Securities Lawyers Blog

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Jordan Helfgott in Firm MML Investors Services, LLC

January 13, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Jordan Helfgott (Helfgott), previously associated with MML Investors Services, LLC, has at least 3 disclosable events. These events include one customer complaint, 2 regulatory events, alleging that Helfgott recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on May 26, 2022.

Without admitting or denying the findings, Helfgott consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that he forged seven signatures of a firm customer and his son on a variable life insurance application and related documents. The findings stated that Helfgott forged the signatures of a firm customer and his son, the proposed insured, on four documents – three times on a variable universal life insurance application and four times on three documents evidencing receipt of the policy. Helfgott submitted all four forged documents for processing. The customer authorized Helfgott to purchase the variable universal life insurance policy on the customer’s behalf, but neither the customer nor his son gave him permission to sign their names on any of the documents.

Broker Lawrence Fawcett in Westpark Capital, INC. Firm Has Customer Complaint

January 13, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Lawrence Fawcett (Fawcett), previously associated with Westpark Capital, INC., has at least 5 disclosable events. These events include 3 customer complaints, 2 regulatory events, alleging that Fawcett recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on May 27, 2022.

Respondent Fawcett 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.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Joseph Valdini in Firm Aegis Capital Corp.

January 13, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on July 12, 2022.

Respondent Valdini 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.

Broker Harold Ramsey in Paulson Investment Company LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

January 13, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

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

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

Respondent Ramsey 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.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Franz Lambert in Firm Spartan Capital Securities, LLC

January 13, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

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

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

Without admitting or denying the findings, Lambert consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that he engaged in excessive and quantitatively unsuitable trading in a senior customer’s account. The findings stated that Lambert recommended high frequency trading in the account, and the customer routinely followed his recommendations. As a result, Lambert exercised de facto control over the customer’s account. Lambert’s trading in the customer’s account generated total trading costs of $308,983, including $289,660 in commissions, and caused $320,906 in realized losses. The customer brought and settled an arbitration claim against Lambert and won an arbitration award against the firm relating to the account at issue here.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker William Torriente in Firm Comerica Securities

January 13, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

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

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

Without admitting or denying the findings, Torriente consented to the sanction and to the entry of findings that he refused to appear for and provide on-the-record testimony requested by FINRA in connection with its investigation into the allegations contained in a Uniform Termination Notice for Securities Industry Registration (Form U5) filed by his member firm stating that he had voluntarily terminated his association with the firm while under internal review for placing transactions in client accounts that the clients were not aware of. The findings stated that the firm later filed a Form U5 Amendment for Torriente disclosing two different customer complaints alleging, among other things, that he had exercised unauthorized discretion.

Broker Francisco Valenzuela in Morgan Stanley Firm Has Customer Complaint

January 13, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on August 05, 2022.

Respondent Valenzuela 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.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker German Nino in Firm UBS Financial Services INC.

January 13, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on June 27, 2022.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (‘Commission’) deems it appropriate and in the public interest that public administrative proceedings be, and hereby are, instituted pursuant to Section 15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (‘Exchange Act’) and Section 203(f) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (‘Advisers Act’) against German Nino (‘Nino’ or ‘Respondent’). The Commission finds that on May 31, 2022, a judgment was entered by consent against Nino 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, in the civil action entitled Securities and Exchange Commission v. German Nino, Civil Action Number 0:22-cv-60162, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The Commission’s complaint alleged, among other things, that from approximately May 2014 to February 2020, Nino misappropriated approximately $5.8 million from one of his long-standing advisory clients. Nino represented that he would invest all of the client’s funds in securities, but instead used some of the funds for personal expenses, namely for gifts and travel and living expenses for women with whom he had romantic relationships. He also used a portion of the client’s funds to fully repay another client from whom he had previously misappropriated funds. To conceal his fraud, Nino created and provided the client with fictitious account statements purporting to show the client’s investment portfolio and related balances. Nino also manipulated UBS’s records to ensure that the client did not receive notifications for wire transfers out of one of the client’s accounts. In order to effectuate larger fraudulent transfers, Nino forged the client’s signature on letters of authorization.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Ernest Frerking in Firm Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated

January 13, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on August 02, 2022.

Without admitting or denying the findings, Frerking consented to the sanction and to the entry of findings that he refused to appear for on-the-record testimony requested by FINRA. The findings stated that this matter originated from a FINRA Rule 4530 filing by Frerking’s member firm.

Broker Jorge Sonville in Savile Capital Markets LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

January 13, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

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

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

Without admitting or denying the findings, Sonville consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that he loaned money to a customer without disclosing it to his member firm or seeking the firm’s written approval. The findings stated that Sonville loaned $65,000 to a firm customer to assist the customer in paying personal expenses. At the time of the loan, the firm’s procedures prohibited representatives from loaning money to customers. In addition, Sonville completed and submitted to the firm a compliance questionnaire in which he falsely stated that he had not loaned money to any customers.