A National Securities Arbitration & Investment Fraud Law Firm
Back in 2019, we blogged about broker Michael Venturino (CRD #5872439), the subject of multiple customer disputes totaling $1.6 million. Since then, he has additional disclosures, including two judgements, a bankruptcy discharge, and of course, more customer disputes. Continue reading ›
According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for November 2022, 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. However, these individuals remain bound by the securities arbitration agreement to arbitrate any disputes between themselves and their former customers:
| NAME | FORMER EMPLOYERS |
| Michael Botrous | |
| Jaylon Briggs | |
| Johnnie Brown | PFS Investments Inc. |
| Courtney Donella-Sheley | Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. |
| ING Financial Advisers, LLC | |
| Austin Dutton Jr. | American Trust Investment Services, Inc. |
| Primex | |
| Ciara Haro | |
| Monica Laguna | J.P. Morgan Securities LLC |
| Yasmine Mercado | |
| Cory Tinsley | Farmers Financial Solutions, LLC |
| AXA Advisors, LLC | |
| Khalil Watts | J.P. Morgan Securities LLC |
According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for November 2022, 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 |
| Carl Buhr | Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC |
| Morgan Stanley | |
| Neil Fineman | First Allied Securities, Inc. |
| Sagepoint Financial, Inc. | |
| Donald Heitz | LPL Financial LLC |
| First Command Fianncial Planning, Inc. | |
| Tim Leissner | Goldman, Sachs & Co. |
| Evan Schottenstein | J.P. Morgan Securities LLC |
| Morgan Stanley | |
| Bruce Smith | The Sports Advisory Group, LLC |
| UBS Financial Services Inc. | |
| David Weigel | Weigel Fiduciary Aset Management LLC |
| RBC Capital Markets, LLC |
According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for November 2022, 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 |
| Chad Barancyk | Great Point Capital LLC |
| First Allied Securities, Inc. | |
| Aren Blackwood | |
| Richard Carman | Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC |
| LPL Financial LLC | |
| John Molskness | Valic Financial Advisors, Inc. |
| New England Securities | |
| Thomas Pfeiffer | MML Investors Services, LLC |
| Chelsea Financial Services | |
| Emily Pich | Key Investment Services LLC |
| Firasat Siddiqui | Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC |
| IDS Life Insurance Company | |
| Cari Spicer | Cavu Securities LLC |
| Triton Pacific Securities, LLC |
According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for October 2022, 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 |
| Darien Bonney | MML Investors Services, LLC |
| NYLife Securities Inc. | |
| Jimmy Cheng | J.P. Morgan Securities LLC |
| Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated | |
| Eddy Chou | Inspire Advisors, LLC |
| Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC | |
| Kara Gagnon | Global Atlantic Distributors, LLC |
| MetLife Investors Distribution Company | |
| Johana Jimenez | |
| Derick Stickland | Allstate Financial Services, LLC |
According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for October 2022, 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 |
| Todd Kalish | Park Edge Advisors, LLC |
| McDonald Partners LLC | |
| Nicolas Lumermann | Morgan Stanley |
| Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC | |
| Jeff McElroy | BOK Financial Securities, Inc. |
| LPL Financial LLC | |
| Kevin NcNeil | SW Financial |
| Joseph Gunnar & Co., LLC | |
| Alex Salcedo | Scottrade, Inc. |
| Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC | |
| Francisco Valenzuela | Morgan Stanley |
| Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated |
According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for October 2022, 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. However, these individuals remain bound by the securities arbitration agreement to arbitrate any disputes between themselves and their former customers:
| NAME | FORMER EMPLOYERS |
| Tony Bell | SCF Securities, Inc. |
| Liberty Partners Financial Services, LLC | |
| Matthew Black | J.P. Morgan Securities LLC |
| Jay Dougall | Principal Securities, Inc. |
| Waddell & Reed | |
| Edgar Garcia | J.P. Morgan Securities LLC |
| Chase Investment Services Corp | |
| Roger Hickman | State Farm VP Management Corp. |
| Jamie Lemon | |
| Linda Leong | Valic Financial Advisors, Inc. |
| National Planning Corporation | |
| Donald Nelson | Wedbush Securities Inc. |
| First Wall Street Corp. | |
| Michael Richie | Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC |
| Edward Von der Schmidt | Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC |
| RBC Capital Markets, LLC | |
| Cedric Wade | LPL Financial LLC |
| National Planning Corporation |
Most investors believe their broker and broker-dealer have their best interests in mind when making recommendations. As we’ve reported many times in this blog, that’s not always the case. The SEC’s newest rule, called Regulation Best Interest, nicknamed Reg BI, is the latest in the effort to make the market a safe place for investors. Now, Reg BI has led to its first enforcement action. Continue reading ›
If your employer offers to hold some of your earnings for a later date, such as retirement, in order to give you a lower tax bracket now, would you take that offer? What happens to the money if you decide to change jobs? Continue reading ›
Two people have been charged with running a Ponzi scheme connected to the cattle business that raised around $650 million from victims across the country. The alleged Ponzi schemers, revealed Tuesday, May 11, 2021, by an unsealed federal indictment in Colorado, are Reva Joyce Stachniw, 69, of Galesburg, Illinois, and Ron Throgmartin, 57, of Buford, Georgia. In 2020, a third man, Mark Ray, resident of Denver, was charged by criminal information in the scheme. Continue reading ›
Securities Arbitration Lawyers Blog