Failure to Supervise

Scott Silver Discusses Newbridge Securities Settlement With FINRA

August 10, 2026 | Silver Law Group

$Silver Law Group founding attorney Scott Silver has been quoted in an article by Investment News after Boca Raton, Florida-based Newbridge Securities settled a claim with FINRA. The firm paid $105,000 for failing to supervise two brokers who, over a five-year period, excessively recommended the use of margins in five customer accounts. “This is another speeding ticket of the firm by FINRA, the cop, along with the other infractions of the firm’s history,” Scott said in the article. Newbridge Securities was fined $60,000 and paid restitution of $45,000, plus interest, and accepted the findings while neither confirming nor denying any of the accusations. In the order, FINRA stated: “From July 2015 through June 2020, Newbridge failed to reasonably supervise two registered representatives in one former branch office who recommended unsuitable margin use in five customer accounts. The customers were not experienced or sophisticated investors and did not understand the extent to which margin was used in their accounts, or the costs associated with the margin use.”$ Silver Law Group founding attorney Scott Silver has been quoted in an article by Investment News after Boca Raton, Florida-based Newbridge Securities settled a claim with FINRA. The firm paid $105,000 for failing to supervise two brokers who, over a five-year period, excessively recommended the use of margins in five customer accounts.

“This is another speeding ticket of the firm by FINRA, the cop, along with the other infractions of the firm’s history,” Scott said in the article. Continue reading ›

Joseph Stone Capital Supervisor Joseph Audia Suspended By FINRA

April 5, 2022 | Silver Law Group

Joseph Audia (Joseph Scott Audia CRD# 2909761) is a registered broker currently employed with VCS Venture Securities (CRD#: 127921) of Hauppauge, NY. His previous employers include Joseph Stone Capital (CRD#: 159744), First Midwest Securities, Inc. (CRD#:21786), and American Capital Partners, LLC (CRD#:119249), also of Hauppauge. He has been in the industry since 1997. Continue reading ›

FINRA Suspends Broker Anthony Graziano For Failure To Supervise

April 4, 2022 | Silver Law Group

Anthony Graziano (Anthony Joseph Graziano CRD# 2862096) is a broker currently registered with Joseph Stone Capital L.L.C. (CRD# 159744) of New York, NY. His previous employers include National Securities Corporation (CRD#:7569) of Westbury, NY, Brookstone Securities, Inc. (CRD#:13366, expelled by FINRA 10/9/2012) of Garden City, NY, and Salomon Whitney LLC (CRD#:145012) of Babylon Village, NY. He has been in the industry since 1997. Continue reading ›

Christopher Bice Of SagePoint Financial Subject Of 5 Disclosures For $1.75 Million

April 12, 2019 | Silver Law Group

Broker Christoper Bice is a broker employed by SagePoint Financial of Greensboro, NC. His publicly-available FINRA BrokerCheck report includes five disclosures, four customer disputes and one employment separation after allegations. Broker Christoper Bice (CRD#: 3222439) is a currently-registered broker employed by SagePoint Financial, Inc (CRD#: 133763) of Greensboro, NC. He has been in the industry since 1999.

Bice’s publicly-available FINRA BrokerCheck report includes five disclosures, four customer disputes and one employment separation after allegations. Continue reading ›

Did You Lose Money With Atlanta, Georgia Stockbroker Sean Kelly?

February 21, 2019 | Silver Law Group

On October 25, 2018, the SEC obtained a court order to halt the alleged fraudulent actions of a registered stock broker and his companies.

The complaint by the SEC states that Sean Kelly used his companies, Lion’s Share Financial of East Cobb, Inc., Lion’s Share and Associates, Inc., and Lion Share Tax Services, LLC, to raise $1 million from a variety of investors. There were 12 investors, which included retirees. Kelly promised he would invest their funds into different investment products, but his promise was a lie. Instead of investing their funds into private placements and real estate, he used it on his own personal expenses. He continued to steal their money after receiving a SEC subpoena, and didn’t show up to his scheduled testimony. He used their money to buy Super Bowl tickets, expensive vacations, and also for cash withdrawals. The SEC alleges that Kelly has engaged in this fraud scheme since 2014, when he was still affiliated with Capital Financial Services.

Kelly was a representative of Center Street Securities from August 2017 to October 2018. He worked with Capital Financial Services from August 2012 to August 2017 in Marietta, Georgia. His records show that he filed for bankruptcy twice, in 2009 and in 2014.

Scott Kaup

February 8, 2019 | Silver Law Group

Scott Vincent Kaup (CRD #1002907) is a registered broker and investment advisor currently employed with Summit Brokerage Services, Inc. (CRD #34643) of Stuart, NE. His previous employers include VSR Financial Services, Inc. (CRD #14503), also of Stuart, NE and American General Securities Incorporated (CRD #13626) of Phoenix, AZ. He has been in the business since 1981.

Lawrence-LaBine-Under-Fire-for-Alleged-Unsuitable-Recommendations-and-More-300x200 Kaup has two disclosures on his record. The first one, filed on 7/13/2018, alleges “unsuitable investment recommendations, material misrepresentations and omissions, and supervisory due diligence failures.” The client is requesting damages of $2,600,000.00. No additional information is available.

The second dispute was filed on 4/25/2016. This claim alleges that Kaup, from 3/30/2001 to 6/14/2010, breached his fiduciary duty, violated common law fraud regulations, made unsuitable recommendations for investments and committed negligence. The claim was settled for $173,000. Kaup denied all claims.

Silver Law Group Files FINRA Arbitration Claim Against Arete Wealth Management

February 5, 2019 | Silver Law Group

Silver Law Group filed a claim against Arete Wealth Management, LLC alleging Arete’s broker recommended numerous unsuitable non-traded REITs and leveraged ETNs and ETFs to our elderly client.

Are-or-Were-Unsuitable-Non-Traded-REITs-in-Your-Portfolio-300x224 According to the FINRA arbitration complaint, the elderly Claimant entrusted the entirety of her retirement portfolio to Arete Wealth Management and its broker. The broker proceeded to recommend the senior Claimant invest approximately half a million dollars in various illiquid, non-traded REITs. Among other non-traded REITs, the Arete Wealth Management broker recommended the Claimant invest in American Finance Trust, Hospitality Investors Trust, benefit Partners Realty Trust, and FS Energy and Power Fund, according to the FINRA arbitration complaint.

In addition to Arete Wealth Management’s unsuitable recommendations to invest in non-traded REITs, the Arete Wealth Management broker also invested the elderly Claimant’s brokerage account in risky investments such as leveraged ETFs and ETNs, according to the securities arbitration claim. These leveraged ETFs and ETNs are typically meant to be held for no more than one day. The FINRA arbitration complaint alleges the Arete Wealth Management broker held them for far longer than one day – in some cases months. Claimant, according to the securities arbitration claim, lost a significant amount of money in her Arete Wealth Management brokerage accounts.

Michael Nixon and Paulson Investment Company LLC

January 31, 2019 | Silver Law Group

Michael Patrick Nixon (CRD #216931) is a registered broker and investment advisor currently employed with Paulson Investment Company LLC (CRD #5670) of Tampa, Florida. His previous employers include Newport Coast Securities, Inc. (CRD #16944) and Meyers Associates, L.P. (CRD #34171), both of Leesburg, VA. Six of his previous employers have been expelled by FINRA, including Newport and Meyers. He has been in the industry since 1991.

Chestnut-Exploration-and-Mark-Plummer-Facing-Allegations-of-Securities-Fraud-With-Oil-Gas-Securities-300x225 Nixon has a total of four disclosures in his record, the most recent a customer dispute filed on 7/9/2018. The claimants allege that from 2013 to 2018, Nixon violated both the Florida Securities Act and the Virginia Securities Act. They also allege that he committed common law and securities fraud and breached his fiduciary duty, and completely misrepresented multiple unsuitable securities and investments. Additional allegations include failure to supervise on the part of the firm (Paulson Investment.) Claimants are requesting damages in the amount of $3,000,000. The case is currently pending.

His previous customer dispute was filed on 10/9/1998, which included allegations of “misrepresentation and deceit” in relation to a stock liquidation to meet a margin call. The client requested damages of $9,000, and was granted damages of $2,006.95. Nixon denied the allegations.

Sebastian Wyczawski Subject To Two Disclosures Totaling $350K

January 29, 2019 | Silver Law Group

Sebastian Wyczawski (CRD #2835135) is a registered broker currently employed with Joseph Stone Capital, LLC (CRD #159744) of Holbrook, NY. His previous employers include Cape Securities Inc. (CRD #7072), also of Holbrook,

Bahram-Mirhashemi-Facing-Allegations-of-Elder-Financial-Fraud-300x200 Liberty Partners Financial Services, LLC (CRD #130390) of Mount Pleasant, SC, and Milestone Financial Services, Inc. (CRD #43295) of Bohemia, NY. His first employer, Seaboard Securities, Inc. (CRD #755) of Florham Park, NJ, was expelled by FINRA in 2011. He has been in the industry since 1998.

Wyczawski has a total of three disclosures, all customer disputes. The most recent was filed on 7/18/2018, alleging “fraud; negligent misrepresentation; breach of fiduciary duty and breach of the covenants of good faith and fair dealing; negligent supervision; breach of conduct; Section 20 violations.” This customer is requesting damages in the amount of $100,000.00.

More Customer Complaints Against Sean Brady, Claims Of $12.5M In Damages

January 24, 2019 | Silver Law Group

In August, we told you about former broker Sean Brady (CRD #4365173) who was recently barred by FINRA and discharged by his employer, First Allied Securities, Inc. (CRD #32444) of St. Louis, MO.

Allegations-of-Sales-Practice-Violations-Cloud-Broker-Kenneth-Dlouhy-‘s-Record-300x200 Since our last report, eight more customer disputes were recently filed against Brady, between 6/28/2018 and 07/03/2018. All these cases are pending, and the total of requested damages is an eye-watering $12,575,730.49.

Like the previous disclosures, these clients allege that Brady used the same practices, including: