Articles Posted in Reg BI

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Jon Lindberg (Lindberg), previously associated with Proequities, INC., has at least 2 disclosable events. These events include one customer complaint, one regulatory event, alleging that Lindberg recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $50,000.00 on December 06, 2021.

Client alleges that representative recommended unsuitable options transactions resulting in portfolio losses.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Adam Summers (Summers), previously associated with Lasalle St Securities, L.l.c., has at least 3 disclosable events. These events include 2 customer complaints, one regulatory event, alleging that Summers recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on April 08, 2022.

Without admitting or denying the findings, Summers consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that he engaged in forgery by signing the name of his supervisor on new account forms without permission. The findings stated that each form had already been signed by the customer at the time Summers signed his supervisor\\u2019s name. Summers submitted the signed forms to his member firm\\u2019s home office for approval.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Robert David (David), previously associated with Morgan Stanley, has at least 4 disclosable events. These events include 3 customer complaints, one regulatory event, alleging that David recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on April 07, 2022.

Without admitting or denying the findings, David consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that he falsified his customers\\u2019 account profile information. The findings stated that David falsely increased the net worth and liquid net worth of eight customers and changed the risk tolerance of one customer\\u2019s account in his member firm\\u2019s systems for maintaining account profile information for brokerage accounts. David did this in order to circumvent the firm\\u2019s solicitation restrictions and concentration limits for non-investment grade, fixed-income securities. By falsifying this information, David made the customers eligible for purchases of non-investment grade, fixed-income securities, for which they would have otherwise been ineligible under the firm\\u2019s procedures. As a result, David caused the firm to maintain inaccurate books and records. The findings also stated that David overconcentrated three customers in non-investment grade, fixed income securities. Specifically, David concentrated between approximately 32.72 and 71.18 percent of these customers\\u2019 liquid net worth in non-investment grade, fixed-income securities, which was inconsistent with the customers\\u2019 investment objectives and risk tolerances. These securities entailed a high degree of risk, including the risk of default, and subjected the customers to a substantial risk of loss. The findings also included that David exercised discretion in eight customers\\u2019 accounts without prior written authorization.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Yousuf Saljooki (Saljooki), previously associated with Worden Capital Management LLC, has at least 8 disclosable events. These events include 3 customer complaints, 5 regulatory events, alleging that Saljooki recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on March 11, 2022.

Respondent Saljooki failed to comply with an arbitration award or settlement agreement or to satisfactorily respond to a FINRA request to provide information concerning the status of compliance.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Forrest Jones (Jones), previously associated with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has at least 3 disclosable events. These events include one customer complaint, 2 regulatory events, alleging that Jones recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on May 13, 2022.

Respondent Jones failed to comply with an arbitration award or settlement agreement or to satisfactorily respond to a FINRA request to provide information concerning the status of compliance.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Eric Burton (Burton), currently associated with Cetera Advisors LLC, has at least 4 disclosable events. These events include one customer complaint, 3 regulatory events, alleging that Burton recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on March 23, 2022.

In June 2021, Mr. Burton entered into an AWC with FINRA relating to the sale of certain variable annuities. Solely as a result of that, the State of Florida determined to suspend his insurance license for a three-month period.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Scott Hananel (Hananel), previously associated with Aegis Capital Corp., has at least 4 disclosable events. These events include 3 customer complaints, one regulatory event, alleging that Hananel recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on March 29, 2022.

Without admitting or denying the findings, Hananel consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that he engaged in excessive and unsuitable trading in customer accounts. The findings stated that because Hananel decided which stocks to trade in his customers\\u2019 accounts and when to trade them, and exercised discretionary authority in connection with some of the trades in the accounts, he controlled the volume and frequency of trading in, and therefore exercised de facto control over, his customers\\u2019 accounts. Hananel\\u2019s short term trading in the customers\\u2019 accounts was excessive and unsuitable given the customers\\u2019 investment profiles, generating significant losses and trading costs in the form of commissions, markups and markdowns. In total, the customers, some of whom were senior citizens, paid commissions and trading costs of $1,473,118.00 and incurred losses of $2,103,176. The findings also stated that Hananel exercised discretionary trading authority in customer accounts without having obtained prior written authorization from the customers or approval from his member firm to treat the accounts as discretionary.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker David Stevens (Stevens), previously associated with Park Avenue Securities LLC, has at least 2 disclosable events. These events include one customer complaint, one regulatory event, alleging that Stevens recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on March 21, 2022.

Without admitting or denying the findings, Stevens consented to the sanction and to the entry of findings that he submitted multiple life insurance applications for a customer, worth $23,950,000, and submitted applications for multiple loans on the policies, totaling approximately $1,000,000. The findings stated that when questioned by his member firm about the customer\\u2019s policies and loans, Stevens submitted two letters regarding the customer\\u2019s reasons for taking out the policies and loans, one purportedly from the customer\\u2019s estate attorney and the other purportedly from the customer\\u2019s accountant. Neither letter was genuine, but rather, Stevens created and falsified both letters prior to submitting them to the firm.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Jeffrey Weiner (Weiner), previously associated with Pruco Securities, LLC., has at least 2 disclosable events. These events include one customer complaint, one regulatory event, alleging that Weiner recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on March 31, 2022.

Without admitting or denying the findings, Weiner consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that he impersonated nine customers of his former member firm employer, during 19 telephone calls to the former firm’s insurance affiliate (the Carrier) to obtain information about the customers’ existing variable life insurance policies. The findings stated that Weiner impersonated the customers to facilitate the transfer of their policies from his former firm to his new firm, and ultimately four of them became Weiner’s customers at the new firm. Although the nine customers gave Weiner permission to obtain their information from the Carrier, the customers did not authorize Weiner to impersonate them.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Dennis Riordan (Riordan), previously associated with Wynston Hill Capital, LLC, has at least 4 disclosable events. These events include one customer complaint, 3 regulatory events, alleging that Riordan recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on April 01, 2022.

Riordan failed to response to an Order to Show Cause and Order of Summary Suspension issued  December 7, 2021.

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