Securities Lawyers Blog
The law offices of Gana Weinstein LLP are currently investigating claims that advisor Eric Dupre (Dupre) has been accused by investors of engaging in fraudulent misappropriation of their funds. Higgins was terminated by his employer for engaging in undisclosed investment activities including undisclosed outside business activities (OBAs). According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), it appears that Dupre was employed by Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC (Ameriprise) at the time of the activity. If you have been a victim of Dupre’s alleged misconduct our firm may be able to assist you in recovering funds.
In December 2023 Ameriprise terminated Dupre for cause alleging that the firm terminated Dupre due to violation of company policy related to borrowing from clients.
On May 23, 2024 a customer filed a complaint alleging that former advisor Dupre recommend that they invest in a “cryptocurrency opportunity”. However, it appears that Dupre did not invest the Claimants’ funds, but instead misappropriated the funds. Claimants allege that Dupre stole more than $2.6 million dollars from them. The dispute is currently pending.
Our law firm has significant experience bringing cases on behalf of defrauded victims when their advisors engage in receiving loans from clients or selling securities sales through OBAs. The sale of unapproved investment products, fake investments that cover misappropriated funds, and other fraudulent behavior – is a practice known in the industry as “selling away” – a serious violation of the securities laws. In the industry the term selling away refers to when a financial advisor solicits investments in companies, promissory notes, or other securities that are not pre-approved by the broker’s affiliated firm. Sometimes those investments have some legitimacy but often times these types of investments can end up being Ponzi schemes or the advisor can be engaging in the conversion of funds.
However, federal securities laws and the FINRA rules require firms to monitor and supervise its employees in order to detect and prevent brokers from offering investments in this fashion. In order to properly supervise their brokers each firm is required to have procedures in order to monitor the activities of each advisor’s activities and interaction with the public. Selling away misconduct often occurs where brokerage firms either fail to put in place a reasonable supervisory system or fail to actually implement that system. Supervisory failures allow brokers to engage in unsupervised misconduct that can include all manner improper conduct including selling away.
In cases of selling away the investor is unaware that the advisor’s investments are improper. In many of these cases the investor will not learn that the broker’s activities were wrongful until after the investment scheme is publicized, the broker is fired or charged by law enforcement, or stops returning client calls altogether.
Dupre entered the securities industry in 1994. From August 2005 until June 2020 Dupre was registered with Raymond James & Associates, Inc. From June 2020 until January 2024 Dupre was registered with Ameriprise out of the firm’s San Antonio, Texas branch office location.
Investors who have suffered losses are encouraged to contact us at (800) 810-4262 for consultation. Investors may be able recover their losses through securities arbitration. The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP are experienced in representing investors in cases of selling away and brokerage firms failure to supervise their representatives. Our consultations are free of charge and the firm is only compensated if you recover.