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Articles Posted in Stockbroker Misconduct

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Gianluca De Berardinis (CRD: 4893776) is a formerly registered broker last employed with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management (CRD# 149777) of New York, NY. He was previously employed briefly with Quad Capital, LLC (CRD# 148927), also of New York. He has been in the industry since 2012. De Berardinis failed to respond to FINRA’s requests for information. FINRA followed with letters of suspension and association, which became a permanent and indefinite bar from association with any FINRA member in all capacities on March 15, 2024. No additional information is available. De Berardinis voluntarily resigned from Morgan Stanley on 6/23/2023. Morgan Stanley alleges in the Form F5 that he was involved in both selling away and taking unauthorized withdrawals from a customer’s brokerage account. In his broker comment, De Berardinis stated that he left to open his own registered investment advisory firm.Gianluca De Berardinis (CRD: 4893776) is a formerly registered broker last employed with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management (CRD# 149777) of New York, NY. He was previously employed briefly with Quad Capital, LLC (CRD# 148927), also of New York. He has been in the industry since 2012. Continue reading ›

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Marion Adams III (Marion Strickler Adams CRD# 1392435, aka “Ma'on Adams”) is a previously registered broker and investment advisor whose last employer was The Jeffrey Matthews Financial Group, L.L.C. (CRD# 41282) of Mobile, AL. His prior employers were Raymond James & Associates, Inc. (CRD# 705) and Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. (CRD# 4161), also of Mobile. Adams has been in the industry since 1985. FINRA investigated after receiving the Form U5 sent in by Raymond James after they allowed Adams to voluntarily resign on 10/7/21. This followed allegations that Adams “may have misappropriated assets” from a client’s estate while previously acting as an executor for the estate. FINRA received the Form U5 on November 5, 2021, and sent a letter to Adams on December 22, 2023.Marion Adams III (Marion Strickler Adams CRD# 1392435, aka “Ma’on Adams”) is a previously registered broker and investment advisor whose last employer was The Jeffrey Matthews Financial Group, L.L.C. (CRD# 41282) of Mobile, AL. His prior employers were Raymond James & Associates, Inc. (CRD# 705) and Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. (CRD# 4161), also of Mobile. Adams has been in the industry since 1985. Continue reading ›

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Paul Trimber (Paul Francis Trimber CRD# 2765260) is a former broker and investment advisor last employed with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC (CRD# 19616) of Alexandria, VA. He was previously employed by Prudential Securities Incorporated (CRD# 7471) of New York, NY. He has been in the industry since 1996. Trimber was discharged by Wells Fargo on 2/21/2024 after “he admitted during review to making unauthorized transfers of client funds to recipients outside of the Firm.” No additional information is available from the firm.Paul Trimber (Paul Francis Trimber CRD# 2765260) is a former broker and investment advisor last employed with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC (CRD# 19616) of Alexandria, VA. He was previously employed by Prudential Securities Incorporated (CRD# 7471) of New York, NY. He has been in the industry since 1996.

Trimber was discharged by Wells Fargo on 2/21/2024 after “he admitted during review to making unauthorized transfers of client funds to recipients outside of the Firm.” No additional information is available from the firm. Continue reading ›

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Juan Sosa (Juan Carlos Sosa CRD# 4059846) is a former registered broker and investment advisor. His most recent employment was with Independent Financial Group, LLC (CRD# 7717) of Studio City, CA. His previous employers were Sagepoint Financial, Inc. (CRD# 133763), also of Studio City, Sunamerica Securities, Inc. (CRD# 20068) of Phoenix, AZ, and WM Financial Services, Inc. (CRD# 599) of Irvine, CA.  He has been in the industry since 2000. Sosa was “permitted to resign” from Sagepoint (now Osaic Services, Inc.) on 7/8/2022 when the firm discovered that he had been named contingent beneficiary and successor trustee to a client’s living trust document in their file. This violated Sagepoint’s policies and procedures. However, Sosa stated that he was unaware of these designations. The firm found no evidence that Sosa had acted as a trustee or received any benefit from the client's trust.Juan Sosa (Juan Carlos Sosa CRD# 4059846) is a former registered broker and investment advisor. His most recent employment was with Independent Financial Group, LLC (CRD# 7717) of Studio City, CA. His previous employers were Sagepoint Financial, Inc. (CRD# 133763), also of Studio City, Sunamerica Securities, Inc. (CRD# 20068) of Phoenix, AZ, and WM Financial Services, Inc. (CRD# 599) of Irvine, CA.  He has been in the industry since 2000. Continue reading ›

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According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for June 2024, 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
  Gerald Cocuzzo   Newbridge Securities Corporation
  IAA Financial LLC
  Kevin Hobbs   PFS Investments Inc.
  James Myers   NYLife Securities LLC
  Kenneth Schaefer   Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC
  Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated

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According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for June 2024, 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
  Shoaib Qureshi   J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
  First Republic Securities Company, LLC
  Annie Simons

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According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for June 2024, 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
  James Brown   American Independent Securities Group, LLC
  Edward Jones
  Chun Elmejjad   Equitable Advisors, LLC
  Sylviah Kemunto
  Jonathan Long   Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.
  Cetera Financial Specialists LLC
  Thomas Prieur   Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation
  Carlos Ramirez   Citizens Securities, Inc.
  Key Investment Services LLC
Shaquane Smith-Thompson   J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

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Michael Archimede (CRD# 5701306) is a former registered broker and investment advisor previously employed with PFS Investments Inc. (CRD# 10111) of Waukesha, WI  He has been in the industry since 2010. On 11/9/2023, a customer filed a dispute alleging that Archimede borrowed money and failed to repay the loan, requesting damages of $52,482.12. This claim is currently listed as “pending.” On 12/31/2023, PFS Investments terminated Archimede’s employment for failing to renew his securities licenses. However, during an internal review, Archimede admitted that he had borrowed money from a customer. On January 10, 2024, PFS updated the Form U5 filing to show that he was permitted to resign while under review for allegedly initiating a customer loan. FINRA initiated a review based on the Form U5 issued by PFS Investments following his separation from their employment.Michael Archimede (CRD# 5701306) is a former registered broker and investment advisor previously employed with PFS Investments Inc. (CRD# 10111) of Waukesha, WI  He has been in the industry since 2010.

On 11/9/2023, a customer filed a dispute alleging that Archimede borrowed money and failed to repay the loan, requesting damages of $52,482.12. This claim is currently listed as “pending.” Continue reading ›

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Joseph Beam (Joseph Farrell Beam CRD# 5407778) is a former registered broker and investment advisor last employed with Capital Investment Group, Inc. (CRD# 14752) of Flat Rock, NC. His previous employment was with Suntrust Investment Services, Inc. (CRD# 17499) of Hendersonville, NC.  No additional employment information is available. He began in the industry in 2007. Beam is the subject of six customer disputes filed from 7/19/2022 through 4/18/2024. Of the six, four are “pending” and two have been settled. All six include descriptions of unsuitable recommendations, breach of contract, failing to conduct due diligence, and breach of fiduciary duty, and other allegations. Each disclosure described recommendations for and purchases of GWG Holdings’ L-Bond products that ultimately led to losses.Joseph Beam (Joseph Farrell Beam CRD# 5407778) is a former registered broker and investment advisor last employed with Capital Investment Group, Inc. (CRD# 14752) of Flat Rock, NC. His previous employment was with Suntrust Investment Services, Inc. (CRD# 17499) of Hendersonville, NC.  No additional employment information is available. He began in the industry in 2007. Continue reading ›

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Silver Law Group’s founder, attorney Scott Silver, recently spoke with Investment News about two brokers who filed for bankruptcy after a FINRA arbitration awarded money to one of their former clients. "Another schlocky broker-dealer gets hit with an arbitration award and the owner and everyone else declare bankruptcy," Mr. Silver told Investment News. Mr. Silver is also representing another client whose account was churned by the same firm. The firm in question is E1 Asset Management (CRD# 46872) of Jersey City, NJ. In the arbitration, the client requested $4 million in damages. Three FINRA arbitrators awarded the client compensatory damages of $1.6 million, interest of $578,000, and legal fees of $420,000, for a total of $2,598,000.Silver Law Group’s founder, attorney Scott Silver, recently spoke with Investment News about two brokers who filed for bankruptcy after a FINRA arbitration awarded money to one of their former clients.

“Another schlocky broker-dealer gets hit with an arbitration award and the owner and everyone else declare bankruptcy,” Mr. Silver told Investment News. Mr. Silver is also representing another client whose account was churned by the same firm. Continue reading ›

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