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Articles Posted in Misappropriation

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Axos Clearing LLC (CRD# 117176/SEC# 8-53595) has been ordered to pay more than $40.7 million to over 100 claimants after ignoring the signs that the now-defunct Worden Capital Management LLC was misappropriating client funds prior to its expulsion from FINRA in 2021. In a FINRA arbitration hearing, Axos Clearing was found to have ignored Worden Capital’s use of investor monies as a “slush fund” while the company actively engaged in extensive churning, unauthorized trading, and unsuitable investment on behalf of its customers. As the clearinghouse that facilitated Worden’s finances, Axos ignored the red flags and “turned a blind eye” while Worden paid the firm millions in clearing and commission fees.Axos Clearing LLC (CRD# 117176/SEC# 8-53595) has been ordered to pay more than $40.7 million to over 100 claimants after ignoring the signs that the now-defunct Worden Capital Management LLC was misappropriating client funds prior to its expulsion from FINRA in 2021. Continue reading ›

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Timothy Jefferson (CRD# 5004750, aka Tim Jefferson, Timothy Fleming Jefferson) is a previously registered broker and investment advisor last employed with Aegis Capital Corp. (CRD# 15007) of Brentwood, TN. His previous employers include Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC (CRD# 6363) and Metlife Securities Inc. (CRD# 14251), of Franklin, TN, and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (CRD# 4095) of Fayetteville, TN. He has been in the industry since 2005. Ameriprise discharged Jefferson on 10/16/2023 for “impermissible use of account login credentials for one client, his spouse.” On 5/16/2024, his spouse filed a customer dispute alleging that her husband, also her advisor, had accessed her account and misappropriated funds from her accounts. This claim is currently pending.Timothy Jefferson (CRD# 5004750, aka Tim Jefferson, Timothy Fleming Jefferson) is a previously registered broker and investment advisor last employed with Aegis Capital Corp. (CRD# 15007) of Brentwood, TN. His previous employers include Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC (CRD# 6363) and Metlife Securities Inc. (CRD# 14251), of Franklin, TN, and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (CRD# 4095) of Fayetteville, TN. He has been in the industry since 2005. Continue reading ›

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Jermaine Benjamin (CRD# 6152653, Jermaine K Benjamin, Jermaine Kahlil Benjamin) is a former registered broker and investment advisor last employed by Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. (CRD# 6694) of St. Petersburg, FL, and Pruco Securities, LLC. (CRD# 5685) of Tampa, FL. He has been in the industry since 2013. Benjamin moved from Pruco Securities to Raymond James Financial Services in July of 2020, and filed its Uniform Termination Notice of Securities Industry Registration (Form U5) at that time.  This customer dispute was filed on 5/18/22 alleging “unauthorized transactions and misappropriation/defalcation.”  Although the claim was subsequently denied, it triggered an update to the Form U5 filed by Pruco, since Benjamin had already transferred his employment to Raymond James.Jermaine Benjamin (CRD# 6152653, Jermaine K Benjamin, Jermaine Kahlil Benjamin) is a former registered broker and investment advisor last employed by Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. (CRD# 6694) of St. Petersburg, FL, and Pruco Securities, LLC. (CRD# 5685) of Tampa, FL. He has been in the industry since 2013. Continue reading ›

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Fernando Silva (CRD# 7326519) is a former registered broker and investment advisor last employed with Morgan Stanley (CRD#:149777) of Tucson, AZ. His prior employer was Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC (CRD#:19616), also of Tucson. He has been in the business since 2021. Morgan Stanley terminated Silva’s employment on 9/8/2022 amid concerns that had had misappropriated client funds. The firm filed a Uniform Termination Notice for Securities Industry Registration (Form U5) on 9/23/2022 with the same allegation of misappropriation. Upon receipt of the Form U5 from Morgan Stanley, FINRA began an investigation based on the information provided. On 10/14/2022 and 11/1/2022, FINRA sent requests for information to Silva regarding the investigation into the Form U5 allegations. In an email correspondence on November 14, 2022, Silva stated for the record that he would at no time provide any of the requested information.Fernando Silva (CRD# 7326519) is a former registered broker and investment advisor last employed with Morgan Stanley (CRD#:149777) of Tucson, AZ. His prior employer was Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC (CRD#:19616), also of Tucson. He has been in the business since 2021. Continue reading ›

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Silver Law Group is investigating claims involving the AllianceBernstein Options Advantage Program, where investors were offered the opportunity to earn additional return on already-invested funds. The firm’s financial advisors allegedly sold this program as low risk and low volatility, but many investors suffered significant losses. Many investors claim they were told that they could earn an additional 1% to 2% return on assets they’d previously invested in the firm. The so-called “cash-free” option involved using margin to avoid having customers add additional funds to their account. The idea was that using margin would make it less risky to the investor. The existing stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or other investments became the collateral for borrowing on margin.Silver Law Group is investigating claims involving the AllianceBernstein Options Advantage Program, where investors were offered the opportunity to earn additional return on already-invested funds. The firm’s financial advisors allegedly sold this program as low risk and low volatility, but many investors suffered significant losses. Continue reading ›

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Patrick Thayer (Patrick Noel Thayer, CRD# 5735955) is a previously registered broker and investment advisor whose last known employer was LPL Financial LLC (CRD# 6413) of Lebanon, OH. His other employers were Parkland Securities, LLC (CRD#:115368), Sagepoint Financial, Inc. (CRD#:133763), and H.D. Vest Investment Services (CRD#13686), also of Lebanon.  He has been in the industry since 2010. Thayer’s first dispute was filed on 11/18/2022 by a client who alleged he misappropriated $45,250 from her account from 01/02/2019 through 9/28/2022. This claim is still pending as of this writing.Patrick Thayer (Patrick Noel Thayer, CRD# 5735955) is a previously registered broker and investment advisor whose last known employer was LPL Financial LLC (CRD# 6413) of Lebanon, OH. His other employers were Parkland Securities, LLC (CRD#:115368), Sagepoint Financial, Inc. (CRD#:133763), and H.D. Vest Investment Services (CRD#13686), also of Lebanon. He has been in the industry since 2010. Continue reading ›

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Philip Riposo (Philip Anthony Riposo CRD# 400056) is a former broker and investment advisor last registered with United Planners' Financial Services Of America A Limited Partner (CRD#:20804) of Cave Creek, AZ. Previous employers include Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc. (CRD#:10641) of New Bedford, MA, LPL Financial Corporation (CRD#:6413) of East Falmouth, MA, and Securities America, Inc. (CRD#:10205) of Lavista, NE. He has been in the industry since 1973. Philip Riposo was terminated from United Planners on 3/3/2022 after the firm discovered that he was accepting and depositing client checks made out to the name of his “Doing Business As” name (DBA), Riposo Asset Management. Additionally, Philip Riposo also created fictitious account statements and provided them to the clients from whom he received money for his DBA. The firm prohibits both activities. Upon investigation by United Planners, Riposo admitted to both, and was subsequently terminated. United Planners issued a Uniform Termination Notice of Securities Industry Registration (Form U5) on 3/8/2022, detailing the reasons for termination. FINRA began its own investigation on 3/9/2022, requesting that Riposo appear for on-the-record testimony via videoconference on two occasions. The first was 3/15/2022, in which Riposo failed to appear, as well as the second, 3/28/2022. Riposo failed to appear on both occasions, violating FINRA Rules 8210 and 2010.Philip Riposo (Philip Anthony Riposo CRD# 400056) is a former broker and investment advisor last registered with United Planners’ Financial Services Of America A Limited Partner (CRD#:20804) of Cave Creek, AZ. Previous employers include Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc. (CRD#:10641) of New Bedford, MA, LPL Financial Corporation (CRD#:6413) of East Falmouth, MA, and Securities America, Inc. (CRD#:10205) of Lavista, NE. He has been in the industry since 1973. Continue reading ›

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Jordan Whitacre (Jordan David Whitacre CRD# 5828900) is a former registered broker and investment advisor whose most recent employer was Arkadios Capital (CRD#:282710) of Anderson, SC. His previous employers were Triad Advisors LLC (CRD#:25803) and The Investment Center, Inc. (CRD#:17839), also of Anderson. He has been in the industry since 2011. Whitacre has three disclosures: two from his previous employers and one disciplinary action from FINRA. Wealth Management Advisors placed Whitacre on leave while the firm investigated allegations that he misdirected client funds for his own personal use. During this leave period, he became employed by Arkadios Capital. However, when Arkadios discovered the leave and the reasons behind it, they contacted Wealth Management Advisors and were notified of the “confirmatory findings from the internal review.” Both firms terminated Whitacre on 7/16/2021 based on these findings.Jordan Whitacre (Jordan David Whitacre CRD# 5828900) is a former registered broker and investment advisor whose most recent employer was Arkadios Capital (CRD#:282710) of Anderson, SC. His previous employers were Triad Advisors LLC (CRD#:25803) and The Investment Center, Inc. (CRD#:17839), also of Anderson. He has been in the industry since 2011. Continue reading ›

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Darryl Cohen (Darryl Matthew Cohen CRD# 2786613) is a former registered broker and investment advisor whose last known employer was Morgan Stanley (CRD#:149777) of Westlake Village, CA. His previous employers were Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC (CRD#:19616), also of Westlake Village, and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (CRD#:7691) of New York, NY. He has been in the industry since 1997. After a spate of customer disputes with similar allegations, Morgan Stanley terminated Cohen’s employment on 3/9/21. The reason was due to “Allegations relating to the representative's facilitation of outside client business and transactions not disclosed to or approved by Morgan Stanley and use of an unapproved platform to engage in inappropriate communications with clients.”Darryl Cohen (Darryl Matthew Cohen CRD# 2786613) is a former registered broker and investment advisor whose last known employer was Morgan Stanley (CRD#:149777) of Westlake Village, CA. His previous employers were Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC (CRD#:19616), also of Westlake Village, and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (CRD#:7691) of New York, NY. He has been in the industry since 1997. Continue reading ›

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Anthony DiDonna (Anthony Vincent DiDonna CRD# 7283414) is a former registered broker last employed with Equitable Advisors, LLC (CRD#:6627) of Woodbury, NY. He began working in the industry with Equitable in 2020, and has no other employers of record. Equitable Advisors terminated DiDonna’s employment on 4/27/2021 for “unauthorized transactions and misappropriation of client funds.” On 4/28/2021, a customer filed a dispute indicating that they “did not authorize transfers from their accounts to fund new investments that were unauthorized.” They also indicated that a signature on their account opening documents were “forged.” This claim is currently listed as “pending.” No additional information is available. FINRA’s investigation began on 12/14/2021, and DiDonna failed to provide documents and information as requested. Therefore, he was barred indefinitely and permanently by FINRA from association with any member, effective 3/17/2022.Anthony DiDonna (Anthony Vincent DiDonna CRD# 7283414) is a former registered broker last employed with Equitable Advisors, LLC (CRD#:6627) of Woodbury, NY. He began working in the industry with Equitable in 2020, and has no other employers of record. Continue reading ›

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