Lincoln Investment

Broker Lester Burroughs in Lincoln Investment Firm Has Customer Complaint

January 20, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint on October 19, 2021.

Statement of Claim alleges that this individual recommended a series of unsuitable annuity transactions to Claimants, misrepresented the characteristics of the annuities to Claimants, and added unnecessary rider benefits to the annuities. Statement of Claim also alleges that the firm negligently hired, retained and supervised this individual.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Jason Knox in Firm Lincoln Investment

October 15, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Jason Knox (Knox), currently associated with Lincoln Investment, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Knox 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 $10,397.45 on July 15, 2025.

Client alleged that financial professional acted with discretion, in a non-discretionary account, when, in July 2021, financial professional sold 100% of client’s Franklin Growth Fund to purchase more diversified, lower-risk investment models. Client alleged that she became aware of the sale in November 2023, when she received an IRS notice regarding taxes, interest and penalties owed to the IRS in relation to the sale. Client requested to be reimbursed in the amount of $10,397.45.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Selwyn Miller in Firm Lincoln Investment

October 14, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint on July 22, 2025.

The Statement of Claim, filed 1.5 years after the retirement of the Investment Professional, alleges improper and deceptive sales practices utilized by Respondents in the procurement, sale, approval, maintenance, and servicing of life insurance policies. The Claim further alleges that despite Claimant having no heirs, Claimant was sold eight life insurance policies by Respondent and that Respondent made misrepresentations and omissions in inducing Claimant to purchase the policies along with ongoing negligent maintenance of the policies, all of which caused Claimant to incur significant policy value reductions, excessive loan charges and other financial losses.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Ryan Herits in Firm Lincoln Investment

August 20, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Ryan Herits (Herits), currently associated with Lincoln Investment, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Herits 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 $5,718.63 on September 21, 2022.

Client alleged that the representative failed to act upon instructions to liquidate.

Broker Robert Restino in Lincoln Investment Firm Has Customer Complaint

March 2, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Robert Restino (Restino), currently associated with Lincoln Investment, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Restino 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 October 28, 2024.

Client alleges she desired conservative approach to investing and financial professional led her to believe that her portfolio was conservatively invested. Client further alleges that an agreement requiring binding arbitration May have been executed but that such agreement was only signed after explicit guarantees from the financial professional and the firm that they would take a conservative investment approach. Client also alleges she was fraudulently listed as an aggressive investor in order to justify the purchase of medium to high-risk investments and that client suffered losses in excess of $500,000 due to this conduct.

Advisor Lester Burroughs Pleads Guilty to Converting Client Funds – Investor Recovery

February 17, 2020 | by Staff Attorney

The law offices of Gana Weinstein LLP are currently investigating claims that advisor Lester Burroughs (Burroughs) is converted customer funds among other allegations. According to BrokerCheck records, Burroughs is formerly registered with The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member firm Lincoln Investment. In addition, Burroughs disclosed 17 customer complaints. If you have been a victim of Burroughs’ alleged misconduct our firm may be able to assist you in recovering funds.

According to news sources, Burroughs is facing up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to misappropriating $575,000 in client assets. Burroughs waived his right to be indicted and entered the plea in U.S. District Court of Connecticut as part of a deal in which he agreed to pay the full $575,000 in restitution to the victims of his crimes. It was alleged that Burroughs defrauded three clients in a Ponzi scheme from about 2012 to 2019. In addition, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced separate civil charges against Burroughs stating that he misappropriated $560,000 after telling clients he would invest their money in guaranteed interest contracts with guaranteed returns of 4% or 7%. However, the SEC found that Burroughs instead used the money to pay his own expenses and the return funds to other clients.

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.

Michael McTigue Terminated by ProEquities Over Multiple Rule Violations

December 21, 2017 | by Staff Attorney

According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) advisor Michael McTigue (McTigue), in August 2017, was terminated by his employer ProEquities after the firm alleged that during a recent branch inspection of the firm discovered issues relating to (1) use of unapproved email address; (2) use of unapproved performance report; (3) customer signature discrepancies on firm paperwork; (4) frequent trading of mutual fund A shares; (5) breakpoint sales of mutual funds; (6) unapproved marketing materials; (7) undisclosed outside business activities (OBA); and (8) text messaging a customer. When the firm presented these issues to McTigue and requested an explanation he resigned prior to submitting explanation to all of the issues.

At this time it is unclear the extent and scope of McTigue’s securities violations and outside business activities. McTigue’s CRD lists that he operates a d/b/a called South Coast Financial as an outside business activity. In addition, McTigue lists Realty South as a real estate business. While at this time it is unknown if McTigue used these businesses and unapproved communications methods to sell investments, the providing of loans or selling of notes and other investments outside of a brokerage firm constitutes impermissible private securities transactions – a practice known in the industry as “selling away”.

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. However, even though when these incidents occur the brokerage firm claims ignorance of their advisor’s activities the firm is obligated under the FINRA rules to properly monitor and supervise its employees in order to detect and prevent brokers from offering investments in this fashion. In order to properly supervise their brokers each firm is required to have procedures in order to monitor the activities of each advisor’s activities and interaction with the public. Selling away misconduct often occurs where brokerage firms either fail to put in place a reasonable supervisory system or fail to actually implement that system. Supervisory failures allow brokers to engage in unsupervised misconduct that can include all manner improper conduct including selling away.

Advisor Walter Starghill Terminated by Lincoln Investment Over Private Securities Transactions

July 13, 2017 | by Staff Attorney

According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) advisor Walter Starghill (Starghill), in March 2017, was discharged by brokerage firm Lincoln Investment over allegations of Starghill’s “participation in a private securities transaction in violation of Firm policy.” In the industry all securities transactions, private investments, loans, or other financial transactions with the investing public must be disclosed and approved by the firm before the broker can engage in them.

At this time it is unclear what outside business activity Starghill was engaged in. According to Starghill’s disclosures he was involved with TSG Transportation LLC – a transportation service. FINRA requires brokers to disclose their outside businesses because the risk to investors is that the broker will use such businesses to engage in unauthorized securities activities. In addition, Starghill obtained a Series 6 license as opposed to a broader Series 7 license. A Series 6 license is a very limited license that only allows brokers to sell variable annuities and open end mutual funds. Sometimes brokers with Series 6 licenses engage in private securities transactions due to their limited license.

The providing of loans or selling of notes and other investments outside of a brokerage firm constitutes impermissible private securities transactions – a practice known in the industry as “selling away”.

New York Times Investigates Broker Walter Marino’s Annuity Sales

December 7, 2016 | by Staff Attorney

Our firm’s investment attorneys are investigating reports in a New York Times article and customer complaints filed with The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) against Walter Marino (Marino) currently associated with Benjamin Securities, Inc. (Benjamin Securities) alleging unsuitable recommendations to invest in variable products such as variable annuities and equity indexed annuities. According to brokercheck records Marino has been subject to seven customer complaints and three employment separations for cause.

According to the New York Times, Marino solicited teachers to invest in high cost low quality annuities with their retirement savings. The Legend Group was alleged to be the provider of the investments all these teachers held. The firm fired Marino on grounds other than the investment fee issue. According to Marino’s brokercheck records the cause of the separation was that Marino represented to the firm that an annuity investment was not a replacement when in fact the firm determined it was. Legend has stated that their investments and charges “were consistent with the firm’s policies.”

Variable annuities and equity indexed annuities are complex financial and insurance products. In fact, recently 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.

FINRA Bars Broker Gregg Beemer Concerning Private Securities

March 5, 2015 | by Staff Attorney

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) sanctioned and barred broker Gregg Beemer (Beemer) concerning allegations that Beemer engage in outside business activities including the sales of private securities. When outside business activities also include the recommendation of investments the activity is referred to in the industry as “selling away.”

FINRA Rule 8210 authorizes the regulator to require persons associated with a FINRA member to provide information with respect to any matter involved in the investigation. In December 2014, FINRA alleged that it pursued an investigation into allegations that Beemer engaged in undisclosed outside business activities. FINRA requested that Beemer appear and provide testimony. FINRA stated that Beemer emailed the regulator and stated that he would not provide information or cooperate in the investigation. Consequently, he was barred from the industry

According to Beemer’s brokercheck he has disclosed outside business activities including his insurance business called Associated Insurance Consultants, Inc. It is unclear at this time what organization or product that Beemer was involved with that FINRA was investigating.