The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced on April 16, 2015 that it filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York alleging that Michael J. Oppenheim defrauded former clients out of $20 million dollars. Mr. Oppenheim was previously employed and licensed to recommend the…
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced on March 30, 2015 that it fined H. Beck, Inc., LaSalle St. Securities, LLC, and J.P. Turner & Company, LLC for failing to supervise consolidated reports. These consolidated reports were provided to public customers, according to the announcement. According to FINRA, “[a] consolidated report…
A Letter of Acceptance Waiver and Consent was recently accepted by FINRA’s Department of Enforcement from Andre Paul Young. Mr. Young was accused of borrowing more than $200,000 from customers in violation of FINRA rules while a registered representative of MetLife Securities, Inc. Specifically, Mr. Young was accused of violating…
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced on March 26, 2015 that it fined Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. for failing to supervise Mark Hotton, a former broker who allegedly stole money from his clients accounts and excessively traded their accounts. FINRA had already barred Mr. Hotton from the securities industry in 2013.…
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority recently censured Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith and fined the firm $100,000, sanctions to which the firm consented. These sanctions relate to Merrill Lynch’s alleged violation of several industry rules, including FINRA Rules 4370 and 2010. FINRA alleged that Merrill Lynch “failed to send…
Reuters reported on February 6, 2015 that UBS in Puerto Rico held a meeting during which executives of the firm, including Miguel Ferrer, then the Chairman of UBS Financial Services Inc. of Puerto Rico, threatened financial advisors to sell UBS originated Puerto Rico closed-end bond funds despite the brokers’ and…
In instances where a broker-dealer’s proprietary products fail, the brokers who are tasked with selling those failed products often suffer many customer complaints. In these situations, the brokers often are given faulty due diligence, research and information by the firm, and sometimes even forced to sell their employing firm’s product…
Broker-dealers may be held liable to brokers who they threatened, misled, and/or lied to about the features and relative safety of an investment sold to their customers. The stockbroker and broker-dealer relationship can be characterized as one of agent-principal, respectively. While many understand that an agent has a duty to…
It is no secret on Wall Street today of what is happening in Puerto Rico in connection with the devastation of the UBS Puerto Rican Closed End Bond Funds. For many on the island and others in the 50 states, it is a whopper of a problem. Any time there…
Investors in Diversified Lending Group Inc., allegedly solicited by Tony Russon and other agents who worked under him at Russon Financial Services, may be able to sue Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in FINRA Arbitration after their California class action failed to obtain certification. In Los Angeles this past week, a…