Dimitrios Koutsoubos

Gana LLP Files Complaint on Behalf of Five Customers Against JP Turner and National Securities Concerning Ralph Calabro’s Churning

August 12, 2014 | by Staff Attorney

Gana Weinstein LLP has recently filed securities arbitration case on behalf of a group of five investors against J.P. Turner Company, L.L.C. (JP Turner) and National Securities Corporation (National Securities) concerning the alleged complete lack of supervision at JP Turner and National Securities to monitor and prevent Ralph Calabro (Calabro) from churning customer accounts.

As a background, Calabro was expelled from the securities industry when on November 8, 2013, the SEC issued an order (SEC Order) finding that JP Turner registered representatives including Calabro, Jason Konner, and Dimitrios Koutsoubos churned customer accounts and Executive Vice President (EVP), Michael Bresner (Bresner), as head of supervision, failed to supervise the representative’s activities.

The SEC alleged that JP Turner knew that numerous accounts had a cost-to-equity ratio greater than 20%, a number sufficiently high to establish an inference of churning requiring close supervision and corrective action. The reports of these accounts resulted in an report being emailed to principals and the compliance office for review including Bresner. The SEC found that the average number of accounts being reviewed for high costs was shockingly high for each quarter in 2008-2009 and was between 300 and 325 accounts and included more than 100 JP Turner registered representatives. Even though these accounts bore the hallmarks of churning, Bresner testified that he could not recall closing an account, personally contacting any JP Turner customers, or even imposing a trading limitation.

SEC Finds That Former JP Turner Broker Dimitrios Koutsoubos Engaged In Churning

December 2, 2013 | by Staff Attorney

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently found that broker Dimitrios Koutsoubos (Koutsoubos) churned the brokerage account of Teddy Bryant (Bryant). The SEC’s decision ordered Koutsoubos to: (1) cease and desist from committing fraud; (2) be barred from association with a broker, dealer, investment adviser, (3) disgorge $30,000 plus prejudgment interest, and (4) pay civil penalties of $130,000.

The SEC allegations against Koutsoubos also involved several other J.P. Turner & Company, LLC (JP Turner) registered representatives including Michael Bresner (Bresner), Ralph Calabro (Calabro), and James Konner (Konner). The SEC alleged that Calabro, Konner, and Koutsoubos between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009, churned the accounts of seven customers by engaging in excessive trading for their own gains in disregard of their clients’ investment objectives and risk tolerances. The SEC claimed that Calabro, Konner, and Koutsoubos generated fees and commissions totaling around $845,000, for their benefit while the clients suffered aggregate losses of approximately $2,700,000.

JP Turner is a registered broker-dealer headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with two majority owners. From 2008 to 2009, JP Turner had approximately 200 small or one-person branch offices. Koutsoubos joined JP Turner in 2000 and left in 2009. Thereafter, Koutsoubos became employed with Caldwell International Securities Corporation.

SEC Order Finds That Former JP Turner Broker Jason Konner Engaged In Churning

November 22, 2013 | by Staff Attorney

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently found that broker Jason Konner (Konner) churned the brokerage account of James Carlson (Carlson). The SEC decision ordered Konner to: (1) cease and desist from committing fraud; (2) be barred from association with a broker, dealer, investment adviser, (3) disgorge $55,000 plus prejudgment interest, and (4) pay civil penalties of $150,000. In addition, at least three customer complaints have been initiated against Konner alleging churning, unsuitable investments, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty.

The SEC allegations against Konner also involved several other J.P. Turner & Company, LLC (JP Turner) registered representatives including Michael Bresner (Bresner), Ralph Calabro (Calabro), and Dimitrios Koutsoubos (Koutsoubos). The SEC alleged that Calabro, Konner, and Koutsoubos between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009, churned the accounts of seven customers by engaging in excessive trading for their own gains in disregard of their clients’ investment objectives and risk tolerances. The SEC claimed that Calabro, Konner, and Koutsoubos generated charges totaling approximately $845,000, for their benefit while the clients suffered aggregate losses of approximately $2,700,000.

JP Turner is a registered broker-dealer headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with two majority owners. From 2008 to 2009, JP Turner had approximately 200 small or one-person branch offices. Konner joined JP Turner in 2006 and left in December 2011. Thereafter, Konner became employed with DPec Capital.

SEC Finds that Former JP Turner Broker Ralph Calabro Churned A Client’s Account

November 19, 2013 | by Staff Attorney

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently found that broker Ralph Calabro (Calabro) churned the brokerage account of Dudley Williams (Williams). The SEC decision ordered Calabro to: (1) cease and desist from committing fraud in violation of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 (Securities Act) and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) and Rule 10b-5; (2) be barred from association with a broker, dealer, investment adviser, (3) disgorge $282,000 plus prejudgment interest, and (4) pay civil penalties of $150,000. In addition, at least six customer complaints have been initiated against Calabro alleging churning, unsuitable investments, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty.

The SEC allegations against Calabro also involved several other J.P. Turner & Company, LLC (JP Turner) registered representatives including Michael Bresner (Bresner), Jason Konner (Konner), and Dimitrios Koutsoubos (Koutsoubos). The SEC alleged that Calabro, Konner, and Koutsoubos between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009, churned the accounts of seven customers by engaging in excessive trading for their own gains in disregard of their clients’ investment objectives and risk tolerances. The SEC alleged that Calabro, Konner, and Koutsoubos generated commissions, fees, and margin interest totaling approximately $845,000, while the clients suffered aggregate losses of approximately $2,700,000.

JP Turner is a registered broker-dealer headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with two majority owners. From 2008 to 2009, JP Turner had between 180 and 200 branch offices, most of which were small or one-person offices. There were approximately five hundred registered representatives in JP Turner’s offices in 2008 and 2009. Calabro joined JP Turner in 2004 and left in 2011. Thereafter, Calabro became associated with National Securities Corp. (National Securities) as a registered representative but not a securities principal. While at JP Turner, Calabro acted as a principal and registered representative in JP Turner’s Parlin, New Jersey office. Calabro’s customer base increased from ten in 2004 to seventy by 2010.