Investment Attorney

John Davenport Subject to Regulatory and Customer Complaints Over Sales Practices

May 4, 2020 | by Staff Attorney

According to BrokerCheck records financial advisor John Davenport (Davenport), currently employed by Liberty Partners Financial Services, LLC (Liberty Partners) has been subject to three customer complaints, one regulatory action, one employment termination for cause, one bankruptcy, and two judgement or tax liens during his career. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the customer complaints against Davenport concern allegations over variable annuity sales practices.

In January 2019 FINRA alleged that Davenport consented to the sanctions and to findings that he placed two securities transactions for a registered representative of another firm and split the commissions generated from the transactions with that representative, without the knowledge or consent of either firm. FINRA determined that Davenport paid the registered representative from the other firm approximately $50,000 on the variable annuity transactions ostensibly as a referral fee causing his firm’s books and records to be inaccurate. FINRA further made findings that Davenport permitted his assistant to use a personal email address to communicate with securities customers concerning business-related matters, which was not approved by the firm, causing the firm to fail to retain the emails among its books and records.

Variable annuities are complex financial and insurance products. In fact, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released a publication entitled: Variable Annuities: What You Should Know encouraging investors to ask questions about the variable annuity before investing. Essentially, a variable annuity is a contract with an insurance company under which the insurer agrees to make periodic payments to you. The investor chooses the investments made in the annuity and value of your variable annuity will vary depending on the performance of the investment options chosen. The primary benefits of variable annuities are the death benefit and tax deferment of investment gains.

Rodney Potratz Has Complaint Over Alternative Investment Sales Practices

April 16, 2020 | by Staff Attorney

Advisor Rodney Potratz (Potratz), currently employed by FSC Securities Corporation (FSC Securities), has been subject to at least two customer complaints during the course of his career. According to a BrokerCheck report one of the customer complaints concern alternative investments such as direct participation products (DPPs) like non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), oil & gas programs, and private placements. Potratz discloses that he operates a number of outside businesses, some of which are investment related, including Stonebridge Financial Advisors and Diversified Financial Advisory Group. The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP have represented hundreds of investors who suffered losses caused by these types of high risk, low reward products.

In November 2019 a customer complained that Potratz violated the securities laws by alleging that Potratz engaged in sales practice violations related to recommending various alternative investments were inappropriately recommended. The claim alleges $6,000,000 and is currently pending.

DDPs include products such as non-traded REITs, oil and gas offerings, equipment leasing products, and other alternative investments. These alternative investments virtually never profit investors and are almost always unsuitable for investors because of their high fee and cost structure. Brokers selling these products are paid additional commission in order to hype these inferior quality investments providing a perverse incentives to create an artificial market for the investments.

Several studies have confirmed that Non-traded REITs underperform publicly traded REITs with some showing that Non-Traded REITs cannot even beat safe benchmarks, like U.S. treasury bonds. Brokers selling these products must disclose to the investor that non-traded REITs provide lower investment returns than treasuries while being high risk and illiquid – but almost never do. Because investors are not compensated with additional return in exchange for higher risk and illiquidity, these kinds of alternative investment products are rarely, if ever, appropriate for investors.

Nationwide Planning Advisor Jeremy Rosen Has Customer Complaints

April 7, 2020 | by Staff Attorney

The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP are investigating BrokerCheck records reports that financial advisor Jeremy Rosen (Rosen), currently employed by Nationwide Planning Associates Inc. (Nationwide Planning) has been subject to at least four customer complaints during the course of his career. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Rosen’s customer complaints alleges that Rosen recommended unsuitable investments in various investments among other allegations of misconduct relating to the handling of their accounts.

In March 2020 a customer complained that Rosen violated the securities laws by alleging that Rosen made investments in 2016 through 2019 that were unsuitable and misrepresented to them. The clients also alleged that the firm failed to supervise the actions of Rosen. The claim is currently pending.

In January 2020 a customer complained that Rosen violated the securities laws by alleging that Rosen made investments in 2016 through 2019 that were unsuitable and misrepresented to them. The clients also alleged that the firm failed to supervise the actions of Rosen. The claim seeks $140,000 in damages and is currently pending.

In July 2019 a customer complained that Rosen violated the securities laws by alleging that Rosen made investments in 2016 through 2019 recklessly which has jeopardized their family’s future. The claim is currently pending.

Independent Financial Advisor Morgan Arford Has Customer Complaints

February 18, 2020 | by Staff Attorney

The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP are investigating BrokerCheck records reports that financial advisor Morgan Arford (Arford), currently employed by Independent Financial Group, LLC (Independent Financial) has been subject to at least four customer complaints during the course of his career. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Arford’s customer complaints alleges that Arford recommended unsuitable investments among other allegations of misconduct relating to the handling of their accounts.

In September 2016 a customer complained that Arford violated the securities laws by alleging that Arford in mid-2012 participated in the sale of unapproved and unsuitable investments in oil and gas and a penny stock. The claim alleged $140,760 in damages and settled for $95,000.

In August 2016 a customer complained that Arford violated the securities laws by alleging that Arford in 2012 and 2013 participated in the sale of unapproved and unsuitable investments in oil and gas and a penny stock. The claim alleged $335,300 in damages and settled for $192,500.

Advisor Victor Agnihotri Under Investigation for Conversion of Funds

January 28, 2020 | by Staff Attorney

The law offices of Gana Weinstein LLP are currently investigating claims that advisor Pratul Victor Agnihotri (Agnihotri) is under investigation for conversion of customer funds among other allegations. According to BrokerCheck records, Agnihotri is currently registered with The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm SW Financial. In addition, Agnihotri disclosed three customer complaints and one civil judgment. If you have been a victim of Agnihotri’s alleged misconduct our firm may be able to assist you in recovering funds.

In October 2019 FINRA initiated an investigation concerning Agnihotri conduct related to FINRA’s preliminary determination to recommend that disciplinary action be brought against Agnihotri for potential violations including conversion of investor funds, engaging in an outside business activity without providing prior written notice to his FINRA member employer firms.

In October 2019 a customer complained that Agnihotri violated the securities laws by alleging that Agnihotri engaged in sales practice violations related to unauthorized trading, selling away, breach of fiduciary duty, and negligence. The claim alleges $650,000 in damages and is currently pending.

Our law firm has significant experience bringing cases on behalf of defrauded victims when their advisors engage in receiving loans from clients or selling securities sales through OBAs. The sale of unapproved investment products – is a practice known in the industry as “selling away” – a serious violation of the securities laws. In the industry the term selling away refers to when a financial advisor solicits investments in companies, promissory notes, or other securities that are not pre-approved by the broker’s affiliated firm. Sometimes those investments have some legitimacy but often times these types of investments can end up being Ponzi schemes or the advisor can be engaging in the conversion of funds.

Advisor Joel Davidman Sanctioned By Regulator Over Trading Activity

December 19, 2019 | by Staff Attorney

The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP are investigating BrokerCheck records reports that financial advisor Joel Davidman (Davidman), currently employed by Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated (Stifel Nicolaus) has been subject to at least three customer complaints, one employment termination for cause, and two regulatory actions during the course of his career. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Davidman’s customer complaint alleges that Davidman recommended unsuitable investments in a variety of investment products including bonds among other allegations of misconduct relating to the handling of their accounts.

In May 2015 Davidman’s employer Morgan Stanley discharged Davidman alleging that the representative engaged in discretionary trades in a client’s account without authorization.

Thereafter, FINRA investigated the allegations and in July 2017 suspended Davidman after alleging that he consented to sanctions and findings that he exercised discretionary trading authority in the accounts of customers without obtaining prior written authorization from each of the customers or approval from his member firm to treat the customers’ accounts as discretionary. FINRA found that Davidman effected some of the trades using time and price discretion and the remaining occurred without Davidman discussing and receiving approval for the trades from the customers on the dates of the transactions.

Advisor Jamie Westenbarger Barred by Regulator Over Borrowing Customer Funds

December 18, 2019 | by Staff Attorney

The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP are investigating BrokerCheck records reports that financial advisor Jamie Westenbarger (Westenbarger), formerly employed by Securities America, Inc. (Securities America) has been subject to at least five customer complaints, two employment termination for cause, and one regulatory action during the course of his career. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Westenbarger’s customer complaint alleges that Westenbarger recommended unsuitable investments in a variety of investment products including alternative investments, non-traded REITs, variable annuities, corporate notes, and UITs among other allegations of misconduct relating to the handling of their accounts.

In August 2019 Westenbarger’s employer, Securities America, discharged Westenbarger alleging that the representative was discharged for violating firm policies and procedures regarding borrowing funds from clients.

Thereafter, FINRA investigated the allegations and in October 2019 barred Westenbarger after alleging that he consented to the sanction and to the entry of findings that he failed to provide documents requested by FINRA during the course of an investigation concerning information disclosed by Securities America. FINRA found that Westenbarger intentionally provided a partial response, but did not substantially comply with all aspects of FINRA’s request.

In October 2019 a customer complained that Westenbarger violated the securities laws by alleging that Westenbarger convinced them to purchase a corporate note and instead used the funds for his own purposes, that in June 2018, Westenbarger convinced them to replace a variable annuity for no apparent reason, and that in July 2019 Westenbarger made an unauthorized purchase of a UIT, which was unsuitable. The claim alleges $212,000 in damages and is currently pending.

Joseph Peggs Subject to Numerous Customer Complaints Over Securities Sales Practices

October 16, 2019 | by Staff Attorney

According to BrokerCheck records financial advisor Joseph Peggs (Peggs), currently employed by Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. (Ameriprise) has been subject to one employment termination for cause, one regulatory action, and eight customer disputes during his career. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the customer complaints against Peggs concerns allegations over several different investment products including equities, options, and variable annuity sales practices.

In June 2019 a customer complained that Peggs violated the securities laws by alleging that Peggs and several other defendants failed to carry out the decedent’s intentions regarding beneficiary designations for two annuities. The decedent’s ex-wife contends that the proceeds of the annuities should have been distributed in such a way that the proceeds could fund continuing payments to her. The alleged damages are unspecified and the claim is currently pending.

In February 2019, a customer complained that Peggs violated the securities laws by alleging that Peggs representative placed them in an unsuitable holding when they rebalanced the portfolio in March of 2015 and that the holding in question then lost significant value. The alleged damages are $20,000 and the claim settled for $15,000.

Broker Thomas Marino Subject Allegations of Misusing Client Funds

October 10, 2019 | by Staff Attorney

The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP are investigating BrokerCheck records reports that financial advisor Thomas Marino (Marino), formerly employed by R.M. Stark & Co., Inc. (R.M. Stark) has been subject to at least three customer complaints, one regulatory sanction, one financial disclosure, and two terminations for cause. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Marino’s customer complaints alleges that Marino recommended unsuitable securities recommendations among other allegations of misconduct relating to the handling of their accounts.

In July 2019 Marino consented to the sanction and to the entry of findings that Marino refused to provide documents and information requested by FINRA in connection with its investigation into his possible misuse of funds from a senior customer. As a result, Marino drew an automatic bar from the industry.

In June 2019 Marino was discharged from R.M. Stark after the firm alleged that he engaged in inappropriate and unsuitable investments for a client’s risk tolerance and objectives.

In April 2019 a customer complained that Marino violated the securities laws by alleging that the financial advisor made inappropriate and unsuitable investments for her risk tolerance. The claim alleges $300,000 in damages and is currently pending.

Advisor Marilyn Zehntner Subject to an Investment Complaint

October 3, 2019 | by Staff Attorney

The law offices of Gana Weinstein LLP are investigating broker Marilyn Zehntner (Zehntner), currently associated with Rhodes Securities, Inc. (Rhodes Securities) out of Fort Worth, Texas. According to a BrokerCheck report, Zehntner has been subject to at least one customer dispute during her career. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the customer complaint against Zehntner alleges breach of fiduciary duty.

In January 2017 customers filed a complaint alleging that Zehntner and her member firm, Rhodes Securities, violated the securities laws by, among other things, engaging in breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, and breach of contract causing over $2,000,000 in damages. The claim settled for $810,000.

Brokers are required under the securities laws to treat their clients fairly. This obligation includes the duties to disclose material risks of the investments they recommend and to present products, particularly complex or confusing products, in a fair and balanced manner that allows the client to evaluate the recommendation. Another important obligation advisors have is to make only suitable recommendations for investments to the client. There are many investments that are not appropriate for the majority of investors or for certain investors given their risk tolerance, age, and other factors. Advisors should not present these investment options to clients. There are two screens that advisors must employ to determine whether an investment is suitable for a client. First, there must be a reasonable basis for the recommendation – meaning that the product has been investigated and due diligence conducted into the investment’s features, benefits, risks, and other relevant factors. The advisor must conclude that the investment is suitable for at least some investors and some securities may be suitable for no one. Second, the broker then must match the investment as being appropriate for the customer’s specific investment needs and objectives such as the client’s retirement status, long or short term goals, age, disability, income needs, or any other relevant factor.