Articles Posted in Reg BI

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Surage Perera (Perera), previously associated with Aegis Capital Corp., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one regulatory event, alleging that Perera recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on June 12, 2025.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (‘Commission’) deems it appropriate and in the public interest that public administrative proceedings be, and hereby are, instituted Surage Kamal Roshan Perera (‘Respondent’). In anticipation of the institution of these proceedings, Respondent has submitted an Offer of Settlement, which the Commission has determined to accept. The commission finds that on May 6, 2025, a final judgment was entered by consent against Perera, permanently enjoining him from future violations of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 (‘Securities Act’), Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Advisers Act, as set forth in the judgment entered in the civil action entitled Securities and Exchange Commission v. Surage Kamal Roshan Perera, et al., Civil Action Number 23-CV-2316, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The Commission’s complaint alleged that from at least February 2022 and continuing to March 2023, Perera, through his unregistered investment adviser firm Janues, defrauded at least one advisory client out of millions of dollars by lying about investment opportunities and strategies; misappropriating the advisory client’s money by, in part, not purchasing the securities she subscribed to through Janues and using a substantial portion of her money to engage in high volume, highly leveraged trading in other securities; lying to her about non-existent investment profits; and concealing large trading losses. On October 20, 2023, Perera pled guilty to one count of securities fraud in violation of Title 15 United States Code, Section 78j(b) before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, in United States v. Surage Kamal Roshan Perera, Crim. No. 23-CR129. On May 2, 2024, a judgment in the criminal case was entered against Perera. He was sentenced to a prison term of 78 months followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $6,300,400. In connection with that plea, Respondent admitted that he knowingly and willfully: (a) employed devices, schemes and artifices to defraud, (b) made untrue statements of material fact and omitted to state material facts necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, and (c) engaged in acts, practices and courses of business which would and did operate as a fraud and deceit upon members of the investing public, in connection with the purchases and sales of stock in companies traded on the NASDAQ and NYSE, directly and indirectly, by use of means and instrumentalities of interstate commerce and the mails.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Thomas Fino (Fino), currently associated with Key Investment Services LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Fino recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $5,343.90 on June 14, 2025.

Client alleges misrepresentation regarding the June 14, 2025 purchase of FT Unit 12241 in the amount of $499,994.04. Client requests return of funds.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Nabil Bouab (Bouab), previously associated with Garden State Securities, INC., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Bouab recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $500,000.00 on June 13, 2025.

Breach of fiduciary duty, negligence.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Joseph Barreca (Barreca), currently associated with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Barreca recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $300,000.00 on June 13, 2025.

Customer stated that Market Linked Notes that were purchased in 2021 were unsuitable for the account and not in the best interest of the customer because the account lacked diversification and the Notes were illiquid.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Brian Watson (Watson), previously associated with Valmark Securities, INC., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Watson recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $1,000,000.00 on June 15, 2025.

The complaint alleges that Koss Olinger acted as an investment advisor to [REDACTED] and her trust from 2008 through 2025. Brian E. Watson is named as a Control Defendant associated with Koss Olinger. A series of investments and loan guarantees made by [REDACTED] during this time are the sources of the allegations.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Darryl Tureaud (Tureaud), previously associated with Berthel, Fisher & Company Financial Services, INC., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Tureaud recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $50,000.00 on June 11, 2025.

The claimant alleged the representative failed to conduct adequate and reasonable due diligence when recommending an investment strategy to invest in an unsuitable, illiquid, and speculative non-traded real estate investment trust in June 2015. Additionally the claimant alleged the representative continued to misrepresent the investment as relatively safe and low risk when compared to other investment classes.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Alexis Aldaz (Aldaz), currently associated with Edward Jones, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Aldaz recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $6,000.00 on June 13, 2025.

Client alleges unauthorized trades were placed.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Daniel Pikula (Pikula), currently associated with Emerson Equity LLC, has at least 3 disclosable events. These events include 3 customer complaints, alleging that Pikula recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint on June 11, 2025.

Breach of fiduciary duty; negligence; fraud; breach of contract; Violation of FL securities and investor protection act;

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker William Olinger (Olinger), previously associated with Valmark Securities, INC., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Olinger recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $1,000,000.00 on June 15, 2025.

The complaint alleges that Will Olinger and Koss Olinger acted as an investment advisor to [REDACTED] and her trust from 2008 through 2025, and a series of investments and loan guarantees made by [REDACTED] during this time are the sources of the allegations.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Kirk Klein (Klein), previously associated with Valmark Securities, INC., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Klein recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $1,000,000.00 on June 15, 2025.

The complaint alleges that Koss Olinger acted as an investment advisor to [REDACTED] and her trust from 2008 through 2025. Kirk Edward Klein is named as a Control Defendant associated with Koss Olinger. A series of investments and loan guarantees made by [REDACTED] during this time are the sources of the allegations.

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