Articles Tagged with Meyers Associates

shutterstock_102757574According to the BrokerCheck records kept by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker Robert Yasnis (Yasnis) has been the subject of 3 customer complaints, and 3 regulatory actions. The customer complaints against Yasnis allege securities law violations that claim unauthorized trading among other claims. The most recent complaint was filed in June 2015, and alleged $34,350 in losses due to unauthorized trading in May 2011.

The most recent regulatory action was taken by the state of Florida in 2013, when the state alleged that a material false statement was made on an application for registration resulting in a denial of registration. In 1997, the state of Virginia alleged that Yasnis offered unregistered securities in the state and received a fine. Finally in 1994, the state of Texas revoked Yasnis’ securities license in the state due to allegations that he misled the state concerning the status of registration within the state.

Yasnis entered the securities industry in 1993. From February 2007, until July 2009, Yasnis was associated with Hallmark Investments, Inc. From November 2009, until April 2010, Yasnis was associated with Stephen A. Kohn & Associates, Ltd. Thereafter, from April 2010, until October 2012, Yasnis was associated with Buckman, Buckman & Reid, Inc. From October 2012, until January 2014, Yasnis was associated with Meyers Associates, L.P. Presently, Yasnis is associated with Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd. out of the firm’s New York, New York branch office location.

shutterstock_103665437According to the BrokerCheck records kept by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker James Connors (Connors) has been the subject of at least two customer complaints. The customer complaints against Connors allege a number of securities law violations including that the broker made unsuitable investments and engaged in churning (excessive trading) among other claims.

Connors entered the securities industry in 1995. From August 2006 through October 2009, Connors was associated with J.P. Turner & Company, L.L.C. (JP Turner). Thereafter from October 2009, until November 2010, Connors was registered with Brookstone Securities, Inc. Brookstone Securities was thereafter expelled from the industry by FINRA.  From there, Connors was associated with Meyers Associates, L.P. Finally, Connors became associated with First Standard Financial Company LLC.

Some of these firms Connors has been associated with have been known to house troublesome brokers. For instance, Meyers Associates has an unusually high number of brokers with complaints on their records. According to FINRA, approximately twelve percent of registered representatives have some form of disclosure on their record. However, as we have previously reported, forty seven out of seventy five, or nearly sixty-three percent of the brokers employed by Meyers Associates, have a marked-up history as revealed by BrokerCheck. Even more disturbing is the fact that of those forty seven brokers have on average of 4.5 disclosure events per broker.

shutterstock_26813263According to the BrokerCheck records kept by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker Christopher Veale (Veale) has been the subject of at least 12 customer complaints, six judgment and lien of over $1,000,000 and five separate regulatory actions, two investigations by state regulators and one criminal matter involving a felony over the course of his career. Customers have filed complaints against Veale alleging a litany of securities law violations including that the broker made unsuitable investments, unauthorized trades, breach of fiduciary duty, misrepresentations and false statements, churning, and fraud, among other claims. Many of the claims involve recommendations in penny stocks and other speculative securities.

An examination of Veale’s employment history reveals that Veale moves from troubled firm to troubled firm. The pattern of brokers moving in this way is sometimes called “cockroaching” within the industry. See More Than 5,000 Stockbrokers From Expelled Firms Still Selling Securities, The Wall Street Journal, (Oct. 4, 2013). In Veale’s 18 year career he has worked at 18 different firms.

Since 2008 Veale has been registered with Maximum Financial Investment Group, Franklin Christopher Investment Bankers, Inc., Brookville Capital Partners, Blackwall Capital Markets, Inc., Meyers Associates, L.P., John Thomas Financial, and Legend Securities, Inc., until February 2015.

shutterstock_143179897Gana Weinstein LLP is investigating claims were brought by securities and exchange commission (SEC) against Matthew Bell (Bell) and Craig Josephberg (Josephberg) in connection with participation in a $300 million securities fraud market manipulation scheme. The SEC brought charges against Abraxas J. Discala (Discala), Marc E. Wexler (Wexler), and Ira Shapiro (Shapiro), for manipulating the stock price of sale of CodeSmart Holdings (OTC: ITEN), Cubed, Inc. (OTC: CRPT), StarStream (OTC: SSET) and The Staffing Group, Ltd. (OTC: TSGL).

According to the complaint, in 2013, Discala and Wexler conspired with Bell and Josephberg, both registered representatives with different brokerage firms, to inflate the price of the stock of CodeSmart. The SEC found that Discala, Wexler, Bell, and Josephberg then profited by selling their shares at inflated values at the expense of Bell’s clients and Josephberg’s customers.

Bell was taken into custody by the FBI and appeared in federal court in San Antonio. In Court, Bell was informed of a 10-count indictment returned in Brooklyn, New York, and was released on bond. Bell has a long history of customer complaints and two firm terminations.

shutterstock_184149845In our prior post, our offices, Gana Weinstein LLP, noted its investigation of the July 17, 2014, claims brought by securities and exchange commission (SEC) against Craig Josephberg in connection with his participation in a $300 million securities fraud market manipulation scheme. The SEC brought charges against Abraxas J. Discala (Discala), Marc E. Wexler (Wexler), Matthew A. Bell (Bell), Craig L. Josephberg (Josephberg), and Ira Shapiro (Shapiro), for manipulating the stock price of four publically traded companies, CodeSmart Holdings, Inc. (CodeSmart), Cubed, StarStream Entertainment Inc., and the Staffing Group, Ltd.

According to the complaint, in 2013, Discala and Wexler conspired with registered representatives Bell and Josephberg to inflate the price of the stock of CodeSmart. The SEC found that Discala, Wexler, Bell, and Josephberg then profited by selling their shares at inflated values at the expense of Bell’s clients and Josephberg’s customers.

Josephberg has a long and troubled regulatory, criminal activity, debts, customer complaints, among a host of other supervisory “red flags” of potential misconduct in the handling of his clients. Josephberg entered the securities industry in 1996. Thereafter, he was associated with eight different firms including Maxim Group LLC, ICM Capital Markets, LTD, vFinance Investments, Inc., Halcyon Cabot Partners, LTD. (Halcoyon), and most recently Meyers Associates, L.P. (Meyers Associates). Indeed, when Josephberg was terminated from Halcoyon he was under investigation by the firm for sales practice violations including the selling of unsuitable securities, unauthorized trades, and securities fraud in connection with the sale of penny stocks including VHGI and Cell Therapeutics.

shutterstock_115971289The law offices of Gana Weinstein LLP are investigating the July 17, 2014, claims brought by securities and exchange commission (SEC) against Craig Josephbergin connection with his participation in a $300 million securities fraud market manipulation scheme. According to the SEC, Abraxas J. Discala (Discala), Marc E. Wexler (Wexler), Matthew A. Bell (Bell), Craig L. Josephberg (Josephberg), and Ira Shapiro (Shapiro), assisted in manipulating the stock price of four publically traded companies, CodeSmart Holdings, Inc. (CodeSmart), Cubed, StarStream Entertainment Inc., and the Staffing Group, Ltd.

According to the complaint, in 2013, Discala and Wexler served as the CEO and President of OmniView Capital Advisors LLC (OmniView) conspired with registered representatives Bell and Josephberg to inflate the price of the stock of CodeSmart. The SEC found that Discala, Wexler, Bell, and Josephberg then profited by selling their shares at inflated values at the expense of Bell’s clients and Josephberg’s customers.

The SEC alleged that defendants accomplished their scheme following CodeSmart’s reverse merger into a public shell company in May 2013, whereby Discala and his associates, including Wexler, Bell, and Josephberg, obtained control of 3,000,000 shares of CodeSmart. Later in May 2013, the SEC found that Discala and Wexler flooded the market with CodeSmart’s shares and found ready buyers in Bell’s advisory clients and Josephberg’s brokerage customers.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) maintains a public database, called BrokerCheck, which acts as a free tool for investors looking to research the backgrounds of FINRA registered personnel. BrokerCheck covers brokerage firms, brokers, investment adviser firms and representatives. Searches allow investors to draw upon filings by firms, regulators, and other investment professionals, to reveal licensing status and history, employment history, and any reported regulatory infraction, customer dispute, criminal actions, financial issues, and other related matters.

These black mark events, revealed by BrokerCheck, are known as “disclosure events” and are often viewed as red flags by investors and the industry. Advisers and brokers who have marred records with multiple events carry inherent regulatory risk. As a consequence, most of the elite broker dealers and advisory firms will shy away from hiring representatives with such backgrounds.

Enter Meyers Associates, L.P.

Broker Joseph Anthony Giordano (Giordano) was recently barred from the financial industry by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) over allegations that he participated in the distribution of unregistered debentures issued by Empire Corporation, a Maryland corporation (Empire Debentures) to customers of Capital Investment Group, Inc. (CIG). FINRA alleged that Giordano violated FINRA Rules by soliciting the sales of the Empire Debentures.  In addition, FINRA found Giordano’s Empire Debentures sales to customers were without a reasonable basis for making such recommendation.  Finally, FINRA found that Giordano engaged in securities fraud by making intentionally false and misleading statements in connection with the sales of the Empire Debentures to customers.

Giordano was registered with Capital Investment Group from September 1992 until his termination on June 20, 2012. Giordano’s U5 states that he was terminated for “selling away” and making false and misleading statements to the firm.  On July 2, 2012, Giordano became registered with Meyers Associates, L.P. (Meyers) until his registration was terminated by Meyers on July 10, 2013.  Giordano’s BrokerCheck states that he is the general manager of Giordano Asset Management LLC and treasurer of Giordano Holding Corporation.

FINRA found that Giordano sold approximately $3.1 million of the Empire Debentures to at least 45 customers of CIG.  The Empire Debentures had varying maturities but the majority had a five-year maturity and promised interest at an annual compounded rate of ten percent paid at maturity.  FINRA alleged that the Empire Debentures were speculative investments considering their high-yield, lack of credit analyses or an effective registration statement, and the complete absence of a secondary market.  The sale of the Empire Debentures was in contravention of Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933 requiring the registration of securities.  The securities were also not registered with the State of Maryland.  In addition, FINRA alleged that Giordano failed to conduct adequate due diligence regarding the registration status of the Empire Debentures prior to recommending and selling the debentures to customers.

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