Iorio Altamirano LLP is currently investigating Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. broker Matthew Crafa who is reportedly facing three securities arbitration claims related to recommendations to invest in private placement securities issued by GPB Capital. The GPB notes, which are private securities offerings exempt from registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), are inherently risky…
Continue reading ›On March 31, 2021, a FINRA Dispute Resolution Services arbitration panel in Columbus, Ohio, ordered UBS Financial Services, Inc. (“UBS”) to pay customers over $372,000 in compensatory damages and fees. The claimants, Matthew and Lisa Fisher alleged that UBS and brokers Ortal Shachar and Richard Mark Held presented the Yield Enhancement Strategy (“YES”), an options…
Continue reading ›The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has suspended stockbroker Victor A. Rigoni, III from the securities industry for three months. FINRA accepted an Offer of Settlement submitted by Mr. Rigoni after FINRA’s Department of Enforcement filed a disciplinary complaint against Mr. Rigoni in August 2020. The complaint alleged that from August 2012 through March 2019,…
Continue reading ›The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has barred broker Jeremy Taylor Johnson from the securities industry. FINRA expelled Mr. Johnson from the brokerage industry for refusing to cooperate with a FINRA investigation into the suitability and potential misrepresentations and omissions related to Johnson’s offer and sale of two securities offerings while associated with Torch Securities,…
Continue reading ›The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has barred broker Chad Mackland from the securities industry. Mr. Mackland was barred from the brokerage industry for refusing to cooperate with a FINRA investigation into alleged theft and fraudulent sales practices. According to his BrokerCheck report, Mr. Mackland is facing four felony charges in the District Court of…
Continue reading ›On March 5, 2021, a FINRA Dispute Resolution Services arbitration panel in Denver, Colorado, ordered UBS Financial Services, Inc. (“UBS”) to pay customers over $1 million in compensatory damages. The claims, which include breach of duty, violations of the Nebraska Securities Act, and professional negligence arising out of broker Jason Dworak’s recommendations concerning the UBS…
Continue reading ›This post is part of a series of investigative blog posts that spotlight modern-day boiler rooms that operate under the guise of a reputable brokerage firm. Many of the broker-dealers featured in this series still use boiler room tactics such as cold-calling customers and high-pressure or aggressive sales tactics. Other brokerage firms have a propensity…
Continue reading ›**Update: 4/19/21** In March 2021 another customer filed a securities arbitration complaint against Daniel Todd Lerner and David Lerner Associates, Inc. The customer has alleged over $515,000 in damages as a result of unsuitable investment recommendations related to Energy 11 and an unspecific mutual fund (possibly, SOAEX). The complaint alleged unsuitability, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary…
Continue reading ›Morgan Stanley’s Global Sports and Entertainment Group is a division of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management that targets professional athletes and entertainers. The group consists of approximately 168 financial advisors across the country that hold the designation “Global Sports and Entertainment Directors.” Morgan Stanley promotes that these advisors are uniquely qualified to address the needs of…
Continue reading ›Professional basketball players Chandler Parsons and Courtney Lee, who have both played in the National Basketball Association, have reportedly filed a $5 million securities arbitration complaint against Morgan Stanley. According to broker Darryl Cohen’s CRD report, the complaint alleges that Morgan Stanley made payments from the players’ accounts without prior approval. The complaint also alleges…
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