In August 2017, a customer alleged Clarke misrepresented the nature of an investment and the purchase of the investment in the customer’s accounts. The customer is seeking $500,000 in this pending dispute.
In March 2016, a customer alleged Clarke misrepresented and made an unsuitable recommendation for the customer to invest in collateralized mortgage obligations. This dispute settled for $120,000.
In April 2014, a customer alleged unsuitable investment, transfer of accounts handled negligently, lack of fiduciary duty, and lack of supervision. This dispute settled for $77,205.
False representations include either written or oral statements containing misrepresentations or omissions of information that are material to an investor and induce the purchase, sale, or holding of a security. Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. § 78a et seq.) and Rule 10b-5 a misrepresentation or omission of a fact is material if a reasonable investor might have considered the fact important in the making of the investment decision. Also the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Rule 2020 also prohibits members from effecting “any transaction in, or induce the purchase or sale of, any security by means of any manipulative, deceptive or other fraudulent device or contrivance.”
The number of complaints against Devlin are unusual compared to his peers. According to newsources, only about 7.3% of financial advisors have any type of disclosure event on their records among brokers employed from 2005 to 2015. Brokers must publicly disclose reportable events on their CRD customer complaints, IRS tax liens, judgments, investigations, and even criminal matters. However, studies have found that there are fraud hotspots such as certain parts of California, New York or Florida, where the rates of disclosure can reach 18% or higher. Moreover, according to the New York Times, BrokerCheck may be becoming increasing inaccurate and understate broker misconduct as studies have shown that 96.9% of broker requests to clean their records of complaints are granted.
Clarke has been in the securities industry for 34 years. He was registered with Ross, Sinclaire & Associates from 1995 to 2017 and is currently registered with National Alliance Securities.
At Gana Weinstein LLP, our attorneys are experienced representing investors who have suffered securities losses due to the mishandling of their accounts. Claims may be brought in securities arbitration before FINRA. Our consultations are free of charge and the firm is only compensated if you recover.