Securities and Investment Fraud Lawyers, Attorneys, Law Firm

Brandstaetter, Peter Joseph

sub: The broker created and distributed illustrations that promoted an options trading strategy to members of the public that contained numerous false, exaggerated, unwarranted or misleading claims and statements.

Posted: September 22nd, 2011

Zhao, Connie Hong Tao

sub: The broker converted the funds of one of her insurance customers, without the customer’s authorization or knowledge, by changing the frequency of payments on the policy from annual to quarterly, making a quarterly payment, and converting the remainder of the customer’s funds, which had been paid in full as an annual premium amount.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Zamecki, Robert John

sub: The broker failed to supervise a registered representative’s private securities transactions

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Yamanaka, Marilyn Louise

sub: The broker participated in the sales of Universal Lease Programs (ULPs) totaling $408,273.39 to members of the public without providing her member firm with written notice about the sales, and failed to obtain her firm’s written approval.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Wrigley, Andrew Thomas

sub: The broker received and distributed an answer key for one of the state exams to an outside financial advisor, and asked another member firm representative to request, receive and distribute an answer key for the state exam to an outside financial advisor.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Usmani, Mahmood Hasan

sub: The broker purchased an issuer’s stock while in knowing possession of material, non-public information, directly or indirectly, by use of means or instrumentalities of interstate commerce, he intentionally or recklessly employed a device, scheme or artifice to defraud or engaged in an act, practice or course of business which operated, or would operate, as a fraud or deceit in connection with the purchase or sale of a security.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Trolaro, Daniel J.

sub: The broker persuaded customers to make personal loans to him, totaling $310,000 contrary to his member firm’s written procedures that specifically prohibited registered representatives from borrowing money from customers.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Ta, Jenny Quyen

sub: The broker failed to disclose that she had financial interests and/or discretionary authority in multiple brokerage accounts at other broker-dealers and failed to give her firm prompt written notice of these accounts; on account applications, she falsely indicated that she was not affiliated with a securities firm.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Smith, Larrye Alfie

sub: The broker engaged in business activities for compensation outside the scope of his business relationship with his member firm without providing the firm with prompt written notice.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Pollock, Robert Charles

sub: The brokersold to customers installment plan contracts offered by a non-profit corporation that represented itself to the public as a charitable organization, but the broker lacked a reasonable basis to recommend the purchase of the contracts to his customers given his failure to perform a reasonable investigation concerning the product.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Paul, Lynda Corean

sub: The broker failed to give prompt written notice to her member firm that she was engaging in outside business activities.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Mosley, Claude Steven

sub: The broker sold variable annuities issued by an annuity and life insurance company to a number of clients while at a member firm, and upon joining another member firm, he was appointed to sell the same annuity and life insurance products, and sought to have the variable annuities that he had sold while at the previous firm transferred to his new firm.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Menendez Sr., Chanse Keith

sub: The broker mischaracterized solicited trades as “unsolicited” in customers’ accounts, and caused his member firm’s books and records to be inaccurate.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Medearis Jr., Lyndall Conway

sub: The broker became an additional credit card holder on a customer’s credit card accounts which were revolving lines of credit.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

McGuire, Vincent Michael

sub: The broker sold more than 27 million unregistered shares of a thinly traded penny stock into the public markets on customers’ behalf, resulting in proceeds of approximately $46,000 to the customers.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

McCrudden, Vincent Patrick

sub: The broker used a variety of tactics, including harassment and a monetary payment, to coerce his firm to file a Form U5, which mischaracterized his firing as a voluntary termination.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Kruse, Leslie David

sub: The broker entered into a settlement agreement regarding a customer complaint without authorization from, and without notifying, his member firm.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Kirk, Joe Michael

sub: The broker engaged in outside business activities without providing prompt written notice to his member firm.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Hunt, Herbert Tyrone

sub: The broker effected discretionary transactions in a public customer’s accounts without the customer’s prior written authorization and his member firm’s prior written acceptance of the accounts as discretionary.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Herrero-Rovira, Antonio

sub: The broker converted approximately $203,000 in customer funds by forging customers’ signatures on Letters of Authorization (LOAs) and firm checks issued pursuant to the LOAs, and depositing the checks into his personal bank account or others’ account without the customers’ knowledge or authorization.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Guarino, Bruce Jude

sub: The broker failed to adequately review collateralized mortgage obligation (CMO) purchases by brokers under his supervision at his member firm’s branch offices

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Grados, Oscar Gerardo

sub: The broker made unsuitable recommendations to customers that they obtain home equity loans, deposit the proceeds in their securities accounts at his member firm and use the proceeds to purchase mutual funds.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Givens, Sharon Elsene

sub: The broker admitted that she utilized the treasurer’s name without authorization and took the firm’s funds for her personal use.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Duvall, Edmond Sloan

sub: The broker caused his firm to violate NASD Rule 3110 in that he caused the firm’s books and records relating to customer accounts to be inaccurate.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Duncan, Chad R.

sub: The broker used $100,000 drawn from an elderly person’s bank account to pay his personal credit card expenses, which were related to costs associated with the construction of his home.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Dube, David William

sub: The broker failed to implement an AML Compliance Program reasonably designed to achieve and monitor compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act, which resulted in suspicious activity occurring at the firm without being detected and reported.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Cutter Jr., Winston John

sub: The broker made false statements to his firm concerning material facts relating to his borrowing or receiving of any money from the firm’s customer, particularly in the context of the firm’s attempts to discharge its supervisory functions.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Connell, Leonard Raymond

sub: The broker engaged in outside business activities without providing prompt written notice to his member firm., The broker engaged in outside business activities without providing prompt written notice to his member firm.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Burchard, Stuart Gregory

sub: The broker failed to reasonably supervise the activities of a registered representative and registered principal to ensure that the broker performed the supervisory responsibilities the broker delegated.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Blanco, Peter Michael

sub: The Broker almost exclusively sold Class A mutual fund shares to customers, which caused them to pay sales charges known as front end loads, in the vast majority of transactions.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Berry, George Abbott

sub: The Broker serviced a brokerage account a relative held but did not have power of attorney or discretionary authorization over the account.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Tubbergen, Dennis Clare

sub: The brokers executed variable life settlement transactions and charged commissions that were excessive, unreasonable and unfair, taking into consideration all relevant circumstances.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Rodman, Michael Timothy

sub: The brokers executed variable life settlement transactions and charged commissions that were excessive, unreasonable and unfair, taking into consideration all relevant circumstances.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

USA Advanced Planners, Inc.

sub: Firm, acting through the brokers, executed variable life settlement transactions and charged commissions that were excessive, unreasonable and unfair, taking into consideration all relevant circumstances.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Uselton, Mark Alan

sub: Broker made false statements to FINRA

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Legacy Trading Co., LLC

sub: Firm, acting through broker, made false statements to FINRA.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

Baldwin, Shawn Derrick

sub: Broker failed to respond to FINRA requests for information and documents.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

CMG Institutional Trading LLC

sub: Firm, acting through broker, failed to respond to FINRA requests for information and documents.

Posted: April 28th, 2011

White, Michael Anthony

sub: Broker recommended and executed unsuitable trades in a customer’s IRA account.

Posted: December 21st, 2010

Totoy, Richard

sub: Broker converted $1,000 from an elderly customer by using an ATM card to withdraw the funds from the customer’s account without her knowledge or consent.

Posted: December 21st, 2010

Ting, Julie Sheau Lin

sub: Broker participated in private securities transactions without prior written notice to, or written permission from, her member firm to engage in the transactions, for which she received compensation.

Posted: December 21st, 2010

Tatgenhorst, Alan Ray

sub: Broker failed to respond to FINRA requests for information and documents.

Posted: December 21st, 2010

Silva, Michael Scott

sub: Broker recommended that a customer invest approximately $140,000 in a principal-protected note (PPN) and caused the purchase of the PPN in the customer’s account without having reasonable grounds for believing that the recommendation was suitable for the customer in light of the customer’s annual income and total net worth.

Posted: December 21st, 2010

Signore, Robert A.

sub: Broker prepared checks totaling $233,732.40, signed the customer’s name to the checks, and used the checks to purchase a variable annuity for the customer’s account, without the customer’s knowledge or authorization.

Posted: December 21st, 2010

Ross Sr., Hugh Alexander

sub: Broker borrowed $100,000 from firm customers--a husband and wife--contrary to firm written procedures, and he did not obtain his member firm’s written pre-approval for the loan.

Posted: December 21st, 2010

Pecoraro, James Robert

sub: Broker engaged in a pattern of trading activity in a customer’s account that was excessive in light of the customer’s objectives, financial situation and needs.

Posted: December 21st, 2010

O’Brien, Matthew Norman

sub: Broker signed the name of a customer of his member firm on a Letter of Authorization form and then used the form to effect a transfer of $3,000 from the customer’s brokerage account to his personal bank account without the customer’s knowledge or approval.

Posted: December 21st, 2010

Mello, Lisa Renee

sub: Broker served as her member firm’s FINOP and was responsible for monitoring the firm’s financial condition to determine whether its net capital was sufficient to conduct a securities business.

Posted: December 21st, 2010

Meister, Adam George

sub: Broker engaged in a private securities transaction without his member firm’s prior notification and completed a firm compliance questionnaire stating that he understood he could not sell securities away from the firm and falsely represented that he had not engaged in unapproved transactions.

Posted: December 21st, 2010

Martin, Kevin Bradley

sub: Broker was supervisor of his member firm’s sales and trading operations and direct supervisor of a registered representative who effected pre-arranged and fictitious trades in collateralized mortgage obligations through the firm’s proprietary trading account.

Posted: December 21st, 2010