Goodman & Nekvasil P.A., May Recover Investor Losses – Andrew Anthony Uccelli (Tony Uccelli) Suspended from Securities Industry and Fired by First Allied Securities, Inc.
From 2002 until Tony Uccelli’s firing in 2015, Tony Uccelli was licensed with First Allied Securities, Inc. Tony Uccelli is now licensed with Western International Securities, Inc. According to FINRA’s records, Tony Uccelli was fired by First Allied Securities, Inc. on March 18, 2015. First Allied Securities, Inc. reported to FINRA that Tony Uccelli used an unapproved email address for business communication and provided false statements to First Allied Securities, Inc.
Subsequent to Tony Uccelli’s firing by First Allied Securities, Inc. FINRA investigated Tony Uccelli and brought a disciplinary action against Tony Uccelli. Tony Uccelli consented to a 45 day suspension from the securities and investment banking industry and a $5,000 fine. Tony Uccelli also consented to findings that Tony Uccelli falsely represented to First Allied Securities, Inc.’s Operations Department and to the firm’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Officer that Tony Uccelli personally confirmed a wire request with a customer over the telephone. The findings stated that Tony Uccelli received an email at Tony Uccelli’s unapproved email address purportedly sent from a customer requesting that the firm transfer funds to an account in Indonesia, where the client resided, for the stated purpose of purchasing art and furniture. According to FINRA, unbeknownst to Tony Uccelli, an impostor had sent the email without authorization from the customer. FINRA reports that Tony Uccelli then sent an email from Tony Uccelli’s unapproved email address asking the customer to sign a Letter of Authorization (LOA) with details of the requested wire. According to FINRA, shortly thereafter, Tony Uccelli received at his unapproved email address, the signed LOA from the impostor.
FINRA reports that as part of First Allied Securities, Inc.’s process for third party wire transfer requests, the Firm’s Operations Department contacted Tony Uccelli via telephone to verify that Tony Uccelli had received verbal confirmation from the client. According to FINRA, during that telephone call, Tony Uccelli falsely attested that Tony Uccelli confirmed the wire transfer request with the customer when Tony Uccelli had not done so. According to FINRA, the write transfer was then flagged by the firm’s external clearing provider for further review. As a result, according to FINRA, the firm’s AML Officer called Tony Uccelli to discuss the wire transfer and instructed him to go back to the client to verbally confirm the wire again. According to FINRA, the next day, Tony Uccelli called the AML Officer and again falsely attested that Tony Uccelli verbally confirmed the wire with the client, when Tony Uccelli had not done so. The findings also stated that Tony Uccelli sent emails from Tony Uccelli’s unapproved email address to the impostor purporting to be that customer, and received emails at this unapproved email address from the impostor, all related to wire transfer requests.
FINRA also reports that an arbitration claim involving Tony Uccelli’s conduct with a previous firm was filed, alleging fraud, negligence, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duties. This arbitration claim was settled.
If you lost any money on investments with Tony Uccelli you may be able to recover your losses from First Allied Securities, Inc. and/or Western International Securities, Inc. This is because First Allied Securities, Inc. and/or Western International Securities, Inc. had a duty to supervise Tony Uccelli.
If you lost money on investments with Tony Uccelli and believe that the investments may have been unsuitable or otherwise improper for you, we would like to discuss the possibility of your retaining our firm to represent you in an arbitration action against First Allied Securities, Inc. and/or Western International Securities, Inc. concerning Tony Uccelli’s conduct. There is no charge for an evaluation of your case. Further, we handle our cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that unless we recover money for you, we charge no attorney’s fee. Unless you recover any money, you pay us nothing, not even the costs and expenses which the firm will advance on your behalf.
Kalju Nekvasil, Esq., formerly regional counsel with the NASD, now known as FINRA, has practiced in this area of the law for more than 35 years. Goodman & Nekvasil, P.A. has recovered more than $300 million on behalf of victimized investors. If you lost money on investments with Tony Uccelli and would like your case evaluated by a securities attorney (again, there is no charge for an evaluation and all cases are handled on a purely contingency fee basis), please contact us.
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