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A broker and his investment firm in Wausau, WI has been charged by the SEC after he was barred last year for defrauding clients. Anthony B. “Tony” Liddle, (CRD#: 5478479) and his company, Prosper Wealth Management, convinced at least 13 of his clients to invest money in L-Bonds sold by GWG Holdings of Dallas, TX. As we’ve blogged about previously, GWG Holdings ceased selling their speculative and risky L-Bonds prior to their bankruptcy in April of 2022. Liddle continued to “sell” L-Bonds even after the company suspended their sale.  Most of his clients were senior citizens.A broker and his investment firm in Wausau, WI has been charged by the SEC after he was barred last year for defrauding clients.

Anthony B. “Tony” Liddle, (CRD# 5478479) and his company, Prosper Wealth Management, convinced at least 13 of his clients to invest money in L-Bonds sold by GWG Holdings of Dallas, TX. As we’ve blogged about previously, GWG Holdings ceased selling their speculative and risky L-Bonds prior to their bankruptcy in April of 2022. Liddle continued to “sell” L-Bonds even after the company suspended their sale. Most of his clients were senior citizens. Continue reading ›

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Charles Malico (Charles Vincent Malico CRD# 1507282) is a previously registered broker whose last known employer was Network 1 Financial Securities Inc. (CRD#:13577) of Huntington Station, NY. His previous employers include MidAmerica Financial Services, Inc. (CRD#:47351, expelled by FINRA on 5/10/2016), Global Arena Capital Corp (CRD#:16871, expelled by FINRA on 1/4/2016), B.B. Graham & Company, Inc. (CRD#:41533), all of Melville, NY. He has been in the industry since 1987. After a customer’s requested for arbitration, FINRA followed up with its own review. In it, FINRA found that Malico engaged in violations of the Regulation Best Interest’s Care Obligation, set forth at Exchange Act Rule 15l-1(a)(2)(ii). Also known as Reg BI, it’s the standard by which brokers consider potential investments to recommend to their customers. Brokers must consider the customers’ investment profile and act in the customer’s best interest. In the AWC letter, FINRA found that Malico engaged in excessive trading that would require a customer’s account to recognize an increase of 158% to break even. From July 2020 through November 2021, Malico made multiple recommendations that were excessive for his investment profile. The customer paid more than $54,000 in commissions and other trading costs resulting from Malico’s recommendations, losing more than $17,500. One tactic was to suggest to the customer that he sell a specific security, then re-buy it several days or weeks later. This “in-and-out” trading included shares for a biotechnology company.Charles Malico (Charles Vincent Malico CRD# 1507282) is a previously registered broker whose last known employer was Network 1 Financial Securities Inc. (CRD#:13577) of Huntington Station, NY. His previous employers include MidAmerica Financial Services, Inc. (CRD#:47351, expelled by FINRA on 5/10/2016), Global Arena Capital Corp (CRD#:16871, expelled by FINRA on 1/4/2016), B.B. Graham & Company, Inc. (CRD#:41533), all of Melville, NY. He has been in the industry since 1987. Continue reading ›

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MB Schreiber (MB “Mickey” Schreiber CRD# 1032600) is a registered broker whose most recent employer was Aegis Capital Corp. (CRD#:15007) of Red Bank, NJ. His previous employers include National Securities Corporation (CRD#:7569), Newbridge Securities Corporation (CRD#:104065), and Summit Brokerage Services, Inc. (CRD#:34643), also of Red Bank. He has been in the industry since 1982. Following a customer complaint, FINRA began reviewing Schreiber’s business practices. They found that from 9/2017 through 9/2021, Schreiber exercised discretionary trading without written authorization from 27 customers for nearly 300 transactions. MB Schreiber did not obtain written consent to trade, nor did he have any authorization from Aegis to do so. During this time frame, Schreiber also incorrectly marked 181 of these trades as “unsolicited,” when he solicited them himself.MB Schreiber (MB “Mickey” Schreiber CRD# 1032600) is a registered broker whose most recent employer was Aegis Capital Corp. (CRD#:15007) of Red Bank, NJ. His previous employers include National Securities Corporation (CRD#:7569), Newbridge Securities Corporation (CRD#:104065), and Summit Brokerage Services, Inc. (CRD#:34643), also of Red Bank. He has been in the industry since 1982. Continue reading ›

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Efrain Balderrama Trujillo (CRD# 3106482) is a registered broker and investment advisor whose last known employer was Western International Securities, Inc. (CRD#:39262) of Los Angeles, CA. His previous employers were Financial West Group (CRD#:16668, expelled by FINRA on 2/13/2020) and SRM Securities, Incorporated (CRD#:13716), also of Los Angeles. He has been in the industry since 1998. Trujillo has three FINRA actions in his CRD. The most recent is an eight-month suspension stemming from his borrowing money from nine customers totaling $335,000. Out of fifteen loans, he failed to sign promissory notes for seven. He has repaid nine of the loans and is currently repaying the remaining six. Trujillo also falsely claimed on Western’s compliance questionnaires that he never borrowed money from any of his clients. FINRA fined Trujillo $5,000 and suspended him from 10/17/2022 through 06/16/2023. Trujillo also failed to obtain approval for these loans and failed to notify his firm that he borrowed money from the customers. Both are violation of the firm’s policies. After discovering the loans, Western International Securities terminated Trujillo’s employment on 10/26/2021.Efrain Balderrama Trujillo (CRD# 3106482) is a previously registered broker and investment advisor whose last known employer was Western International Securities, Inc. (CRD#:39262) of Los Angeles, CA. His previous employers were Financial West Group (CRD#:16668, expelled by FINRA on 2/13/2020) and SRM Securities, Incorporated (CRD#:13716), also of Los Angeles. He has been in the industry since 1998. Continue reading ›

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Efthimios George Petrou (CRD# 2672840) is a registered broker last employed with Arive Capital Markets (CRD#:8060) of Ronkonkoma, NY. He was also employed by J.P. Turner & Company, L.L.C. (CRD#:43177) of Middle Island, NY, Investec Ernst & Company (CRD#:266) of New York, NY, and Royce Investment Group, Inc. (CRD#:10494) of Woodbury, NY. He has been in the industry since 1995. Following FINRA’s 2019 cycle exam of Arive Capital Markets, it was discovered that Petrou had engaged in excessive trading for a retired client. He was a 67 year old pharmacist who had a limited understanding of the stock market. From January 2017 through October 2018, while employed with Arive, Petrou engaged in excessive trading which included the use of margins. Petrou recommended to his customer a total of 73 trades, all placed on margin. The total of all the trades meant that this customer paid $88,348.13 for commission and trade costs $7,958.52 for margin interest, totaling $96,306.65. This cost-to-ratio was 86%, indicating that the customer’s account would have to increase by 86% to break even. Petrou’s unsuitable recommendations led to the customer losing approximately $17,000 by following his advice.Efthimios George Petrou (CRD# 2672840) is a registered broker last employed with Arive Capital Markets (CRD#:8060) of Ronkonkoma, NY. He was also employed by J.P. Turner & Company, L.L.C. (CRD#:43177) of Middle Island, NY, Investec Ernst & Company (CRD#:266) of New York, NY, and Royce Investment Group, Inc. (CRD#:10494) of Woodbury, NY. He has been in the industry since 1995. Continue reading ›

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Former FTX owner and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has been indicted with eight counts of fraud by the Justice Department following the rapid collapse of the cryptocurrency platform. In the petition, he is referred to by his frequently known moniker, “SBF.” The documents were unsealed on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, in US District Court in the Southern District of New York. SBF was slated to testify in front of the House Financial Services Committee following the company’s bankruptcy and collapse. He was very busy, he told committee chair Senator Maxine Waters, so he would only be available to testify via Zoom. He spoke to the Wall Street Journal just a few days prior and was arrested the day he was to appear before Congress.   While committing fraud, he and his cohorts used billions of investor dollars for their own personal expenses, to make trades, and to make large political donations, occasionally in the names of other individuals to hide the source of the donations. These donations were made prior to the 2022 mid-term elections, and intentionally evaded reporting requirements and limits on contributions.Former FTX owner and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has been indicted with eight counts of fraud by the Justice Department following the rapid collapse of the cryptocurrency platform. In the petition, he is referred to by his frequently known moniker, “SBF.” The documents were unsealed on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, in US District Court in the Southern District of New York. Continue reading ›

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The former CEO of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange has been arrested in connection with the company’s bankruptcy and collapse. Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) was arrested in The Bahamas on Monday, December 12, 2022, at the request of US authorities and denied bail. His entire operation is detailed in the petition by the US Securites & Exchange Commission filed the day after his arrest in the US District Court in the Southern District of New York. The SEC is demanding a jury trial. In the petition, the SEC describes how SBF began in May of 2019 when he founded FTX, a cryptocurrency trading platform as the founder and CEO. SBF raised more than $1.8 billion from investors in and out of the US. The investors bought an equity stake under the belief that FTX had both risk management and other appropriate controls in place. In fact, FTX and its subsidiary, Alameda Research, LLC, had none.The former CEO of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange has been arrested in connection with the company’s bankruptcy and collapse. Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) was arrested in The Bahamas on Monday, December 12, 2022, at the request of US authorities and denied bail. His entire operation is detailed in the petition by the US Securites & Exchange Commission filed the day after his arrest in the US District Court in the Southern District of New York. The SEC is demanding a jury trial. Continue reading ›

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Silver Law Group founder Scott Silver has spoken with multiple Harbor City investors who were allegedly defrauded by the company. In a recent article in Mother Jones, Mr. Silver said that George Santos and other employees should have noticed the red flags. “Any person from the financial services industry, who went to work for a company like Harbor City, should immediately have recognized that Harbor City wasn’t properly registered as a financial services company,” Mr. Silver said. “Even if you didn’t know the company was operating as a fraud or a Ponzi scheme, a sophisticated person affiliated with the company should have known they weren’t licensed to do what they claimed to be doing.”George Santos, the recently elected Latino Republican Representative from New York, continues to make headlines, but not for the right reasons. After a damning report in the New York Times questioning Santos’ claims and credibility, he has begun to speak on it. These reports with apologies about his fabricated background, which includes multiple false and unsubstantiated claims. Continue reading ›

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Dusty Sternadel (Dusty Lynn Sternadel CRD# 5872600) is a former broker and investment advisor who was last registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC (CRD#:6363) of Wichita Falls, TX. Her previous employers were Morgan Stanley (CRD#:149777) and Edward Jones (CRD#:250), also of Wichita Falls. She has been in the industry since 2011. Ameriprise Financial Services terminated her employment on 7/29/2022. In the Form U5 submitted to FINRA following her discharge, the company stated, “The registered representative was terminated for violation of company policies related to misappropriation of client funds.” Although Sternadel is no longer employed by a FINRA broker dealer, she is still subject to jurisdiction under Article V, Section 4 of FINRA’s Bylaws. FINRA has this jurisdiction for two years after separation of employment.  Dusty Sternadel (Dusty Lynn Sternadel CRD# 5872600) is a former broker and investment advisor who was last registered with Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC (CRD#:6363) of Wichita Falls, TX. Her previous employers were Morgan Stanley (CRD#:149777) and Edward Jones (CRD#:250), also of Wichita Falls. She has been in the industry since 2011. Continue reading ›

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In a recent press release, the Commodities Futures Trading Division (CFTC) has announced that a Federal Court has ordered a California-based precious metals trading firm to return more than $38 million in fraudulently obtained funds to their company’s customers, and sanctioned it for fraud and violations. The CFTC has entered consent order for permanent injunction, monetary sanctions, and equitable relief against five defendants: Monex Deposit Company  Monex Credit Company  Newport Services Corporation Owner Louis Carabini  Owner Michael Carabini, son of owner Louis Carabini According to the CFTC allegations, from July 16, 2011, through August 31, 2021, Louis and Michael Carabini operated their own over-the-counter retail trading platform under the three companies collectively called “Monex Entity Defendants.” Their trading platform, known as “Atlas,” in which customers could speculate on the prices of precious metals. Atlas was not a regulated exchange as they claimed, and Monex was involved in nearly every transaction.In a recent press release, the Commodities Futures Trading Division (CFTC) has announced that a Federal Court has ordered a California-based precious metals trading firm to return more than $38 million in fraudulently obtained funds to their company’s customers, and sanctioned it for fraud and violations. Continue reading ›

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