Centaurus Financial

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Christopher Martin in Firm Centaurus Financial, Inc.

February 15, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

The law offices of Gana Weinstein LLP are currently investigating claims that Broker Christopher Martin (Martin) has been accused by investors of engaging in fraudulent misappropriation of their funds. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), it appears that Martin was employed by Centaurus Financial, Inc. at the time of the activity. If you have been a victim of Martin’s alleged misconduct our firm may be able to assist you in recovering funds.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on January 14, 2025.

Without admitting or denying the findings, Martin consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that he participated in private securities transactions related to a private offering of common stock issued by a licensed cannabis-related company that he co-founded and for which he served as a board member and executive officer without prior written notice to, or approval from, his member firm. The findings stated that Martin disclosed his role with the company to the firm as an OBA. However, Martin did not disclose his subsequent participation in the company’s efforts to raise capital or receive approval from the firm to participate in such efforts. Specifically, Martin participated in the company’s sale of $4,436,381 of company stock to 106 investors through the private offering. Martin introduced certain of these investors to the investment opportunity, including his customers at his firm. In addition, Martin presented information on the offering and the company’s business plan to prospective investors, answering the questions of prospective investors about the offering and the company’s business, and, at times, facilitating investors’ transactions by accepting investor subscription agreements. During his presentations to prospective investors, Martin provided written disclosures that stated that he was acting in his capacity as an executive officer of the company, not as a financial advisor, and that the firm was not involved with, and did not recommend, the investment. At time of purchase, investors signed an acknowledgement form containing similar representations. Furthermore, on six annual compliance questionnaires, Martin inaccurately attested that he had not engaged in any private securities transactions, including ‘the raising of capital through stock, bond or note offerings.’

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker William Gammon in Firm Centaurus Financial, Inc.

February 9, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

Previously financial advisor William Gammon (Gammon), previously employed by brokerage firm Centaurus Financial, Inc. has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. According to a BrokerCheck reports most of the recent customer complaints concern either corporate debt securities or alternative investments such as direct participation products (DPPs) like business development companies (BDCs), non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), oil & gas programs, annuities, and private placements. The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP have represented hundreds of investors who suffered losses caused by these types of high risk, low reward products.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $450,000.00 on August 08, 2023.

Claimants allege that their former advisor recommended large, concentrated positions in high-risk, high-commission, and complex illiquid investment products and non-traded securities including various REITs, UITs and Closed-End Funds.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Garrick Gookin in Firm Centaurus Financial, Inc.

February 8, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

Currently financial advisor Garrick Gookin (Gookin), currently employed by brokerage firm Centaurus Financial, Inc. has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. According to a BrokerCheck reports most of the recent customer complaints concern either corporate debt securities or alternative investments such as direct participation products (DPPs) like business development companies (BDCs), non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), oil & gas programs, annuities, and private placements. The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP have represented hundreds of investors who suffered losses caused by these types of high risk, low reward products.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $100,000.00 on May 31, 2024.

The customer alleges that the Registered Representative recommended an unsuitable, high-risk, illiquid investment and breached his fiduciary duty. No specific dates for the alleged activity were identified in the Statement of Claim.

Broker Richard Hubert depalma in Centaurus Financial, Inc. Firm Has Customer Complaint

February 3, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Richard Hubert depalma (Hubert depalma), currently associated with Centaurus Financial, Inc., has at least 3 disclosable events. These events include 3 customer complaints, alleging that Hubert depalma 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 December 07, 2024.

The customers allege that in april of 2020, the registered representative recommended an unsuitable, high-risk, illiquid investment and breached his fiduciary duty.

Broker Elias Reyna in Centaurus Financial, Inc. Firm Has Customer Complaint

January 31, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Elias Reyna (Reyna), currently associated with Centaurus Financial, Inc., has at least 2 disclosable events. These events include 2 customer complaints, alleging that Reyna 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 $37,710.00 on November 18, 2024.

The customer alleges that in 2023, the Registered Representative purchased an investment in claimant’s IRA account without authorization and contrary to his investment goals.

Centaurus Advisor Conrad Corcoran Has Alternative Investment Complaints

April 22, 2021 | by Staff Attorney

Advisor Conrad Corcoran (Corcoran), currently employed by brokerage firm Centaurus Financial, Inc. has been subject to at least four customer complaints during the course of his career. According to a BrokerCheck report the two most recent customer complaints filed in 2020 concern alternative investments such as direct participation products (DPPs) like business development companies (BDCs), non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), oil & gas programs, annuities, and private placements. 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 July 2020 a customer complained that Corcoran violated the securities laws by alleging that Corcoran made investments where the documentation for their investments contained incorrect personal information and that certain initials/signatures were not theirs. The claim involves a real estate security, alleged damages, 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. Continue Reading

Broker John Marshall Accused of Making Unsuitable Recommendations

April 21, 2021 | by Staff Attorney

Broker, John Marshall, currently employed at Centaurus Financial. Inc., (Centaurus) has been subject to at least two customer complaints during the course of his career. Both complaints allege Marshall of making unsuitable trading recommendations.

According to a BrokerCheck report, in September 2019, a customer alleged that from 2004 through 2019 misrepresented unsuitable investments and breached his fiduciary duty. The matter settled for $55,000. Moreover, in December 2018, another customer alleged that Marshall recommended unsuitable investments throughout the period of November 2012 through August 2018. The matter is still pending and the customer is seeking damages in the amount of approximately $336.000.

Brokers have an obligation 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. Brokers should not present these investment options to clients. There are two screens that brokers 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 broker 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.

Katherine Nishnic Has Investor Complaints Over Structured Note Products

December 24, 2019 | by Staff Attorney

According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker Katherine Nishnic (Nishnic), currently associated with Centaurus Financial, Inc. (Centaurus), has been subject to at least eight customer complaints during her career. The majority of the customer complaints against Nishnic concern allegations relating to unsuitable recommendations in structured products. The law offices of Gana Weinstein LLP are currently representing investors, including Centaurus investors, who were surprised to find out that the “bonds” that were recommended by their advisors have almost completely stopped paying interest while plummeting in value.

What many investors in this situation did not realize was that they were not sold bonds at all but instead complex structured products that go by a variety of names including steepener notes, adjustable rate market notes, spread linked notes, or structured notes. Regulators have already stated that it is improper to sell these investments as a fixed income substitute or to compare them to bonds in terms of producing a revenue stream. However, in our firm’s experience it appears that many brokers have been selling structured products as bond alternatives.

Structured products range in risk from benign to extreme. However, most structured products produce inferior risk/return profiles than ordinary debt or equity instruments because the brokerage firms that issue these products seek to profit from the spread between the payment to investors and the amount of money the brokerage firm can make from the issuance. When dealing with complex structured products most investors will lack the ability to understand the merits of investments nor are they appropriate for investors seeking a fixed or reliable income and have a desire for preservation of capital.

Centaurus Financial Broker David Crane Subject to Multiple Tax Liens

September 29, 2019 | by Staff Attorney

The law offices of Gana Weinstein LLP is reporting on public disclosures on advisor David Crane (Crane), currently registered with Centaurus Financial, Inc. (Centaurus Financial) out of Dacula, Georgia. According to a BrokerCheck report, Crane has been subject to at least one customer dispute. In addition, Crane disclosed five tax liens during his career. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Crane’s customer complaint concerns over variable annuity sales practices.

In March 2018 Crane disclosed a $131,644 tax lien against him. Prior to that, in November 2010 Crane disclosed a $34,101 tax lien against him. Large tax liens on a broker’s CRD can be a red flag that the broker may be influenced to engage in high commission activity in order to satisfy personal debts. FINRA discloses information concerning a broker’s financial condition because a broker’s inability to handle their own personal finances has also been found to be material information in helping investors determine if they should allow the broker to handle their finances.

In July 2004 a customer alleged that Crane provided negligent investment advice and breached his fiduciary duty concerning the purchase of a variable annuity. The amount of damages was not specified. The claim was settled for $225,000.

Broker Mark Upchurch Subject to Several Investment Complaints

September 9, 2019 | by Staff Attorney

The securities attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP are currently investigating advisor Mark Upchurch (Upchurch), currently associated with Centaurus Financial, Inc. (Centaurus Financial) out of Houston, Texas. According to a BrokerCheck report, Upchurch has been subject to at least three customer disputes, one regulatory action, and one termination for cause during his career. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the customer complaints against Upchurch concern allegations of unsuitable investment recommendations and misrepresentations.

In April 2018 a customer alleged that Upchurch made unsuitable investment recommendations and misrepresentations causing over $5,000 in damages. The claim settled for $17,500.

In October 2006 FINRA found that Upchurch violated NASD Rule 2110 by signing a customer’s name to an account transfer form without the customer’s permission. Without admitting or denying the allegations, Upchurch consented to the described sanctions and to the entry of the findings. Upchurch was fined $5,000 and suspended for 30 days.