Securities Lawyers Blog
The law offices of Gana Weinstein LLP are currently investigating claims that Broker Steven Arch (Arch) 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 Arch was employed by Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC at the time of the activity. If you have been a victim of Arch’s alleged misconduct our firm may be able to assist you in recovering funds.
FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint on February 03, 2021.
Claimant alleges that the beginning around December 2014, FA did not act upon red flags of elder exploitation, including accusations of misappropriation of funds, changes in handling of the trust, withdrawals and improper use of funds which were misappropriated by the account holder’s family member.
Our legal team has a wealthy experience handling cases where advisors defraud clients by securing loans or selling securities through OBAs. In the financial industry, “selling away” refers to the sale of unapproved investment products, fake schemes that conceal stolen funds, and other fraudulent activities, representing a significant violation of securities regulations. In the industry, “selling away” describes a financial advisor soliciting investments in companies, promissory notes, or other securities that lack prior approval from their affiliated brokerage firm. In some cases, these investments are legitimate, but more often than not, they result in Ponzi schemes or financial advisors converting funds for personal use.
However, federal securities laws and the FINRA rules require firms to monitor and supervise its employees in order to detect and prevent brokers from offering investments in this fashion. To ensure proper supervision of brokers, firms must establish procedures for monitoring advisors’ actions and engagements 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.
In cases of selling away the investor is unaware that the advisor’s investments are improper. In many of these cases the investor will not learn that the broker’s activities were wrongful until after the investment scheme is publicized, the broker is fired or charged by law enforcement, or stops returning client calls altogether.
Arch entered the securities industry in 1987. Arch has been registered as a Broker with Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC since 2024.
Investors who have suffered losses are encouraged to contact us at (800) 810-4262 for consultation. At Gana Weinstein LLP, our attorneys are experienced representing investors who have suffered securities losses due to the mishandling of their accounts. Claims may be brought in securities arbitration before FINRA. Our consultations are free of charge and the firm is only compensated if you recover.