Stockbrokers In The News - Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce

Apr 23, 2015

Former Wells Fargo Broker Barred by FINRA for Soliciting Customers into Unapproved Investments

Douglas Jay Melzer, a former broker with the Sewickley, Pennsylvania branch of Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC (Wells Fargo), submitted a letter of acceptance, waiver, and consent in which he consented to, but did not admit to or deny, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) findings that he solicited his firm’s customers to invest $2 million in an unapproved outside investment. According to FINRA, Douglas Melzer, aka Dutch Melzer, solicited four of his Wells Fargo customers to invest $2 million in an investment contract that had not been approved by the firm. Mr. Melzer received at least $27,000 for his participation in the securities transactions and a 2.5% member interest in the investment. Further, FINRA found that Mr. Melzer caused the registered representative code on some customer accounts to be changed, which resulted in the firm paying him over $9,500 in commissions that should have gone to his partners. Consequently, Douglas Melzer, of Mars, Pennsylvania, was permanently barred from any association with any FINRA member in any capacity.

Mar 27, 2015

Complaint Filed Against Allstate Representative for Fraud

A complaint filed by the Financial Industry Regulatory Agency (FINRA) against Philip Leonard Grasso Jr. alleges that he, a representative of Allstate Financial Services, LLC (Allstate Financial) “inserted himself into the lives of two elderly customers in order to defraud them of their funds.” FINRA alleged that while Mr. Grasso was on a medical leave of absence from Allstate Financial, he inserted himself into the lives of two elderly customers (ages 89 and 91) in order to defraud them financially. Between December 2013 and January 2014, Mr. Grasso allegedly convinced the two elderly clients to liquidate their various life insurance policies and annuities (approximately $227,150) and open a brokerage account. Mr. Grasso allegedly then took all the funds from the brokerage account and put them in his own bank account. Mr. Grasso used these client funds for personal expenses like his mortgage and stock investments. In an attempt to hide the misconduct, Mr. Grasso allegedly created false documents for his clients and misrepresented their investment. Mr. Grasso was terminated by Allstate Financial due to allegations that he “commingled the customers’ funds” in May 2014. As it’s a current investigation, FINRA has requested sanctions and restitution to be imposed upon Mr. Grasso.

Mar 23, 2015

USA Financial Securities Representative Fined by FINRA For Outside Business Activities

Darrell Vanpamel of Cape Coral, Florida submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, in which he consented to, but did not admit to or deny, the described sanctions and the entry of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) findings that he engaged in outside business activities for which he received compensation without the approval of member firm, USA Financial Securities Corporation. Between April and May 2013, Mr. Vanpamel allegedly engaged in outside insurance activities with four clients without his firm’s approval. Mr. Vanpamel received approximately $1,400 in total from his four clients for “account set-up fees.” FINRA found that Mr. Vanpamel failed to provide written notice to USA Financial Securities Corp. (USA Financial) for his outside business activities or for his compensation. According to FINRA, Mr. Vanpamel violated FINRA Rules 3270 and 2010. Mr. Vanpamel was fined $5,000 and was suspended from association with any FINRA member in any capacity for one month.

Mar 20, 2015

LaSalle Street Securities Representative Fined For Unapproved Private Placement Offerings

David Leonard Potter, of St. Petersburg, Florida submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which he consented to, but did not admit to or deny, the described sanctions and the entry of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) findings that he made “negligent misrepresentations to investors” in regard to private offerings his firm, LaSalle Street Securities, had yet to approve. Mr. Potter, former branch manager of LaSalle Street Securities’ Tampa, Florida office, ran an investment advisory business, Platinum Wealth Partners, Inc. (PWP) which he decided to expand in late 2012. Without the capital to do so, Mr. Potter commenced a PWP private placement offering in March 2013 to raise capital through the sale of convertible debenture units. The offering was a minimum and maximum offering requiring at least $1.5 million being raised before distribution.

Mar 18, 2015

SWS Financial Services Representative Fined for Converting Client Funds

William Charlton Mays of Corpus Christi, Texas was barred from association with any FINRA member due to his conversion and misuse of customer funds while he was a representative of SWS Financial Services. Around August 2011, while Mr. Mays was still a member of SWS, he recommended a client to invest $50,000 in stocks and commodities. Mr. Mays allegedly told his client the $50,000 investment would yield 6% annual return. On September 6, 2011, Mr. Mays deposited the client’s $50,000 check into a bank account for May’s Financial Group, an organization Mr. Mays controls. A month later, his client requested his funds be returned, but Mays initially told the investor he couldn’t get the funds (but later gave his client $40,000). FINRA found that between September 2011 and October 2011 Mr. Mays converted and used upwards of $30,000 from his clients’ investment for personal expenses. For violation of FINRA conduct Rule 2150(a) and Rule 2010, Mr. Mays was barred from association with any FINRA member, ordered to pay a $10,000 fine, and ordered to pay restitution.

Mar 6, 2015

Former UBS Broker Decries the Marketing and Sale of Structured Products to Conservative Investors

Michael Hadden, a former broker with UBS Wealth Management (UBS), has made claims that UBS allegedly made it “impossible” for his to continue working due to “… its various unethical practices with respect to customers …” as stated in his original arbitration claim with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Mr. Hadden has asked a federal court, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, to overturn FINRAs arbitration award which ordered him to repay over $300,000 in bonus money, attorneys’ fees and interest. According to Mr. Hadden’s court filings, UBS would allegedly mislabel conservative investors as moderate in order to avoid future restitution and penalties. As Mr. Hadden noted in his court documents, “… the risk reporting system is done … to protect UBS from future claims of lack of suitability from the client or FINRA.”

Mar 4, 2015

Former Westport Resources Investment Services Broker Suspended by FINRA for Unauthorized Oil and Gas Limited Partnership Sales

Brian Lewis Pittman, a former broker employed by Naples, Florida-based Westport Resources Investment Services, Inc. (Westport Resources), submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which he consented to, but did not admit to or deny, the described sanctions and the entry of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) findings that he participated in private securities transactions without giving the required written notice and without the approval of Westport Resources. FINRA found that Brian Pittman referred two Westport Resources account holders to invest in an oil and gas limited partnership interest in the Permian Advanced Oil Recovery Investment Fund I, LP, offered by Quest Energy Management Group, Inc. The two Westport customers, according to FINRA, invested $375,000 in the Permian offering and Mr. Pittman received approximately $45,000 from Quest in compensation, which he ultimately ended up returning when he was told to do so.

Feb 27, 2015

Two Former Mid Atlantic Capital Brokers Named in FINRA Complaint Alleging Hedge Fund Fraud

Timothy Dembski, of Lancaster, New York, and Walter Grenda Jr., of Buffalo, New York, were named in a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) complaint alleging that they fraudulently induced customers to invest in a hedge fund, the Prestige Wealth Management Fund, LP. The FINRA complaint alleges that Timothy Dembski and Walter Grenda Jr. led investors to believe that the Prestige Wealth Management Fund (Prestige Fund) was a growth fund and was based on a computer algorithm, which included risk protections and stop-losses, to limit investor losses in the hedge fund. However, FINRA alleged that the Prestige Fund was a speculative, aggressive investment, was not obligated to follow the computer algorithm, and lost over 80% of its value in its last full month! Mr. Dembski and Mr. Grenda allegedly recommended the Prestige Fund to investors with limited investment experience, who had never invested in hedge funds before, and who used their retirement assets to invest in the fund.

Feb 11, 2015

Paramount Metals Exchange and Others Ordered to Pay CFTC $2.5 Million for Precious Metals Fraud

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has ordered Boca Raton, Florida resident Isaiah Goldman and Delray Beach, Florida resident Brock Catronio, along with their companies Paramount Metals Exchange, LLC and Paramount Credit, LLC (collectively Paramount), to pay more than $2.5 million in sanctions for illegal off-exchange precious metals fraud. The CFTC Order states that Isaiah Goldman (Goldman), Brock Catronio (Catronio) and Paramount solicited investors to make cash purchases of precious metals, falsely representing how the physical metals would be held on the investors’ behalf. According to the Order, Goldman, Catronio and Paramount treated the metals transactions as financed purchases, with the investor only paying a portion of the purchase price, and then taking out a loan for the balance of the purchase price.

Jan 23, 2015

LPL Financial Advisor Marc Baldinger Suspended for Unauthorized Securities Transactions

Marc Halan Baldinger, a former broker with the Stuart, Florida branch of LPL Financial LLC (LPL Financial), submitted a letter of acceptance, waiver, and consent in which he consented to, but did not admit to or deny, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) findings that he participated in private securities transactions without the necessary written approval from his employer. FINRA found that Marc Baldinger assisted 20 clients, who invested a combined total of more than $12 million in Government National Mortgage Association Interest Only bonds (GNMA I/Os), in establishing accounts with other brokerage firms. According to FINRA, Mr. Baldinger received approximately $233,427 in compensation for his role in the sales of the GNMA I/Os; and all of these securities transactions were without the approval of his member firm, LPL Financial. FINRA also found that Mr. Baldinger failed to disclose his position as a managing partner of two limited liability companies, that he failed to disclose that he had opened an account with a broker dealer that was not LPL, and that he also failed to disclose to the non-LPL broker dealer that he was a registered representative.