Investment Center Representative Complaints Lead to Investigation and Firm Fine

President of The Investment Center, Inc. (Investment Center) Ralph Devito was named as a Respondent in a Texas State Securities Board (TSSB) investigation that alleged Mr. Devito failed to properly supervise a registered representative with the firm. The investigation arose after the TSSB received a complaint alleging an Investment Center employee recommended unsuitable investments. As President of The Investment Center, the firm’s written procedures required Mr. Devito to conduct a reasonable investigation into a representative’s activity. The TSSB found that between January 2010 and March 2014, an Investment Center employee recommended and executed several securities transactions that raised numerous “red flags.” TSSB alleges Mr. Devito either failed to notice or chose to ignore those “red flags” in client accounts. The investigation found that a majority of the representatives’ clients held over 95% of their total assets in equity positions of a single energy company.

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