Securities Arbitration Lawyers Blog

FINRA Suspends IFS Broker James Flynn

August 31, 2018 | Silver Law Group

Abern-Barred-by-FINRA-for-Failing-to-Cooperate-200x300 James Travis Flynn (CRD #3082615) is a former registered broker and investment advisor who has been suspended by FINRA after he failed to respond to a request for information. Flynn’s suspension is effective 6/25/2018, and unless he complies with the requests for information, he will be automatically barred on 9/4/2018. He is prohibited from associating with any FINRA member in any capacity.

Flynn was last registered with IFS Securities (CRD #40375) of Greenville, SC, until 2/20/2018. There are 18 disclosures of varying types in his record, including judgments, a bankruptcy, and two employment discharges. The first, from IFS Securities, came after allegations of “trading ahead of authorization.” The second, on 2/10/2017, was by Voya Financial Advisors, Inc., (CRD#:2882) after allegations that Flynn “provided misleading information to the Firm during a complaint investigation.”

Although Flynn is barred from association with any FINRA company, he is still under FINRA’s jurisdiction, and FINRA can still conduct arbitration.

Silver Law Group has filed a FINRA Arbitration Against MetLife Securities / MSI Financial Services and ELE Wealth Advisors Concerning Selling Away Claims

August 31, 2018 | Silver Law Group

Silver Law Group has filed a FINRA arbitration claim against MetLife Securities / MSI Financial Services (“MetLife”), ELE Wealth Advisors and their former broker, Gail Milon (CRD# 1766745) after Milon sold an investment in Tallahassee, Florida-based Cambridge Capital Group LLC.

The statement of claim alleges the Claimant had invested with Milon for over a decade. In or around 2017, Milon induced her to invest in Cambridge Capital Group. The investment was supposed to be a short-term, real estate investment.

Milon became involved with Cambridge Capital Group, a company affiliated with Phillip “Tim” Howard of Howard & Associates. Cambridge Capital Group is affiliated with numerous other companies, including but not limited to Cambridge Capital Advisors; Cambridge Capital Wealth Advisors L.L.C.; Cambridge Capital Insurance Agency LLC; Cambridge Capital Funding, Inc.; Cambridge Sports and Entertainment, LLC; and Cambridge Graduate University, Inc. (collectively “Cambridge Capital”).

Bradley Tennison Discharged and Barred By FINRA After Selling Away Allegations

August 29, 2018 | Silver Law Group

South-Florida-Broker-Brian-Michael-Berger-Permanently-Barred-by-FINRA-1024x683-300x200 Bradley Joseph Tennison (CRD #1561988) is a former registered broker and investment advisor who has recently been barred by FINRA. He was last registered with Genos Wealth Management of Mesa, AZ. He was previously employed with Oberlin Financial Corp. (CRD #103717) of Bryan, OH, First Allied Securities, Inc. (CRD #32444) of San Diego, CA, and D.E. Frey & Company, Inc. (CRD #23595) of Denver, CO. No current employment information is available. He has been in the industry since 1989.

Tennison has six disclosures, three of which are related to a client dispute that is currently pending. On 4/24/2018, a former firm client contacted Genos Wealth with a written complaint requesting assistance with a $300,000 investment Tennison recommended, called “The Joseph Project.” The letter alleges no statements were ever issued, and she was unsuccessful in getting her capital back or any of the promised returns. The client was told by Tennison that it was a 12 month “investment” with a 5% enhancement. She wired the $300K from her bank directly to where Tennison instructed her.

Upon examination, it was discovered that this “investment opportunity” was not something recommended or offered by the firm, and there were no records available. Tennison was “minimally responsive” to the firm’s request for information. On 4/25/2018, Genos Wealth discharged Tennison after he admitted that the former client’s money was wired to a third party that wasn’t investment related.

Senior Citizens in Florida Reportedly Scammed into Investing in Fake Fish Farm

August 29, 2018 | Silver Law Group

Several older investors reportedly fell victim to the scam, including a former police officer

From 2013 to 2014, several senior citizens living in South Florida invested over $400,000 in Blue Ocean Farm, a fish farm company. Three purported financial professionals reportedly solicited funds for the farm – Rebecca Gonzalez and Matthew Braun of Boca Raton and Michael Creamer of St. Petersburg. There was just one problem: the Florida Department of Law Enforcement says that the company was completely bogus.

The scheme was allegedly spearheaded by Gonzalez, and now she, Braun, and Creamer are facing several charges, including fraud, selling unregistered securities, and the sale of securities by an unregistered person. The trio reportedly targeted six older investors, all of which handed over thousands of dollars.

FINRA Suspends Registered Individuals in August 2018 for Failing to Comply with FINRA Rules

August 28, 2018 | Silver Law Group

According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for August 2018, 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:

NAME	FORMER EMPLOYERS
Lindsey Brown
Michael Dalton	Charles Schwab & Co., Inc
William Downing	Coastal Equities, Inc.
William Downing	J.W. Cole Financial, Inc.
James Flynn	IFS Securities
James Flynn	VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc
Keven Gayle	NY Life Securities LLC
Lloyd Johnston	Capital Financial Services, Inc
Lloyd Johnston	Legacy Financial Services, Inc
John Kurzhal	UBS Financial Services Inc
Beatriz Lira	State Farm VP Management Corp
Beatriz Lira	Beatriz Lira Insurance Company
Cristhelle Medina	J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Cristhelle Medina	Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
Bradley Pace	LPL Financial LLC
Bradley Pace	A.J. Pace & Co, Inc.
Ivan Reyes	Alexander Capital, L.P.
Ivan Reyes	Craft Capital Management LLC
David Rodgers	Allstate Financial Services, LLC
David Rodgers	Rodgers Capital Management
Michael Sekusky
Jimmy Tran	J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Jimmy Tran	Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
Anthony Valois	PHX Financial, Inc
Anthony Valois	Meyers Associates, L.P.
James Ward	Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC

Silver Law Group represents investors in securities and investment fraud cases through FINRA arbitration or court. Our lawyers are admitted to practice in New York and Florida and represent investors nationwide in securities arbitration to help recover investment losses due to stockbroker misconduct. If you have any questions about how your account has been handled, call to speak with an experienced securities attorney. Most cases handled on a contingent fee basis meaning that you do not pay legal fees unless we are successful.

FINRA Names Registered Individuals Suspended in August 2018 for Violations of FINRA Rules

August 28, 2018 | Silver Law Group

According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for August 2018, 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
Thomas Bennett	Bancwest Investment Services, Inc
	U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc
Eddy Blizzard	Suntrust Investment Services, Inc.
	M & T Securities, Inc
Vincent Canzoneri	Sigma Financial Corporation
	Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc
Barry Connell	Morgan Stanley
	UBS Financial Services Inc
Charles Cox	Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
	Chase investment Services Corp
Shane Dawkins	Westpark Capital
	Joseph Stone Capital LLC
Mark Flanagan	Citigroup Global Markets Inc
	Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
Donald Gambony III	Invest Financial Corporation
	MetLife Securities Inc.
Scott Hartman	Morgan Stanley
	Sanford C. Bernstein & Co, LLC
Evelyn Hernandez	Morgan Stanley
	J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Alexander Kibrik	Garden State Securities, Inc
	Radnor Research & Trading Company LLC
James Polese	Morgan Stanley
	UBS Financial Services Inc
Leslie Slaughter	Waddell & Reed
	TD Ameritrade, Inc
Kenneth Tyrrell	Cary Street Partners
	UBS Financial Services Inc

Silver Law Group represents investors in securities and investment fraud cases through FINRA arbitration or court. Our lawyers are admitted to practice in New York and Florida and represent investors nationwide in securities arbitration to help recover investment losses due to stockbroker misconduct. If you have any questions about how your account has been handled, call to speak with an experienced securities attorney. Most cases handled on a contingent fee basis meaning that you do not pay legal fees unless we are successful.

Our lawyers have extensive experience collecting FINRA arbitration awards, prevailing on Motions to Vacate FINRA arbitration awards and using various collection efforts to enforce FINRA awards after they are received.

In August 2018, FINRA Bars Registered Individuals for Failing to Comply with FINRA Rules

August 28, 2018 | Silver Law Group

According to FINRA Disciplinary actions for August 2018, 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
Gregory Connell
Ashley Evans
Valbona Keja-Dasilva	Suntrust Investment Services, Inc
Valbona Keja-Dasilva	CCO Investment Services Corp
Keesang Kim	MML Investors Services, LLC
Keesang Kim	Pruco Securities, LLC
Cynthia Moore	Huntington Investment Company
Joshua Stephens-Anselm	J.P. Morgan Securities
Joshua Stephens-Anselm	J. P. Morgan Chase Bank
John Stoddard	Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC
John Stoddard	Investools
David Wells
Yuhong Zhou	Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc
Yuhong Zhou	World Financial Group, Inc

FINRA makes this information available, in part, to inform investors about potential red flags or problems with certain stockbrokers. If you invested with anyone in this report and have questions about your legal rights, our attorneys will talk with you at no cost to explain your legal rights and about how we can help recover your investment losses through securities arbitration or litigation.

Silver Law Group represents investors in securities and investment fraud cases through FINRA arbitration or court. Our lawyers are admitted to practice in New York and Florida and represent investors nationwide in securities arbitration to help recover investment losses due to stockbroker misconduct. If you have any questions about how your account has been handled, call to speak with an experienced securities attorney. Most cases handled on a contingent fee basis meaning that you do not pay legal fees unless we are successful.

UBS Financial Advisor Walter Stucker

August 27, 2018 | Silver Law Group

New-York-Broker-Gregory-Flemming-Suspended-by-FINRA-300x200 Walter M. Stucker (CRD #2197844) is a registered broker and investment advisor, currently registered with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC (CRD #19616) of Fort Worth, TX. He was previously employed by UBS financial services inc. (CRD #8174) and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (CRD #7691), also of Fort Worth. He has been in the industry since 1991.

Stucker is the subject of three disclosures, the most recent filed on 04/08/2018. This customer arbitration claim alleges that he “unsuitably concentrated their portfolio in the energy sector and misrepresented the risks associated with those investments” from 2011 to 2017. The customer is requesting damages of $600,000. This case is currently pending.

The prior complaint, filed on 12/18/2017, was filed by a client’s attorney alleging “misrepresentation, suitability issues and over concentration in oil and gas limited partnerships” from July 27, 2011 to December 18, 2017. The client requested damages in the amount of $632,907.00; however, this claim was ultimately denied.

Former Broker Frank Zito Discharged From Merrill Lynch

August 27, 2018 | Silver Law Group

Frank Howard Zito (CRD #2766336) is a former registered broker and investment advisor. He was most recently registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (CRD #7691) of Ridgeland, MS. He was previously registered with Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. (CRD #4161) and Amsouth Investment Services, Inc. (CRD #15692), both of Jackson, MS. He began in the industry in 1996.

Former-New-York-Life-Broker-Jonathan-Williams-Barred-by-FINRA-as-a-Result-of-Outside-Business-Activities-300x200 Zito is the subject of three disclosures. He was discharged by Merrill Lynch on 6/25/2018 for “Conduct including failure to adhere to Firm standards regarding selling away and failure to fully disclose participation in an outside business activity.” (“Selling away” is when a broker sells securities that are not being offered by the brokerage firm they are working for. This is a violation of securities regulations.)

The discharge follows a customer dispute filed on 5/18/2018 with allegations of selling away, as well as unsuitable investment recommendations from 2013 until January 2018. The customer is requesting damages of $571,000.00. This dispute is currently pending.

Client Alleges Broker Robert Yasnis Churned Accounts

August 27, 2018 | Silver Law Group

Broker Robert Ruvein Yasnis (CRD #2399141) is a currently registered broker employed with Worden Capital Management LLC (CRD #148366) of New York, NY. His previous employers include Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd. (CRD #119037) of Melville, NY, Buckman, Buckman & Reid, Inc. (CRD #23407) of New York, NY, and Stephen A. Kohn & Associates, Ltd. (CRD #41067) of Lakewood, CO. He has been registered with a total of 18 brokerages (four of which have been expelled by FINRA) and has been in the industry since 1993.

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Yasnis is the subject of a currently pending customer dispute in which he is alleged to have engaged in “churning, unauthorized and unsuitable trading from 2014-2017.” The client is requesting damages of $148,119.00.