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Articles Posted in Stockbroker Misconduct

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Christopher Bond (Christopher Edward Bond CRD# 4658534) is a registered broker and investment advisor currently employed with National Securities Corporation (CRD#: 7569) of Melville, NY. He was previously employed with Gunnallen Financial, Inc (CRD#:17609) of Tampa, FL and Ehrenkrantz King Nussbaum, Inc. (CRD#:113525, expelled by FINRA on 10/12/2012) of Melville, NY.  He has been in the industry since 2003. In a FINRA disciplinary action, Bond was discovered to have exercised discretions in four NSC customer brokerage accounts on 288 occasions without written authorization. While he did have their verbal permission, he also needed this permission in writing, in accordance with FINRA Rules 3260(b) and 2010.Christopher Bond (Christopher Edward Bond CRD# 4658534) is a registered broker and investment advisor currently employed with National Securities Corporation (CRD#: 7569) of Melville, NY. He was previously employed with Gunnallen Financial, Inc (CRD#:17609) of Tampa, FL and Ehrenkrantz King Nussbaum, Inc. (CRD#:113525, expelled by FINRA on 10/12/2012) of Melville, NY.  He has been in the industry since 2003. 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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According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for April 2022, the following individuals were suspended from FINRA for failing to comply with a FINRA arbitration award or settlement agreement pursuant to FINRA rules:

NAME FORMER EMPLOYERS
  Mamdoh Abas   Cetera Advisor Networks LLC
  ProEquities, Inc.
  John Agostino   LPL Financial LLC
  Wells Fargo Advisors LLC
  Adam Schachter   PM Wealth Management LLC
  LPL Financial LLC

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According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for April 2022, the following individuals were barred from FINRA and cannot currently work for a FINRA brokerage firm for failing to provide FINRA with information it requested or to keep information current with FINRA pursuant to FINRA rules:

NAME FORMER EMPLOYERS
  Antonio Bestard   Edward Jones
  Morgan Stanley
  Kevin Burckhard   Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC
  Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc
  Darryl Cohen   Morgan Stanley
  Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
  Odalis Duran   J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
  Chase Investment Services Corp.
  Thomas Hagan   Morgan Stanley
  Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
  Forrest Jones   Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
  Fortune Financial Services, Inc.
  Evan Jordan   J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
  AXA Advisors, LLC
  Bryan Richey   Eagle Strategies LLC
  NYLife Securities LLC
  Ebony Staples
  Jordan Whitacre   Arkadios Capital
  Triad Advisors LLC

Continue reading ›

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According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for April 2022, the following individuals were suspended from FINRA and cannot currently work for a FINRA brokerage firm for failing to provide FINRA with information it requested or to keep information current with FINRA pursuant to FINRA rules. However, these individuals remain bound by the securities arbitration agreement to arbitrate any disputes between themselves and their former customers:

NAME FORMER EMPLOYERS
  Kyleigh Haynes   Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC
  Grant Hebeisen   U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.
  Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
  Carl Ippolito   Pruco Securities, LLC
  Eagleview Securities, Inc.
  Jaime Quintero   American Independent Securities Group, LLC
  AFA Financial Group, LLC
  J-waun Smiley   Morgan Stanley
  Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
  Albert Tejada   Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC

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Warren Rowe (Warren Ellwood Rowe, Jr. CRD# 1065880) is a former registered broker whose last known employer was Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (CRD#:249) of Richmond, VA. His previous employers include RBC Capital Markets, LLC (CRD#:31194) and Ferris, Baker Watts, LLC (CRD#:285), also of Richmond, and Wachovia Securities, LLC (CRD#:19616) of St. Louis, MO. He has been in the industry since 1982. Two clients filed disputes against Rowe that indicated he borrowed money from them. The first, filed on 5/1/2020, included allegations of unauthorized trading and requested damages of $225,000 and was ultimately dismissed. The second dispute was filed on 10/5/2020, and included damages of $25,000, and was ultimately denied. The loans were allegedly made in August and September of 2019. After the initial report that Rowe entered into a loan agreement with a client, he voluntarily resigned from Oppenheimer. The firm filed his Form U5 on 5/4/2020. The U5 stated that he entered into loan agreements with a client and failed to notify the firm of the transaction.Warren Rowe (Warren Ellwood Rowe, Jr. CRD# 1065880) is a former registered broker whose last known employer was Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (CRD#:249) of Richmond, VA. His previous employers include RBC Capital Markets, LLC (CRD#:31194) and Ferris, Baker Watts, LLC (CRD#:285), also of Richmond, and Wachovia Securities, LLC (CRD#:19616) of St. Louis, MO. He has been in the industry since 1982. Continue reading ›

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Joshua Nicholas (Joshua David Nicholas CRD# 6529944) is a former registered broker and investment adviser whose last known employer was Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (CRD#:7691) of Stuart, FL. Nichols previously worked for Midtown Partners of Chicago, IL, which was expelled by FINRA on 3/13/2020. He has been in the industry since. 2016. Merrill Lynch terminated Nicholas’ is employment on 7/29/20 after his voluntary resignation. It was alleged that Nicholas forged a client document. The firm filed an amended Form U5 on August 14, 2020, which included information about his outside business activities (OBA), along with the arbitration with two customers that included selling away, unsuitable investment recommendations and omission of material facts. Less than two weeks later, on 8/10/2020, a customer dispute was filed by trustees, who listed the above allegations in February of 2020. This dispute was settled for $275,000.Joshua Nicholas (Joshua David Nicholas CRD# 6529944) is a former registered broker and investment adviser whose last known employer was Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (CRD#:7691) of Stuart, FL. Nichols previously worked for Midtown Partners of Chicago, IL, which was expelled by FINRA on 3/13/2020. He has been in the industry since. 2016. Continue reading ›

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Dennis Ayre (Dennis Phillip Ayre CRD# 5365176) is a former registered broker and investment advisor whose last employer was Hilltop Securities Inc. (CRD#:6220) of Beverly Hills, CA. His previous employers include Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (CRD#:249) of Los Angeles, CA, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner, & Smith Incorporated (CRD#:7691) of Beverly Hills, Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC (CRD#:19616) and First Republic Securities Company, LLC (CRD#:105108) also of Los Angeles.  He has been in the industry since 2008. Ayre has a total of 15 disclosures dating back to 2019. The most recently dated disclosure, 1/28/2022, is a FINRA disciplinary action that led to his permanent bar from any activity or affiliation with all FINRA broker-members. After two requests by FINRA staff to appear in on-the-record testimony, FINRA issued a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver & Consent (AWC.) Ayre signed the letter on January 14, 2022, and FINRA’s principal counsel signed it January 28, 2022. The matter came about after Hilltop Securities filed a Uniform Termination Notice of Security Industry Registration, the Form U5, on July 26, 2020. The cause of his termination was listed as “lack of production.” Following his termination, FINRA began its investigation into Ayre’s sales practices after 14 customer disputes were filed beginning on 10/1/2019.Dennis Ayre (Dennis Phillip Ayre CRD# 5365176) is a former registered broker and investment advisor whose last employer was Hilltop Securities Inc. (CRD#:6220) of Beverly Hills, CA. His previous employers include Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (CRD#:249) of Los Angeles, CA, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner, & Smith Incorporated (CRD#:7691) of Beverly Hills, Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC (CRD#:19616) and First Republic Securities Company, LLC (CRD#:105108) also of Los Angeles. He has been in the industry since 2008. Continue reading ›

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Michael Knittel (Michael Murray Knittel CRD# 3274235) is a currently registered broker and investment advisor whose last known employer is Fortune Financial Services, Inc. (CRD#:42150) of El Dorado Hills, CA. His previous employers include J.W. Cole Financial, Inc. (CRD#:124583) and Financial Advisers Of America, LLC (CRD#:142170), both of Folsom, CA, and RBC Capital Markets, LLC (CRD#:31194), also of El Dorado Hills. He has been in the industry since 1999. Knittel engaged in a private security transaction which was specifically prohibited by his firm, Fortune Financial Services. The transaction involved recommending an investment in a promissory note to four individuals who were not customers of FFS. The note was issued by an LLC to fund remodeling a residential property and to pay an existing lien on that property. When the remodeling was completed and the property sold, the investors would be repaid their principal investment and receive a portion of the profits from the eventual sale. After the investors were introduced to one of the LLC owners and the transaction completed, Knittel received a payment of $10,000 from the LLC. Knittel never provided FFS with written notification of his involvement in the transaction, nor did he receive any written notice from the firm.Michael Knittel (Michael Murray Knittel CRD# 3274235) is a currently registered broker and investment advisor whose last known employer is Fortune Financial Services, Inc. (CRD#:42150) of El Dorado Hills, CA. His previous employers include J.W. Cole Financial, Inc. (CRD#:124583) and Financial Advisers Of America, LLC (CRD#:142170), both of Folsom, CA, and RBC Capital Markets, LLC (CRD#:31194), also of El Dorado Hills. He has been in the industry since 1999. Continue reading ›

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