William Bruckner of Boca Raton Florida a stockbroker formerly employed by Merrill Lynch has been fined $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity based upon findings that Bruckner mismarked customer order tickets by claiming that the transactions were not solicited when they were actually solicited by him. Letter of Acceptance Waiver and Consent No. 2016050195201 (Feb. 13, 2017).
According to the AWC, from January 7, 2016 to January 15, 2016, during the time Bruckner was associated with Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner Smith Inc., a total of twenty order tickets had been mismarked by Bruckner in regard to four customers’ orders. The AWC stated that Bruckner had actually solicited the trades placed in the customers’ accounts.
Evidently, the policies of Merrill Lynch mandated that Bruckner procure written authorization from the firm in regard to any solicitation of securities recommended to customers. The firm apparently maintained those policies because of certain securities not having been approved through the firm’s research department.
The AWC indicated that the transactions had been solicited by Bruckner before he ever obtained the firm’s permission. Consequently, his mismarking of order tickets caused the firm to maintain inaccurate records and books. FINRA found Bruckner’s activities in this respect violative of FINRA Rules 2010 and 4511.
Bruckner was discharged by Merrill Lynch on May 11, 2016 supported by accusations that he failed to accurately mark customers’ orders; and failed to be truthful in regard to his solicitation of customers’ no opinion securities transactions. Between May 17, 2016 and February 5, 2018, Bruckner was associated with Woodstock Financial Group.
