Broker Misconduct - Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce

Oct 31, 2014

Ane Plate Permanently Barred by FINRA for Unauthorized Trades Made For Personal Benefit

Ane S. Plate, a former registered representative with Orlando, Florida based Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (Wells Fargo), consented to, but did not admit to or deny, the sanction and the entry of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) findings that she effected 15 unauthorized trades from a customer’s Wells Fargo account, and converted the proceeds of those unauthorized trades for her personal use and benefit.

Oct 24, 2014

Former PFS Investments Broker Darwin Hayle Permanently Barred For Misappropriating Investor Funds

Former PFS Investments Inc. (PFS) broker Darwin Hayle has been banned from the financial industry and fined $42,500 for allegedly misappropriating investor funds. Darwin Hayle, of Boca Raton, Florida, allegedly sold promissory notes to his clients, claiming the notes were backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), according to the Florida Office of Financial Regulation (FL-OFR) complaint. However, Darwin Hayle allegedly showed the investors false documents which included a forged signature of an SBA representative. The FL-OFR never approved those promissory notes as legal securities and they were never guaranteed by the SBA.

Oct 22, 2014

Jose Fernando Lozano Fined and Suspended for Unauthorized Letter of Authorization

Jose Lozano, a broker formerly employed with Miami, Florida-based ITAU International Securities, Inc. (ITAU International), submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which he consented to, but did not admit to or deny, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) findings that he affixed customer signatures to wire transfer instructions to facilitate the transfer of funds for the purchase of property. According to FINRA, Jose Lozano, of Miami, Florida, had two of the three customers who jointly held ITAU International accounts sign a Letter of Authorization (LOA) that included wire instructions which authorized the transfer of $150,000 from a third-party broker-dealer to the seller of the property. The third-party broker-dealer declined the transfer, however, due to the transfer being sent to a third-party recipient.

Oct 20, 2014

Richard Happle Fined and Suspended for Failure to Execute a Trade Order

Richard Happle, a former registered representative with Tampa, Florida-based Raymond James & Associates, Inc. (Raymond James) submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which he consented to, but did not admit to or deny, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) findings that he failed to execute a customer trade order, thereby allegedly causing his customer to suffer approximately $28,000 in losses. According to FINRA, Richard Happle, of St. Petersburg, Florida, was instructed by his customer to sell all shares of a certain stock held in his account at the market open the following day. The next day, Richard Happle allegedly decided not to sell the customer’s stock shares due to the fact that the stock price was falling rapidly and he wanted to talk over the decision to sell with his customer. The customer, however, lived in Alaska and Richard Happle delayed contacting him by a few hours due to the time zone difference.

Oct 17, 2014

Arhonda T’Lene Guinn Permanently Barred by FINRA for Converting Customer Funds

Arhonda T’Lene Guinn, a former registered representative with Vero Beach, Florida-based Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc. (Stifel Nicolaus) submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which she consented to, but did not admit to or deny, the entry of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) findings that she converted funds from a customer’s account for personal use. According to FINRA, Arhonda Guinn transferred $12,100 from a customer’s account to a bank account belonging to her landlord. The Stifel Nicolaus customer had no knowledge of and did not consent to the transfer of funds. In order to complete the transfer, Arhonda Guinn allegedly falsified her customer’s previously signed Letter of Authorization. FINRA found that Arhonda Guinn used the customer’s funds to pay six months of rent. Consequently, Arhonda Guinn, of Vero Beach, Florida, was barred from association with any FINRA member in any capacity.

Oct 14, 2014

Karen Lee Chafe Fined and Suspended by FINRA for Altering Variable Annuity Documents

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has fined and suspended Karen Lee Chafe, a former Berthel, Fisher & Co. Financial Services, Inc. (Berthel Fisher) registered representative in its Melbourne Beach, Florida offices, for admitting to altering customers’ variable annuity withdrawal forms and IRA distribution/withdrawal request forms. According to FINRA, Karen Chafe, a/k/a Karen Lee Linscott, modified and resubmitted withdrawal request forms at least 61 times on behalf of 14 customers. According to FINRA’s Default Judgment, Karen Chafe reused old customer forms, whited out or obscured existing information, added new information, and then submitted the altered forms as originals to Berthel Fisher over a period of six years. Although Karen Chafe was authorized to make the withdrawals and distributions, she did not have the customers’ authorization to submit altered forms. Karen Chafe has been assessed a deferred fine of $5,000.00 and suspended from associating with any FINRA member in any capacity for a year. The suspension is in effect from June 16, 2014 through June 15, 2015.

Dec 11, 2013

FINRA Bars Raymond James Broker Paul Arnold for Misappropriation

According to FINRA, Raymond James and Associates, Inc. (Raymond James) stockbroker Paul David Arnold (Arnold) misappropriated and misused funds of an 88-year-old customer. The regulator alleged that during the period May 2010 through April 2011 that Arnold, a stockbroker in Raymond James’ Largo, Florida office, had customers sign blank checks that Arnold later made payable to his own wife and son without the customer’s authorization. FINRA found that Arnold misappropriated and misused $173,600 in customers’ funds. Arnold did not contest the charges and failed to appear for testimony on two separate occasions. The customer received an arbitration award against Arnold and appears to have settled his claim against the broker-dealer. Arnold has been permanently barred from serving in any capacity in the securities industry.