A new report from FINRA finds that some brokers and brokerage firms are not doing due diligence for their customers when it comes to illiquid securities such as variable annuities, REITs, and private placements. This new report finds that some firms rely heavily on these types of securities, over-concentrating clients…
Securities Arbitration Lawyers Blog
Stifel, Niclaus, and Francis Weller Censured After Excess Client Fees
The Massachusetts Securities Division has charged Cape Cod investment advisor Francis Weller, Jr. (CRD#: 4852071) and his company, Weller Asset Management, with violating their fiduciary duty to act in their clients’ best interest and failing to disclose conflicts of interest. Weller and his company had an arrangement since 2009 with…
SEC Sues Direct Lending Investments For Inflated Charges And Returns
Registered investment advisor Direct Lending Investments, LLC (CRD# 282476) has been sued by the SEC with multiple fraud charges relating to $11 million in management and performance fee overcharges on private placements. The company also falsified loan repayment information and inflated their annual returns for many years. The suit was…
FINRA Bars Wilfred Rodriquez, Jr., Wells Fargo Boca Raton Office
Wilfred Rodriquez, Jr. (CRD#: 2504369, aka “Will” or “Wilfredo”) is a former registered broker and investment advisor whose last employer was Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC (CRD#:19616) of Boca Raton, FL. His previous employers include Prudential Securities Incorporated (CRD#:7471) of New York, NY, UBS Painewebber Inc. (CRD#:8174) of Weehawken, NJ,…
FINRA Suspends John-Aaron Lenhert After Loans From Firm Clients
John-Aaron Lenhert is a former registered broker and investment advisor whose last (and only broker) employer was Morgan Stanley (CRD#:149777) of Laguna Nigel, CA. No current employment information is available. He has been in the industry since 2011. Morgan Stanley terminated Lenhert’s employment on 1/12/2017, after being notified of allegations…
Broker Chris Kubiak Arrested, Charged With Felony Theft By Fraud
Chris Raymond Kubiak (CRD#: 1527367) is a previously registered broker whose last employer was Calton & Associates, Inc. (CRD#:20999) of Brookfield, WI. His previous employers include American Global Wealth Management, Inc. (CRD#:7388) of McDonough, GA, Freedom Investors Corp. (CRD#:23714) of Brookfield, and Dreher & Associates, Inc. (CRD#:8665) of Oakbrook Terrace,…
Allegis Discharges Brandon Stimpson For Ignoring Firm Policies, Code Of Ethics
Brandon Curt Stimpson (CRED#: 4299623) is a currently registered investment advisor and former registered broker. His last employer of record is Allegis Investment Services, LLC (CRD#:168557) of North Logan, UT. Previous employers include Signator Financial Services, Inc. (CRD#:19061), also of North Logan, Insphere Securities, Inc. (CRD#:136433) of Salt Lake City,…
Robert Witt Barred By FINRA
Robert Daniel Witt (CRD#: 2926506) is a previously registered broker and investment advisor whose last employer was Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. (CRD#:2882) of Libertyville, IL. His previous employers include ING Financial Partners, Inc. (CRD#:2882) of Bloomington, IN, Oneamerica Securities, Inc. (CRD#:4173) and American United Life Insurance Company (CRD#:1075), both of…
FINRA Bars Richard Minichino
Richard Vincent Minichino II (CRD#: 5760826) is a former registered broker and investment advisor whose last employer was Next Financial Group, Inc. (CRD#:46214) of New York, NY. His previous employers include Wunderlich Securities, Inc. (CRD#:2543), also of New York, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (CRD#:79) of Peekskill, NY, and Chase Investment…
Devin McCabe Accused Of Churning And Trading Allegations
Devin Michael McCabe (CRD#: 5645799) is a registered broker currently employed with Westpark Capital, Inc. (CRD#:39914) of Fort Lauderdale, FL. He was previously employed by Laidlaw & Company (UK) LTD. (CRD#:119037), Sterne Agee Financial Services, Inc. (CRD#:18456), and Emmett A Larkin Company, Inc. (CRD#:6625), all of Fort Lauderdale. He has…