Elder Fraud

Silver Law Group is Investigating John Greg Schmidt of Stifel Nicolaus & Company, Inc. and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network LLC

May 17, 2018 | Silver Law Group

New-York-Broker-Gregory-Flemming-Suspended-by-FINRA-300x200 Silver Law Group is currently investigating Dayton, Ohio based broker John Greg Schmidt regarding complaints pertaining to theft of client funds and elder financial abuse.

Based on FINRA’s BrokerCheck report on Schmidt, a complaint was filed on October 9, 2007 alleging that Schmidt caused an investor client upwards of $500,000 worth of damages due to failing to provide due diligence and theft during his employment at Stifel Nicolaus & Company, Inc. and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network LLC. The claim was settled for damages of $80,000 in which Schmidt was required to pay $32,500, Wells Fargo was required to pay $32,500, and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc. was required to pay $15,000. Additionally, a second claim was filed on 12/04/2017 that is still pending regarding an allegation of theft of client funds. As a result of the second claim, Schmidt was given a permanent suspension from the securities industry.

Schmidt was previously employed at Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc. from 2002 to 2006 and Wachovia Securities Financial Network LLC. from 2006 to 2009 until they merged with Wells Fargo. He was employed at Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network LLC from 2009 to 2017. According to BrokerCheck, several recently filed arbitration claims allege Schmidt misappropriated or absconded with customer money.

Silver Law Group is Investigating Sonya D. Camarco of LPL Financial LLC

May 15, 2018 | Silver Law Group

Silver Law Group is currently investigating Colorado Springs, CO based broker Sonya D. Camarco regarding complaints pertaining to failure to provide due diligence to investor clients, misappropriation of client funds, and misrepresentation.

Bahram-Mirhashemi-Facing-Allegations-of-Elder-Financial-Fraud-300x200 Based on FINRA’s BrokerCheck report on Camarco, a complaint was filed on August 23, 2017 alleging that Camarco since approximately 2004 has misappropriated more than $2.8 million in investor funds from her clients and customers while employed at LPL Financial LLC by using her wholly owned company Camarco Investments, Inc. to funnel investor funds to her personal bank account. The complaint, commenced on August 23, 2017, is still pending; however, the damages are expected to be substantial. As a result of the complaint filed, clients have filed subsequent complaints dated on 12/05/2017 in the amount of $19,436.43 in damages for securities fraud and theft, 10/11/2017 in the amount of $12,664.75 in damages for securities fraud and theft, and on 10/20/2017 alleging damages of $52,234.20 that is still pending for breach of fiduciary duty with respect to an elderly individual, conversion, and fraud. As a result of these claims and additional pending actions, Camarco has received a permanent suspension from the securities industry.

Camarco has been employed at Linsco/Private Ledger Corp. from 2004 to the present. Previously, Camarco was employed at LPL Financial LLC from 2004 to 2017, Morgan Stanley DW Inc. from 2000 to 2004, and Merrill Lynch Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated from 1993 to 2000.

Silver Law Group is Investigating Cornelius Peterson of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

May 15, 2018 | Silver Law Group

Silver Law Group is currently investigating Boston, MA and New York, NY based broker Cornelius Peterson regarding complaints pertaining to failure to provide due diligence to investor clients, misappropriation of client funds and misrepresentation.

Based on FINRA’s BrokerCheck report on Peterson, a complaint was filed on September 1, 2017 alleging that Peterson provided misleading information to investor clients during his employment at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. In 2016, Peterson and his colleague James S. Polese were both charged with allegations relating to stealing upwards of $450,000 from one of their elderly clients. The allegations include misappropriating at least $350,000 of client’s funds by using $100,000 of the funds to make investments in their own names and directing the remaining $250,000 to their own personal bank accounts. In addition, several unauthorized withdrawals from the client’s account were made that totaled $93,000. Thus far, Peterson has a permanent suspension and the current charge is still pending.

Peterson was previously employed at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney from 2011 to 2017 and St. Lawrence University from 2007 to 2011.

Silver Law Group is Investigating James S. Polese of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

May 14, 2018 | Silver Law Group

South-Florida-Broker-Giovanni-Acevedo-Accused-of-Converting-Funds-and-Providing-False-Information-to-FINRA-300x198-300x198 Silver Law Group is currently investigating Boston, MA and New York, NY based broker James S. Polese regarding complaints pertaining to failure to provide due diligence to investor clients, misrepresentation regarding client fees and security of investments, and misappropriation of client funds.

Based on FINRA’s BrokerCheck report on Polese, a complaint was filed on January 31, 2018 alleging that Polese provided misleading information to investor clients during his employment at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. In 2016, Polese and his colleague Cornelius Peterson stole nearly $450,000 from one elderly client by misappropriating $350,000 of the client’s funds and using $100,000 of those funds to make investments in his own name and then directly taking the remaining $250,000 to his own personal bank account. In addition, Polese withdrew in excess of $93,000 of unauthorized withdrawals from the client’s account to pay his credit card expenses and children’s college tuition. The total in damages is yet to be decided as one of the actions is still pending.

Polese was previously employed at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney from 2010 to 2017. He has been employed at UBS Financial Services from 2004 to 2010.

Silver Law Group is Investigating Melvin Case of LPL Financial

May 1, 2018 | Silver Law Group

Melvin Case (CRD# 2393464) has been with LPL Financial in Jacksonville, Florida since 2008. In 2017, he was discharged from the firm in relation to a 2016 felony criminal charge in Duval County Circuit Court. Case pled guilty to exploitation of an aged adult and was sentenced to two years of probation. According to LPL Financial, Case was converting this elderly individual’s funds for his own personal benefit. This guilty plea also led FINRA to bring a regulatory action against Case in January 2018. FINRA found that Case failed to timely disclose his felony charge and guilty plea to the agency; he was suspended for six months and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.

Case has also been the subject of several customer disputes. In 2017, one of Case’s customers brought a claim alleging Case made misrepresentations and poor recommendations in connection with the customer’s purchase of variable annuities. In another dispute from 2004, a Claimant similarly alleged that Pruco Securities (Case’s former employer) and Case made unsuitable recommendations and misrepresentations in connection with insurance products purchased by the Claimant. That case settled for $100,000, with Case responsible for paying two-thirds of the settlement.

FINRA requires its members to “have a reasonable basis to believe that a recommended transaction or investment strategy” is suitable for a customer given their individual needs. FINRA also requires that its members refrain from engaging in fraudulent or deceptive practices with their customers.

Silver Law Group is Investigating Thomas Lawrence of Ameritas Investment Corp.

March 2, 2018 | Silver Law Group

Silver Law Group is investigating financial advisor Thomas Lawrence of Chapel Hill, Tennessee. FINRA recently brought a regulatory complaint against Lawrence regarding allegations that he borrowed $39,000 from an elderly customer, in violation of FINRA rules and he has failed to repay the loan.

Thomas Lawrence was a financial advisor and registered representative of Ameritas Investment Corp. from 2006 to December 2016. He worked at a branch office in Chapel Hill, Tennessee. He also works with the Lawrence Financial Group.

Contact Our Firm if You’ve Invested with Thomas Lawrence

Silver Law Group Files FINRA Arbitration Claim Alleging Excessive use of Margin, High Commissions and Elder Financial Fraud on behalf of an Unsophisticated Retiree

February 7, 2018 | Silver Law Group

Silver Law Group, a law firm specializing in securities and investment fraud, has filed a securities arbitration claim with FINRA on behalf of an elderly investor alleging stockbroker misconduct and the unsuitable use of margin and excessive trading.

FINRA recently issued investor guidance highlighting “Purchasing on Margin, Risks Involved with Trading in a Margin Account.” FINRA describes the risks including the following:

You can lose more funds than you deposit in the margin account;

California-based Hilltop Securities Broker Justin Parker Under Investigation Following a Customer Compliant Alleging Unsuitable Investment Recommendations and Elder Abuse

January 9, 2018 | Silver Law Group

Justin W Parker

CRD#1307813

Silver Law Group is investigating Del Mar, California-based Hilltop broker Justin Parker following a customer complaint alleging unsuitable investment recommendations, churning and elder abuse.

Silver Law Group Investigates Barry Kornfeld and First Financial Tax Group for the Sale of Woodbridge Products to Retirees

December 4, 2017 | Silver Law Group

Silver Law Group is investigating claims related to Barry Kornfeld and First Financial Tax Group for the sale of investment products issued by the Woodbridge Group of Companies as safe alternatives for income seeking retirees.

Barry Kornfeld (“Kornfeld”) is the owner of First Financial Tax Group in Boca Raton, FL and teaches Baby Boomer Retirement Courses at Florida Atlantic University. Kornfeld is alleged to have sold short-term mortgage notes issued by the Woodbridge Group of Companies (“Woodbridge”) to retirees seeking safe, conservative, income alternatives. Barry Kornfeld was barred in July 2010 by both the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) from acting as a broker or investment adviser or otherwise associating with firms that sell securities or provide investment advice to the public.

Woodbridge is currently the subject of a SEC probe for the possible fraudulent sale of securities to investors. Woodbridge filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy today citing costs of expansion, litigation, and a government fraud investigation as the reason. According to Woodbridge Wealth’s website, Woodbridge offers First Position Commercial Mortgages, Secondary Market Annuities and a Commercial Bridge Loan Fund. Woodbridge has reportedly raised approximately 1 billion dollars from investors around the country through agents such as Barry Kornfeld and First Financial Tax Group.

Federal Employee Benefit Counselors Targeted Federal Government Employee Retirement Plan Participants With Variable Annuities Scheme.

August 2, 2017 | Silver Law Group

Silver Law Group and The Law Firm of David Chase are reviewing potential claims of fraudulent inducement of federal employees into purchasing high fee paying variable annuity products by LPL Financial LLC (CRD#6413) affiliated brokers Brandon Long (CRD# 5975459) , Christopher S Laws (CRD#4479529) , Johnathan Dax Cooke (CRD#5365691) and Danny Scott Hood (CRD#3236852).

Variable annuities (“VAs”) are highly-complex financial products. According to FINRA, a good way to think of a VA is as a cross between an insurance product and an investment product.

Like other annuities, a VA is a contract between the investor and an insurance company. The investor pays the insurer a single payment or a series of payments called premiums. In exchange for those premiums, the insurer promises to make periodic payments to you either immediately or at some point in the future.