Stockbroker Misconduct

Douglas Leone of Salomon Whitney LLC

January 14, 2019 | Silver Law Group

Douglas Leone (CRD #2453784) has been employed with Salomon Whitney Financial since March 2013. Previous employment includes Newport Coast Securities, Inc. from October 2008 to March 2013 and Basic Investors Inc. from August 2005 to October 2008.

Leon-Vaccarelli-Fined-and-Sanctioned-by-FINRA-300x199-1-300x199 Leone was barred from association with any FINRA member in all capacities. The sanctions were based on findings that Leone failed to attend an on-the-record interview during an investigation by FINRA. The findings stated that FINRA opened an investigation into Leone’s potential unsuitable recommendations and excessive trading in customer accounts. FINRA twice requested that Leone appear at an on-the-record interview to provide testimony.

The decision became final May 21, 2018.

John Galinsky of First Dominion Capital Corp.

January 14, 2019 | Silver Law Group

John Galinsky (CRD #1513926) has been employed with First Dominion Capital since November 2017. Previous employment includes National Securities Corporation from January 2012 to November 2017, Fintegra LLC from January 2010 to December 2011 and Advanced Equities from November 1999 to October 2009.

Leon-Vaccarelli-Fined-and-Sanctioned-by-FINRA-300x199-1-300x199 Galinsky was fined $7,500 and suspended from association with any FINRA member in all capacities for 10 business days. Without admitting or denying the findings, Galinsky consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that he sent emails to prospective and current investors that were not fair and balanced and did not provide a sound basis for evaluating the facts regarding a company involved in a private securities offering or the offering itself. The findings stated that on two occasions, Galinsky forwarded an email to a customer, which removed references to a patent infringement lawsuit that had recently been filed against the company involved in the offering. By doing so, Galinsky caused his email to be misleading, in that it appeared to forward the entire email that he had received when, in fact, it did not.

The suspension was in effect from May 21, 2018, through June 4, 2018.

David Krumrey of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc.

January 11, 2019 | Silver Law Group

David Krumrey (CRD #4121845) was employed by Oppenheimer & Co, Inc. from March 2009 through September 2017. Previous employment included Stanford Group Company from January to March 2009 and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. from March 2000 to Jan 2009.

Stephen-Grivas-Permanently-Barred-by-FINRA-300x210 Krumrey is barred from association with an FINRA member in any capacity. Respondent failed to request termination of his suspension within three months of the date of the Notice of Suspension; therefore, he is automatically barred from association with any FINRA member in any capacity.

Contact Our Firm if You’ve Invested with David Krumrey

Vicente Davila of Morgan Stanley

January 11, 2019 | Silver Law Group

Vicente Davila (CRD #4419824) was employed by Morgan Stanley from April 2016 through February 2018. Previous employment included Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. from November 2009 to May 2016 and Barclays Capital Inc. from April 2002 to September 2002.

Zachary-Bader-Suspended-After-Multiple-Allegations-of-Churning-300x232 Davila was suspended on April 27, 2018, from associating with any FINRA member firm in any capacity. If Davila fails to request termination of the suspension within three months of the date of the Notice of Suspension, he will automatically be barred on July 6, 2018, from association with any FINRA member in any capacity pursuant to FINRA Rule 9552 (h).

Contact Our Firm if You’ve Invested with Vicente Davila

Steven Pagartanis of Lombard Securities Incorporated

January 11, 2019 | Silver Law Group

Abern-Barred-by-FINRA-for-Failing-to-Cooperate-200x300 Steven Pagartanis (CRD #1958879) was employed by Lombard Securities Inc. from September 2017 through March 2018. Previous employment included Cadaretm Grant & Co, Inc. from September 2012 to March 2017 and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. from August 2011 to September 2012.

Pagartanis was barred from association with any FINRA member in all capacities. Without admitting or denying the findings, Pagartanis consented to the sanction and to the entry of findings that he refused to appear for FINRA on-the-record testimony in connection with an investigation of allegations that he made fraudulent misrepresentation to customers and misappropriated customers’ funds.

Contact Our Firm if You’ve Invested with Steven Pagartanis

Marc Korsch of Centaurus Financial, Inc.

January 11, 2019 | Silver Law Group

Marc Korsch (CRD #5525226) has been employed by Centaurus Financial, Inc. since February 2014. Korsch was registered with the following firms: Trustmont Financial Group, Inc. from March 2011 to March 2014, Capital Financial Services, Inc. from July 2010 to March 2011, Variable Investment Advisors, Inc. from April 2010 to July 2010 and Gradient Securities, LLC from July 2009 to April 2010.

Christopher Robert Hickman is Sanctioned by FINRA on elderfinancialfraudattorneys.com According to the FINRA BrokerCheck, there have been complaints against Marc Korsch.

In 2018, while employed by Centaurus Financial, Inc., Claimant alleges that recommendation of annuity switches are unsuitable and that the fees, surrender penalties/charges and annuity terms were not adequately discussed.

Broker John Cione Subject of $600K Customer Dispute

January 4, 2019 | Silver Law Group

John Michael Cione (CRD #1742561) is a registered broker and investment advisor currently employed with Independent Financial Group (CRD #7717) of San Diego, CA. His previous employers include Sentra Securities Corporation (CRD #10249) and Spelman & Co., Inc. (CRD #10232) both of Phoenix, AZ and Foresters Equity Services, Inc. (CRD #18464), also of San Diego. He has been in the industry since 1987.

FINRA Reports Brokers Nas Adel Allan and Gregory Anastos Made Unsuitable Recommendations on elderfinancialfraudattorneys.com One of Cione’s customers recently filed a dispute, alleging that from September 2007 and August 2016, he made unsuitable recommendations for investments that incurred financial losses and “lost opportunity.” For this claim, the client is asking for damages of $671,490.00. Cione denies the claim and intends to defend it.

Cione has one previous regulatory disclosure from 1990, issued by the National Association Of Securities Dealers, Inc. (predecessor to FINRA.) He was censured and fined $2,000. No additional information is available.

Ex-broker, Robert Basile, Pleads Guilty to Stealing $130,000 from his Elderly Mother

January 4, 2019 | Silver Law Group

South-Florida-Broker-Brian-Michael-Berger-Permanently-Barred-by-FINRA-300x200-300x200 The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. has barred former Waddell & Reed broker, Robert Lee Basile (CRD #2392772). He faces two years of probation after pleading guilty to embezzlement and theft from an elder.

Basile’s mother opened a brokerage account with Waddell and Reed in 2014, shortly after his son joined the firm. Basile served as the broker for the account, but between January 2015 and October 2017, he allegedly withdrew funds to keep for himself. He used them to pay for his own living expenses without her consent.

Police began an investigation after they received information about elder abuse from adult protective services. The report states that the abuse occurred in Boise, Idaho, where Basile’s mother resides.

FINRA Suspends Broker Jonathan Iraggi For Compliance Issue

December 31, 2018 | Silver Law Group

Jonathan William Iraggi (CRD #5857254) is a former registered broker whose last employer was National Securities Corporation (CRD #7569) of Morganville, NJ. His previous employers include Garden State Securities, Inc. (CRD #10083) of Red Bank, NJ, Spartan Capital Securities, LLC (CRD #146251) and Portfolio Advisors Alliance, Inc. (CRD #101680) of New York, NY. No current employment information is available. He has been in the industry since 2011.

David-Ledoux-Fined-and-Suspended-by-FINRA-After-Failing-to-Disclose-Liens-on-His-Registration-300x200 Iraggi is the subject of four disclosures, the most recent a disciplinary action by FINRA, as well as one employment discharge and two denied customer disputes. In the FINRA action, filed on 8/23/2018, Iraggi failed to notify his employer firm, Garden State Securities, that he had verbal authorization to exercise discretion in three customer accounts. Iraggi did not obtain written authorization from the clients, nor written authorization from the firm to service the accounts on a discretionary basis.

Later, when filling out an annual compliance questionnaire in December of 2016, Iraggi failed to disclose to the firm that he had exercised discretion with a customer’s account, answering “no” when he actually had. Iraggi was fined $5,000 and a 30-day suspension from any association with a FINRA member firm, consented to the findings and signed a letter of Acceptance, Waiver & Consent (AWC.)

Atul Makharia Customer Disputes Allege Unsuitability

December 28, 2018 | Silver Law Group

Atul Makharia (CRD #5070762) is a registered broker currently employed with Centaurus Financial, Inc. (CRD #30833) of Lexington, SC. Makharia’s previous employers are J.P. Turner & Company, L.L.C. (CRD #43177), Gunnallen Financial, Inc. (CRD #17609), and First Allied Securities, Inc. (CRD #32444), also of Lexington, SC. Makharia has been in the industry since 2006.

Broker-Ricardo-Broome-Permanently-Barred-From-FINRA-300x200-300x200 There are three disclosures in Makharia’s FINRA record. Two nearly identical customer disputes were filed on 11/8/018 and 10/15/2018. Both allege “unsuitability,” and one describes but doesn’t include “several other allegations associated therewith.” Makharia denies allegations in both disputes. Both disputes are currently pending.

A third customer dispute, filed on 1/31/2017 with the state of South Carolina, alleges that Makharia sold the customer a CD but failed to provide a prospectus. The client requested damages of $20,000. After an investigation provided the required information to the state, the claim was closed with no further actions.