Articles Posted in Churning (Excessive Trading)

According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker Pamela Espinosa (Espinosa), currently associated with Kestra Investment Services, LLC, has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. Several of those complaints against Espinosa  concern allegations of high frequency trading activity also referred to as churning or excessive trading among other securities laws violations.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $1,000,000.00 on January 25, 2023.

Claimant alleges Espinosa recommended unsuitable private investments in order to generate high commissions. Additionally, claimant alleges that Espinosa engaged in cross trading.

According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker Adam Brown (Brown), previously associated with Westpark Capital, INC., has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. Several of those complaints against Brown  concern allegations of high frequency trading activity also referred to as churning or excessive trading among other securities laws violations.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $351,987.66 on February 13, 2023.

Suitability and Churning, Breach of Fiduciary Duty, Breach of Contract, Unauthorized Trading, Negligence, Misrepresentation and Omission of Facts, Lost Opportunity, and Punitive Damages during the time period of August 2015 through March 2022

According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker Lon Faccini (Faccini), previously associated with Tsg Capital Advisors, has been subject to at least 2 disclosable events. These events include one customer complaint, one regulatory event. Several of those complaints against Faccini  concern allegations of high frequency trading activity also referred to as churning or excessive trading among other securities laws violations.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on February 16, 2023.

Without admitting or denying the findings, Faccini consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that he engaged in excessive and unsuitable trading, including using margin, in customers’ accounts. The findings stated that Faccini recommended that the customers place trades in their accounts, most of which were executed using margin for one of the customers and all were executed using margin for the other customer. Both customers routinely accepted Faccini’s recommendations. Although the customer’s account had an average month-end equity of approximately $116,900 for 19 months, Faccini recommended purchases with a total principal value of approximately $2,410,300, which resulted in an annualized turnover rate in the account just over 13. As a result of Faccini’s unsuitable recommendations, that customer had a loss of approximately $36,700. Collectively, the trades that Faccini recommended caused that customer to pay approximately $55,389 in commissions and fees and another $12,997 in margin interest for a total of approximately $68,385. In addition, although the other customer’s account had an average month-end equity of approximately $26,856 for 16 months, Faccini recommended purchases with a total principal value of approximately $522,438, which resulted in an annualized turnover rate in the account of 14.59. As a result of Faccini’s unsuitable recommendations, the other customer had a loss of approximately $17,395. Collectively, the trades that Faccini recommended caused the other customer to pay approximately $16,074 in commissions and fees and another $2,696 in margin interest for a total of approximately $18,770.

According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker Clifford Reid (Reid), currently associated with Reid & Rudiger LLC, has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. Several of those complaints against Reid  concern allegations of high frequency trading activity also referred to as churning or excessive trading among other securities laws violations.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint on February 14, 2023.

Customer alleged sales practice viiolations including unsuitability, excessive trading and commissions, failure to supervised and breach of fiduciary duty.

According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker Jeffrey Tooke (Tooke), currently associated with Four Points Capital Partners LLC, has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. Several of those complaints against Tooke  concern allegations of high frequency trading activity also referred to as churning or excessive trading among other securities laws violations.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $316,769.50 on February 23, 2023.

Tooke was named collectively as a respondent, but not individually, in a customer complaint that asserted the following causes of action: suitability, churning, failure to supervise, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, unauthorized trading, negligence, misrepresentation, and omission of facts.

According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker Michael Martino (Martino), currently associated with Four Points Capital Partners LLC, has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. Several of those complaints against Martino  concern allegations of high frequency trading activity also referred to as churning or excessive trading among other securities laws violations.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $316,769.50 on February 23, 2023.

Martino was named as a respondent in a customer complaint that asserted the following causes of action: suitability, churning, failure to supervise, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, unauthorized trading, negligence, misrepresentation, and omission of facts.

According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker David Alvarado (Alvarado), currently associated with PHX Financial, INC., has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. Several of those complaints against Alvarado  concern allegations of high frequency trading activity also referred to as churning or excessive trading among other securities laws violations.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $30,000.00 on March 03, 2023.

Unsuitability, excessive trading/commissions, unauthorized trading, negligence

According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker John Girgis (Girgis), currently associated with Garden State Securities, INC., has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. Several of those complaints against Girgis  concern allegations of high frequency trading activity also referred to as churning or excessive trading among other securities laws violations.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $264,475.00 on March 03, 2023.

Unsuitability, excessive trading/commissions, unauthorized trading, negligence

According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker Rick Davidson (Davidson), currently associated with American Trust Investment Services, INC., has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. Several of those complaints against Davidson  concern allegations of high frequency trading activity also referred to as churning or excessive trading among other securities laws violations.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $800,000.00 on March 18, 2023.

Time frame: 2020 – 2023. Claimants allege unsuitable investment recommendations, churning, excessive trading and misrepresentation.

According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker Efrain Trujillo (Trujillo), previously associated with Western International Securities, INC., has been subject to at least 2 disclosable events. These events include one customer complaint, one regulatory event. Several of those complaints against Trujillo  concern allegations of high frequency trading activity also referred to as churning or excessive trading among other securities laws violations.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $30,750.00 on April 02, 2023.

Complaint regarding non-payment of promissory note and potential excessive trading.

Contact Information