an investment transaction away from the firm’s auspices by helping the client consummate the transaction and by conducting due diligence on the customer’s credit arrangement.
The Complaint stated that an investigation had been opened by FINRA in June of 2016 in regard to possible private securities transactions that Carter engaged in without ever having notified her employer. On November 27, 2017, FINRA apparently sent Carter a letter which requested that she provide testimony about the firm’s allegations of her misconduct. Carter purportedly responded to FINRA staff on November 29, 2017, stating that she would not be testifying because she no longer intended on holding a job in the securities industry.
The Complaint alleged that on December 14, 2017, another letter was sent by FINRA to Carter which called upon her to testify in reference to the accusations of her private securities transactions; however, Carter never responded. FINRA made a final request on December 20, 2017, which apparently went unanswered. The Complaint stated that Carter was due to testify by January 4, 2018, but she never showed up. FINRA alleged that Carter’s failure to cooperate in that regard was violative of FINRA Rules 2010 and 8210.
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