FINRA Disciplinary Actions

Broker Craig Blattner Suspended By FINRA

June 28, 2018 | Silver Law Group

Craig Dean Blattner (CRD #1590301) is a previously registered Florida broker and investment advisor. His last employer of record is Cetera Advisors LLC (CRD #10299) of Longwood, FL; his employment was terminated on 2/28/2018. He is not currently registered with any FINRA affiliated firm, and no other recent employment information is available. His previous employers include Investors Capital Corp. (CRD #30613) of Longwood, FL which merged with Cetera in September of 2016, Gunnallen Financial, Inc. (CRD #17609) of Orlando FL, and First Montauk Securities Corp. (CRD #13755) of Red Bank, NJ.

On or about 03/20/2018, Blattner was suspended by FINRA for 15 days after an inquiry into his business practices. He allegedly personally handled a customer complaint without notifying his employer.

In April of 2013, two longtime clients who had a joint account complained, both orally and in writing, about their account’s loss of $75,000. Blattner was supposed to disclose this complaint to his company at the time, ICC, and report it on his Form U4. Instead, Blattner wrote the clients a personal check for $15,000, instructing them to open a new account to deposit the check. The customers did so, and were told by Blattner that the check was to generate trading profits to replace the losses from their joint account. Failing to notify his employer of these complaints, and handling it away from the firm, is a violation of FINRA rule 2010.

NYSE Brings Action Against Edward Wedbush and Wedbush Securities

June 8, 2018 | Silver Law Group

Wedbush Securities is in hot water with the SEC, FINRA, and the New York Stock Exchange for a scheme involving its owner and founder, Edward Wedbush. Mr. Wedbush was allegedly employing a manipulative trading scheme involving over 70 accounts at Wedbush Securities. The trading practice, often referred to as “cherry-picking,” occurs when “traders choose to allocate the best performing trades to their own or preferred accounts.”

According to the NYSE’s complaint, Mr. Wedbush’s scheme involved instructing an employee to execute trades in a general account, and then he would later allocate the trades to various accounts that he controlled. No other employees at the firm were permitted to make these “post-execution allocations.” Mr. Wedbush also executed these trades on a separate trading platform that was not used by other traders at the firm.

The firm allowed Mr. Wedbush to exercise this discretion and had no procedures in place to ensure that the allocations were not made for improper purposes, like steering the more profitable trades into Mr. Wedbush’s controlled accounts. NYSE alleges this lack of supervision violated both SEC and NYSE rules. The firm failed to establish and maintain adequate written supervisory procedures, and failed to retain adequate books and records. The firm’s Co-Chief Compliance Officer even raised concerns over Mr. Wedbush’s trading activity, yet the firm still “took no meaningful action.”

Securities Regulatory Authorities Were Well Aware of Problems with Wedbush Securities

June 8, 2018 | Silver Law Group

Wedbush Securities is facing discipline from the SEC, NYSE, and FINRA for a manipulative trading scheme involving its founder, Edward Wedbush. According to a recent article by InvestmentNews.com, however, all three agencies were well aware of problems within Wedbush for many years, but handed down no real, meaningful punishment to the firm. This allowed Mr. Wedbush to continue his scheme for years, hurting many investors along the way.

The complaint filed by the NYSE details a history of Wedbush’s run-ins with the three agencies. In 2015, Wedbush was fined by both the SEC and NYSE for “extensive and widespread supervisory deficiencies,” among other things. Before 2015, the firm “was fined over $2,000,000 by regulators in more than a dozen separate actions involving supervisory failures.”

The NYSE and FINRA’s Department of Market Regulation also conducted an investigation of Wedbush concerning violations of supervisory obligations, books and records keeping, trade mismarking, and other issues. FINRA then referred the investigation to its Legal Section of FINRA Market Regulation; NYSE finally took over the investigation in 2016. This extensive regulatory history shows that all three agencies were on notice of Wedbush’s repeated supervisory failures.

Individuals Barred by FINRA in May 2018 for Failing to Comply with FINRA Rules

June 4, 2018 | Silver Law Group

According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for May 2018, the following individuals were barred from FINRA and cannot currently work for a FINRA brokerage firm for failing to provide FINRA with information it requested or to keep information current with FINRA pursuant to FINRA rules:

NAME	FORMER EMPLOYERS
Benjamin Glasser Aibel	Wunderlich Securities,Inc
Benjamin Glasser Aibel	Sanders Morris Harris Inc
Carter Page Brooks	Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC
Carter Page Brooks	Edward Jones
Walter Lee Clark	Wilmington Capital Securities, LLC
Walter Lee Clark	Adirondack Trading Groups LLC
Christian Colon	Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc.
Christian Colon	UBS Financial Services Inc.
Randolph Lee Eddlemon III	Geneos Wealth Management, Inc.
Randolph Lee Eddlemon III	Schooner Financial Associates
Carlos Nestor Evertsz-Seda	K.C. Ward Financial
Carlos Nestor Evertsz-Seda	J.P. Turner & Company, LLC
Kenneth Taylor Foreman	Securities America, Inc
Kenneth Taylor Foreman	Foothill Securities, Inc
Sherie Irene Gaunt	Gill Capital Partners
Kimberly Pine Kitts	Royal Alliance Associates, Inc
Kimberly Pine Kitts	Sound Financial, LLC
Peter Jack Margaros	State Farm VP Management Corp
James Albert Pettit	Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc
James Albert Pettit	Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
Keisha Diane Pizzo
Eric P. Poage	Edward Jones
Eric P. Poage	Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation
John Greg Schmidt	Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC
John Greg Schmidt	Stifel, Nicholas & Company, Inc
Bradley Curtis Williams	J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Bradley Curtis Williams	Invest Financial Corporation
Luis Alberto Zuniga

Silver Law Group represents investors in securities and investment fraud cases through FINRA arbitration or court. Our lawyers are admitted to practice in New York and Florida and represent investors nationwide in securities arbitration to help recover investment losses due to stockbroker misconduct. If you have any questions about how your account has been handled, call to speak with an experienced securities attorney. Most cases handled on a contingent fee basis meaning that you do not pay legal fees unless we are successful.

May 2018 Disciplinary Actions from FINRA Name Individuals Suspended for Failing to Comply with FINRA Rules

June 4, 2018 | Silver Law Group

According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for May 2018, the following individuals were suspended from FINRA for failing to comply with a FINRA arbitration award or settlement agreement pursuant to FINRA rules:

NAME	FORMER EMPLOYERS
Lawrence Joseph Alfano	Blackbook Capital LLC
	EKN Financial Services INC
Terry Dean Bahgat	Gradient Securities, LLC
	Cambridge Investment Research, Inc
Matthew Wayne Bailey	Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
	Edward Jones
Christopher John Calandrino	Joseph Stone Capital L.L.C.
	National Securities Corp.
Richard Grant Cody	IFS Securities
	Concorde Investment Services, LLC
Barry Franklin Connell	Morgan Stanley
James Fillmore Crawford Jr.	Concorde Investment Services, LLC
	Independent Financial Group, LLC
Rick Douglas Konency	National Securities Corporation
	J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Jonathan Richard Lake	Morgan Stanley
	Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC
Maroof Miyana	Legend Securities, Inc
	IAA Financial LLC
Roberto Montano	Waddell & Reed
	U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc
Michael Jay Novick	Morgan Stanley
	Beverly Hills Wealth Management, LLC
David Warren Olson	Morgan Stanley
	Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc
Jason Charles Parker	LPL Financial LLC
	Edward Jones
James Albert Pettit	Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc
	Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
Jose Aloisio Teles	Nomura Securities International, Inc
	Standard Chartered Bank
Jacques Tizabi	Astor Capital, Inc
	Round Hill Securities, Inc
Christopher Thomas Tolmacs	Triad Advisors, Inc.
	Harbinger Asset Management, LLC
Bhaskar Chandrakant Vyas	Interfirst Capital Corporation
	Western International Securities, Inc
Mark Edward Winburne	MML Investors Services, LLC
	Metlife Securities, Inc.

Silver Law Group represents investors in securities and investment fraud cases through FINRA arbitration or court. Our lawyers are admitted to practice in New York and Florida and represent investors nationwide in securities arbitration to help recover investment losses due to stockbroker misconduct. If you have any questions about how your account has been handled, call to speak with an experienced securities attorney. Most cases handled on a contingent fee basis meaning that you do not pay legal fees unless we are successful.

FINRA Suspends Registered Individuals in May 2018 for Violations of FINRA Rules

June 4, 2018 | Silver Law Group

According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for May 2018, the following individuals were suspended from FINRA and cannot currently work for a FINRA brokerage firm for failing to provide FINRA with information it requested or to keep information current with FINRA pursuant to FINRA rules:

NAME	FORMER EMPLOYERS
Fernando Enrique Acosta
Paul Anthony Bustamante	Empire Asset Management Company
Paul Anthony Bustamante	Bishop, Rosen & Co, Inc
Janna L. Carruth-Vogler
Abel Chavez	Farmers Financial Solutions, LLC
Thomas Matthew Dunlap	AXA Advisors, LLC
Saima Ashraf Durrani	J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Saima Ashraf Durrani	Chase Investment Services Corp
Joshua David Ellis	LPL Financial LLC
Joshua David Ellis	BCG Securities, Inc.
Ashley Evans
Samual LaWayne Haddix	Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
Samual LaWayne Haddix	IDS Life Insurance Company
Christopher Lee Hibbard	Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc
Christopher Lee Hibbard	Bank of America, NA
Shawn I Houslin	Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc
Shawn I Houslin	Bank of America, NA
Michael Dennis Jackson	Securities America, Inc
Michael Dennis Jackson	Brecek & Young Advisors, Inc.
Valbona Keja Keja-Dasilva	Suntrust Investment Services, Inc
Valbona Keja Keja-Dasilva	CCO Investment Services Corp
Shane Jason Kelly	LPL Financial LLC
Shane Jason Kelly	Atlantic Capital Advisors
Keesang John Kim	MML Investors Services, LLC
Keesang John Kim	Pruco Securities, LLC
Michael Ray Matos	J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Uriah Eli Mitchell	J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Michael Patrick Nanto	J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Michael Patrick Nanto	Mutual of Omaha Investor Services, Inc.
Frederick Lamar Pearse	J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Anteneh A. Roberts	Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc
Anteneh A. Roberts	Bank of America, N.A.
Jeanette Marie Sanchez

Silver Law Group represents investors in securities and investment fraud cases through FINRA arbitration or court. Our lawyers are admitted to practice in New York and Florida and represent investors nationwide in securities arbitration to help recover investment losses due to stockbroker misconduct. If you have any questions about how your account has been handled, call to speak with an experienced securities attorney. Most cases handled on a contingent fee basis meaning that you do not pay legal fees

Silver Law Group is Investigating Phillip Johnson of SunTrust Investment Services, Inc.

May 30, 2018 | Silver Law Group

Phillip Johnson was assessed by FINRA a deferred fine of $5,000 and suspended from association with any FINRA member in all capacities for three months. Without admitting or denying the findings, Johnson, a previous advisor with SunTrust Investment Services and DH Hill Securities, consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that he borrowed $528,000 from a customer, but failed to notify or obtain written approval of the loan in advance from his member firm. The findings stated that Johnson made an inaccurate statement on firm compliance questionnaires related to borrowing from a firm customer. The brokerage firm did not permit loans between registered persons and customers who were not close family members. Johnson and the customer are not family members.

Contact Our Firm if You’ve Invested with Phillip Johnson or your Financial Advisor Improperly Borrowed Money

If you invested with Phillip Johnson and believe you have lost money due to his misconduct, you may be able to file a claim to recover your losses through FINRA arbitration. For a free evaluation of your potential case by as securities attorney, please contact Silver Law Group. Stockbrokers are in a unique position of trust and are rarely allowed to borrow money from clients.

Individuals Suspended by FINRA in April 2018 for Failing to Comply with FINRA Rules

May 8, 2018 | Silver Law Group

According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for April 2018, the following individuals were suspended from FINRA for failing to comply with a FINRA arbitration award or settlement agreement pursuant to FINRA rules:

NAME	FORMER EMPLOYERS
Robert Thomas Anderson	Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
Robert Thomas Anderson	UBS Financial Services Inc
Li-Lin Hsu	Ameriprise Financial Services
Li-Lin Hsu	Transglobal Advisory, LLC
Michael David Lee	Newport Group Securities, Inc.
Michael David Lee	The Leaders Group, Inc.
Jeffrey David Miller	LEK Securities Corporation
Jeffrey David Miller	Mitchell Securities, Inc.
Carlos Antonio Rodriquez	UBS Financial Services Inc
Carlos Antonio Rodriquez	Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.

Silver Law Group represents investors in securities and investment fraud cases through FINRA arbitration or court. Our lawyers are admitted to practice in New York and Florida and represent investors nationwide in securities arbitration to help recover investment losses due to stockbroker misconduct. If you have any questions about how your account has been handled, call to speak with an experienced securities attorney. Most cases handled on a contingent fee basis meaning that you do not pay legal fees unless we are successful.