Securities Lawyers Blog

Hilltop Securities Broker Mark Augusta Subject to 19 Customer Complaints

May 4, 2019 | by Staff Attorney

According to BrokerCheck records financial advisor Mark Augusta (Augusta), currently employed by Hilltop Securities, Inc. (Hilltop Securities) has been subject to at least an astonishing 19 customer complaints and one employment termination for cause. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Augusta’s customer complaints allege that Augusta sold his clients a variety of improper products including Puerto Rico municipal bonds, interest rate swap CDs (structured CDs), and other unsuitable debt securities.

In May 2015 Augusta’s then employer Wedbush Securities Inc. (Wedbush Securities) terminated Augusta after a client filed a complaint against him.

In February 2019 a customer filed a complaint alleging that Augusta violated the securities laws by, among other things, engaged in unauthorized and unsuitable investments made by the financial advisor in June 2014. The claim alleged $398,832 in damages and is currently pending.

In August 2018 a customer filed a complaint alleging that Augusta violated the securities laws by, among other things, making unsuitable investments, breach of fiduciary duty, misrepresentations and omissions, negligence, and violations of California securities laws. The claim alleged $97,774 in damages and is currently pending.

In July 2018 a customer filed a complaint alleging that Augusta violated the securities laws by, among other things, misrepresentation by omission with respect to the disclosure of representative’s regulatory and disciplinary history, unsuitable recommendations, and financial abuse of an elder. The claim seeks $375,000 in damages and is currently pending.

Advisor Gary Meier Sanctioned by Washington State Over Penny Stock Trading

May 1, 2019 | by Staff Attorney

According to BrokerCheck records financial advisor Gary Meier (Meier), formerly employed by Boz & Company LLC (Boz) and Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. (Cambridge Investment) has been subject to at least eight customer complaints and two regulatory actions. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), most of Meier’s customer complaints allege that Meier made was negligent, breached his fiduciary duty, and made unsuitable investments in penny stocks and low priced securities.

In February 2017 the State of Washington Securities Division found that from approximately 2008 to 2017 Meier made unsuitable investment recommendations to his client and engaged in other unethical business practices. The state found that Meier executed transactions in client accounts without obtaining prior client authority to do so and purchased speculative penny stocks for client accounts. It was found that Meier purchased the same three penny stocks for nearly all of his clients – Rentech, Cytodyn, or Provectus Biopharmaceutical stock – regardless of their investment profile. It was found that Meier added to client holdings of these three penny stocks and most of his client accounts were heavily concentrated in these three penny stocks. These purchases resulted in large losses in client accounts.

Washington State also alleged that Meier mislead clients in order to assuage investor concerns about the penny stocks. Meier purportedly provided clients with grossly exaggerated future values of the three stocks indicating that large returns in the near future would occur. Further, it was found that Meier was forced to resign from Cambridge Investment when the firm objected to Meier’s investment practices. Thereafter, it was found that Meier did not register with another firm until July 14, 2015, with Boz, an investment adviser owned by his son.

Broker Jesse Krapf Has A Customer Complaint

May 1, 2019 | by Staff Attorney

According to BrokerCheck records financial advisor Jesse Krapf (Krapf), currently employed by Benchmark Investments, Inc. (Benchmark Investments) has been subject to at least one customer complaint and two debt related judgements or tax liens. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), most of Krapf’s customer complaints allege that Krapf made was negligent and breached his fiduciary duty to the customer.

In October 2018 a customer filed a complaint alleging that Krapf violated the securities laws including negligence and breach of fiduciary duty causing $500,000 in damages. The claim is currently pending.

Krapf also has two unsatisfied debts including a $3,247 tax lien from May 2015. The fact that a broker cannot manage his own personal finances is material information for a client to consider. In addition, the types of products clients have alleged were unsuitable are high commission products that may be recommended to generate high profits for the advisor at the expense of the client.

Advisor William Gordon Subject to Complaints Over Alternative Investments

April 30, 2019 | by Staff Attorney

Advisor William Gordon (Gordon), currently employed by Capital Financial Services, Inc. (Capital Financial) has been subject to at least 13 customer complaints and one regulatory complaint. According to a BrokerCheck report most of the customer complaints concern alternative investments and direct participation products (DPPs) such as private placements, tenants-in-common trusts, non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), oil & gas programs, annuities, and equipment leasing programs. The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP have extensive experience handling investor losses caused by these types of products.

In January 2019 a customer filed a complaint alleging that Gordon violated the securities laws including unsuitability, misrepresentation and omissions, and breach of fiduciary duty causing $200,000 in damages. The claim is currently pending.

In January 2013 a customer filed a complaint alleging that Gordon violated the securities laws including unsuitability causing $300,964 in damages. The claim settled.

Ameriprise Advisor Stan Leavitt Has An Options Trading Complaint

April 30, 2019 | by Staff Attorney

According to BrokerCheck records financial advisor Stan Leavitt (Leavitt), currently employed by Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. (Ameriprise) has been subject to at least two customer complaints. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), most of Leavitt’s customer complaints allege that Leavitt made unsuitable recommendations and made misrepresentations.

In October 2018 a customer filed a complaint alleging that Leavitt violated the securities laws including misrepresentations and unsuitable investments from April 2015 until June 2017 in options causing $550,000 in damages. The claim is currently pending.

In July 2018 a customer filed a complaint alleging that Leavitt violated the securities laws including misrepresentations from December 2015 until June 2017 in a variable annuity product causing $31,015 in damages. The claim settled.

Morgan Stanley Broker Barry Speyer Subject to Multiple Customer Investment Complaints

April 28, 2019 | by Staff Attorney

According to BrokerCheck records financial advisor Barry Speyer (Speyer), currently employed by Morgan Stanley has been subject to at least seven customer complaints and one regulatory action. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), most of Speyer’s customer complaints allege that Speyer made was negligent and made unsuitable investments.

In January 2019 a customer filed a complaint alleging that Speyer violated the securities laws including unsuitable investments from August 2014 until October 2018 causing damages. The claim is currently pending.

In August 2013 a customer filed a complaint alleging that Speyer violated the securities laws including that Speyer failed to follow the instructions of the client in or about December 2011. The claim was denied by the firm.

Advisor Michael Olinde Discharged Over Unapproved Business Activities

April 25, 2019 | by Staff Attorney

According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) advisor Michael Olinde (Olinde), currently associated with Capital Financial Services, Inc. (Capital Financial), in May 2017, was discharged from his employer LPL Financial LLC (LPL) due to allegations that he violated the firm’s policies regarding outside business activities. Thereafter, according to Olinde’s BrokerCheck, Olinde has been subject to a FINRA investigation regarding his outside business activity.

Engaging in undisclosed outside business activities represents a risk to brokerage firms that the advisor may be engaging in unmonitored securities related businesses. The providing of loans or selling of notes and other investments outside of a brokerage firm constitutes impermissible private securities transactions – a practice known in the industry as “selling away”.

In this case it is unclear what sort of business activities Olinde was engaged in. However, his disclosures include many businesses including: 1) Olinde Brothers Properties – a commercial building partnership; 2) Olinde Financial Group – his d/b/a for brokerage activity; 3) Olinde Investment Holdings LLC; 4) The Massad Olinde Group; 5) Alpha Consulting Group; 6) Prciniple Matters, LLC – a radio program; 7) Avive Nutraceuticals, LLC – partner and board member; 8) Olinde Management, LLC – resendential properties rentals; 9) K & M Olinde Farms; 10) M202 – real estate business.

John Spach Barred Over Securities Laws Violations

April 25, 2019 | by Staff Attorney

According to BrokerCheck records financial advisor John Spach (Spach), formerly employed by Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra) has been subject to at least one customer complaint, one regulatory action, and one employment termination for cause. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Spach’s customer complaint alleges that Spach introduced a client of his independent advisory firm to an outside investor. The client allegedly invested $475,000 and received a promissory note that defaulted.

Thereafter, in July 2018 NFP Retirement Inc. (NFP) discharged Spach claiming violations of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 including co-mingling client assets with his own personal assets, breach of fiduciary duty, unsuitable investment advice, material misstatements, failure to disclose material conflicts of interest, circumvention of compliance policies and procedures, and affirmative misrepresentations to the firm.

Finally, in February 2019 FINRA sanctioned Spach alleging Spach consented to the sanction and findings that he refused to produce documents and information requested by FINRA in connection with its investigation into potential violations relating to a customer complaint. FINRA found that his former firm disclosed that he had been permitted to resign while under internal review relating to the potential violation of various firm policies while attempting to settle a customer complaint with a client of his registered investment advisor.

Broker Ronald Rothchild Has Multiple Customer Investment Complaints

April 23, 2019 | by Staff Attorney

According to BrokerCheck records financial advisor Ronald Rothchild (Rothchild), currently employed by National Securities Corporation (National Securities) has been subject to at least four customer complaint, two financial disclosures, and an employment termination for cause. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), most of Rothchild’s customer complaints allege that Rothchild made was negligent, breached his fiduciary duty, made unsuitable investments, and made misrepresentations.

In July 2018 a customer filed a complaint alleging that Rothchild violated the securities laws including negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and unsuitable investments causing $100,000 in damages. The claim is currently pending.

In March 2018 a customer filed a complaint alleging that Rothchild violated the securities laws including that investments were misrepresented to her and were unsuitable based on her investment objectives and risk tolerance which were also incorrectly stated on new account paperwork. The claim is currently settled.

In December 2016 a customer filed a complaint alleging that Rothchild violated the securities laws including negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and misrepresentations causing $170,000 in damages. The claim is settled for $48,000.

Advisor Alan Dole Subject to Complaints Over Alternative Investments

April 23, 2019 | by Staff Attorney

Advisor Alan Dole (Dole), currently employed by Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. (Cambridge) has been subject to at least two customer complaints. According to a BrokerCheck report some of the customer complaints concern alternative investments and direct participation products (DPPs) such as non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), oil & gas programs, annuities, and equipment leasing programs. The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP have extensive experience handling investor losses caused by these types of products.

In December 2018 a customer filed a complaint alleging that Dole violated the securities laws including the Virginia Securities Act, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, negligent supervision, breach of contract and violation of FINRA rules by recommending oil & gas and insurance related investments causing $348,366 in damages. The claim is currently pending.

In December 2018 another customer filed a complaint alleging that Dole violated the securities laws including the Virginia Securities Act, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, negligent supervision, breach of contract and violation of FINRA rules by recommending oil & gas and insurance related investments causing $497,691 in damages. The claim is currently pending.