Stockbrokers In The News - Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce

Nov 2, 2015

Patrick Garrett Barred by FINRA for Misrepresenting Customer Account Value

Patrick Landon Garrett, a former Registered Representative with the Nashville, Tennessee branch of Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc., 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) sanctions and findings that he intentionally and knowingly misrepresented his customer’s account value and attempted to make the customer whole by misusing other customers’ funds. According to FINRA, Patrick Garrett, of Franklin, Tennessee, misrepresented his customer’s account value by approximately $200,000 in order to conceal the decreased value of her investments. Mr. Garrett allegedly told his customer that her printed and online statements were not accurate due to settlement date issues, which was false. Additionally, FINRA found that Mr. Garrett attempted to make the customer whole by misusing other customers’ funds to buy the initial public offering (IPO) shares in the first customer’s account, resulting in investment losses of over $34,000 to the other customers. Consequently, Patrick Garrett was permanently barred from association with any FINRA member in any capacity.

Oct 30, 2015

Louis Tinoco Permanently Barred by FINRA for Falsifying Account Summaries to Hide Losses

Louis Anthony Tinoco Jr., a former Registered Representative with Miami, Florida-based Barclay’s Capital Inc. (Barclay’s), 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) sanctions and findings that he provided a false account summary to his customer in order to conceal the losses incurred due to his trading activity. According to FINRA, Louis Tinoco provided his customer with a chart that supposedly reflected the monthly value of the customer’s Barclay’s account. The chart, prepared by Mr. Tinoco, overstated the actual value of the customer’s account by more than $200,000. Additionally, Mr. Tinoco failed to respond to FINRA’s request to appear and provide testimony in connection with their investigation, which is a violation of FINRA Rule 8210. Louis Tinoco, of Miami Beach, Florida, was permanently barred from association with any FINRA member in any capacity.

Oct 27, 2015

Allstate Financial Broker Fined and Suspended for Soliciting Private Securities Investments

Mark Brian Quimby, a former registered representative with Allstate Financial Services, LLC (Allstate Financial), 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 solicited two customers to invest in private securities transactions without the necessary firm approval. FINRA found that Mark Quimby, of Palm Harbor, Florida, recommended that two firm customers invest in TES, a security formed to invest in alternative investments and managed by Mr. Quimby’s wife. The two customers invested $20,000 and $39,725 in TES for which they received an equity interest and pro rata shares of any profits.

Oct 21, 2015

Park Avenue Securities Broker Suspended for Equity-Indexed Annuity Sales

Robert Michael Diehl, a former broker with Murphysboro, Illinois based Park Avenue Securities LLC, submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (AWC) in which the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) found that he sold equity-indexed annuities (EIAs) to his firm’s customers but failed to properly notify the firm of the sales. FINRA found that rather than having the customers complete the appropriate applications and submitting them to his member firm, Robert Diehl submitted the applications directly to the issuer of the EIAs. In doing so, Mr. Diehl bypassed the supervisory review and approval of the sales of the EIAs. FINRA’s findings state that Mr. Diehl neglected to disclose to Park Avenue Securities that he made the sales, for which he received approximately $55,500 in commissions by the EIA issuer without receiving permission for the sales from Park Avenue.

Oct 16, 2015

Former J.P. Morgan Broker Barred by FINRA Amidst Allegations of Converting $20 Million of Customer Funds

Michael Jeffrey Oppenheim of Livingston, New Jersey, submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent (AWC) to the Department of Enforcement of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for failing to provide documents and information and an on-the-record testimony in connection with allegations that he may have converted approximately $20 million of customer funds, altered customer documents, and created false account statements. FINRA began an investigation into Michael Oppenheim’s termination from his member firm, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (J.P. Morgan), as well as allegations that he may have converted nearly $20 million of customer funds between March 2011 and March 2015. FINRA was also investigating the alleged altering of customer documents and creation of false account statements by Mr. Oppenheim.

Oct 14, 2015

Former Morgan Stanley and UBS Financial Broker Barred by FINRA for Financial Abuse of an Elderly Customer

Former Morgan Stanley Smith Barney (Morgan Stanley) and UBS Financial Services, Inc. (UBS) broker John Anthony Waszolek, of Scottsdale, Arizona, submitted an Offer of Settlement in which he consented to, but did not admit to or deny, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) findings that he took unfair financial advantage of an 81-year-old customer who had twice been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and suffered from dementia and memory loss. According to FINRA, John Waszolek (Waszolek) was informed by an estate planning attorney that she would not amend the elderly client’s trust to make Waszolek a beneficiary because it had been determined that the client lacked sufficient testamentary capacity. However, through a separate attorney, Maszolek gained appointment as successor trustee and residual beneficiary of the client’s trust. Upon the elderly client’s death, FINRA found that Waszolek attempted to inherit more than $1.8 million from the estate.

Oct 12, 2015

Former Wunderlich Securities Representative Suspended for Unauthorized Securities Transactions

Joseph Charles Schroeder, a former broker with the Plano, Texas branch of Wunderlich Securities, Inc. (Wunderlich Securities), 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 participated in private securities transactions without the necessary written approval from the FINRA member firm. FINRA found that Mr. Schroeder recommended and sold $300,000 of convertible promissory notes in Titan Energy to several investors, 12 of whom were firm customers. Mr. Schroeder recommended these notes to investors and wired the funds from their Wunderlich Securities accounts to Titan Energy. He then allegedly received compensation from Titan Energy for the sales. Mr. Schroeder neglected to give prior written notice or to obtain prior written approval from Wunderlich Securities to engage in these private securities transactions

Oct 9, 2015

Fort Myers, Florida Raymond James Representative Barred

Mark Bullivant of Fort Myers, Florida submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent (AWC) to the Department of Enforcement of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority for allegedly failing to provide information and an on-the-record testimony in connection to an ongoing FINRA investigation. Bullivant entered the securities industry in 2001 when he became associated with a FINRA member firm. Between April 2012 and December 2013, Bullivant was associated with Raymond James and Associates, Inc. (Raymond James) as a General Securities Representative.

Oct 7, 2015

Boca Raton Florida Morgan Stanley Representative Fined and Suspended

Ronald Cohen of Boca Raton, Florida submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent (AWC) to the Department of Enforcement of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for allegedly engaging in outside business activities without providing prior written notice to his firm. Cohen entered the securities industry in July 1992. Between 2009 through September 2014, Cohen was a General Securities Representative with Morgan Stanley. Cohen voluntarily left Morgan Stanley in September 2014 while under investigation for failing to disclose outside business arrangements.

Oct 2, 2015

Raymond James Sunny Isles Beach, Florida Associate Suspended

The Department of Enforcement of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) submitted a complaint against Mayumy Stevenson of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida for allegedly falsifying an email causing her firm to maintain inaccurate books and records. Stevenson entered the securities industry in September 2012. On February 13, 2013, Stevenson’s employment was transferred to Raymond James & Associates (Raymond James) who had acquired her previous firm. Stevenson worked as a sales assistant and remained with the firm until her termination on October 8, 2014.