Failure to Supervise

Former Wells Fargo Broker Douglas Melzer Barred Over Private Securities Transactions

June 24, 2015 | by Staff Attorney

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) recently sanctioned and barred broker Douglas Melzer (Melzer) concerning allegations that between November 2011, and May 2012, while registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC (Wells Fargo), Melzer solicited four customers to invest $2,000,000 in an outside investment without providing his firm notice. According to FINRA Melzer was compensated at least $26,500. Unapproved sales activities and transactions are referred to as “selling away” in the industry.

Melzer entered the securities industry in 2008 when he became registered with Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo terminated Melzer’s registration in January 2013 in connection with his unapproved sales activity. Melzer was registered with Park Avenue Securities LLC from March 2013, through January 2015.

The conduct alleged against Melzer is a “selling away” securities violations. 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. However, even though the brokerage firm claim ignorance of their advisor’s activities, under the FINRA rules, a brokerage firm owes a duty to properly 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.

Wells Fargo Broker Aaron Parthemer Barred Over Private Securities Sales

May 19, 2015 | by Staff Attorney

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) barred broker Aaron Parthemer (Parthemer) concerning allegations that Parthemer engaged in private securities transactions – also known as “selling away.” FINRA alleged that from June 2009, through March 2013, Parthemer engaged in several undisclosed outside business activities, loaned nearly $400,000 to three firm customers without permission from his firm, presented an undisclosed private securities transaction through which eight firm customers invested more than $3 million, and provided false information and false documents to Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, and FINRA.

In October 1994 Parthemer first became registered with FINRA firm. From June 2009, through October 21, 2011, he was registered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (Morgan Stanley). On November 4, 2011, Morgan Stanley filed a filed a termination notice stating that Parthemer’s termination from the firm was voluntary. From October 21, 2011, until May 2015, Parthemer was registered with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC (Wells Fargo).

FINRA found that from approximately July 2009, through February 2012, Parthemer participated in a private securities transaction regarding a company referred to by the initials “GVC”, a startup internet branding company managed by a friend of Parthemers referred to by the initials “GH”. FINRA alleged that Parthemer referred several of his NFL and NBA clients to his friend for the purpose of investing in GVC. Subsequently, approximately eight of Parthemer’s clients purchased approximately $3.08 million of preferred GVC stock. FINRA found that Parthemer facilitated the transactions by hosting a presentation for investors conducted by GH at Parthemer’s home, sending PowerPoint presentations and other information concerning GVC to potential investors, and forwarding and retrieving required documentation to and from investors.

Former Edward Jones Advisor Daniel Retzke Barred Over Private Securities Investigation

April 21, 2015 | by Staff Attorney

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) recently sanctioned and barred broker Daniel Retzke (Retzke) concerning allegations Retzke refused to appear for on-the-record testimony requested by FINRA in connection with an investigation into possible private securities transactions and the soliciting of a loan (also referred to as “selling away”). According to FINRA BrokerCheck records Retzke has disclosed outside business activities include Country Inn & Suites, Galena Lodging Photography, Galena Lodging, and Retzke LLC. It is unclear whether FINRA’s investigation concerns these particular outside business activity. In addition, there have been at least three customer complaints filed against Retzke some which allege unsuitable investments.

ln December 1983, Retzke first became registered with a FINRA firm. In January 1992, Retzke became associated with Edward Jones. On November 13, 2014, Edward Jones filed a Uniform Termination Notice with FINRA disclosing that Retzke was discharged on October 14, 2014.

According to FINRA, in January, 2015, the agency began investigating whether Retzke had engaged in a private securities transaction and solicited a loan from a client. As part of its investigation, on January 30, 2015, FINRA sent a request to Retzke. According to FINRA, Retzke stated on a call with FINRA staff on February 3, 2015, that he will not cooperate with the investigation. Consequently, Retzke was barred by FINRA.

LPL Financial Advisor Raymond Schmidt Accused of Borrowing Millions for Hawaii Real Estate Investments

April 15, 2015 | by Staff Attorney

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) recently barred broker Raymond Schmidt (Schmidt) due to Schmidt’s refusal to respond to requests made by the agency. FINRA found that from approximately May 2009, through November 2012, Schmidt borrowed approximately $2.25 million from seven customers of LPL Financial LLC (LPL) and also engaged in outside business activities without notifying the firm. FINRA also alleged that between 2009 and 2014, Schmidt submitted five false compliance questionnaires and three false disclosures of outside business activities and loans to the firm.

In July 2006, Schmidt became associated with LPL. In a termination notice dated September 24, 2014, the LPL reported that on August 25, 2014, Schmidt had resigned while under internal review by LPL.

FINRA found that in or around May 2009, Schmidt purchased a real estate investment in Hawaii that he developed into a vacation rental property. In May 2012 that property opened for business. FINRA found that Schmidt was the sole owner and operator of the property and the business but failed to notify LPL of this outside business activity. FINRA alleged that from approximately May 2009, through November 2012, Schmidt borrowed $2,254,818 from seven LPL customers for the purpose of purchasing the real estate in Hawaii and constructing a vacation rental property.

Former MetLife and Pruco Securities Advisor Bryan Anderson Charged With Ponzi Scheme

April 10, 2015 | by Staff Attorney

According to news sources Bryan Anderson (Anderson) has been charged with wire fraud, money laundering and securities fraud, according to the FBI and the Alabama Securities Commission Anderson agreed to plead guilty to the charges under a plea agreement. Under the plea agreement Anderson will pay restitution of about $3.1 million to the victims of his Ponzi scheme.

According to the allegations, between January 2009 and January 2014, Anderson’s false investment promises caused 18 individuals to deliver more than $8.4 million to Anderson, which he deposited into an account held at BancorpSouth. When the scheme collapsed in May 2014, about 12 investors lost about $3.1 million.

It is alleged that Anderson solicited investors to invest in stock options that he said employed various trading strategies. However, the stock options he described were not registered securities. Anderson also offered investments in a company he owned called 360 Properties. Beginning in or about 2009, Anderson falsely represented to investors in 360 Properties that their returns would come from leased property income, when in fact there were no leased properties.

EDI Financial Sanctioned Over Private Placement Supervisory Failures

April 1, 2015 | by Staff Attorney

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) sanctioned brokerage firm EDI Financial, Inc. (EDI Financial) alleging that the firm’s business involved the sales of private placement offerings. From approximately January 2008 through November 2014, FINRA alleged that a substantial portion of EDI Financial’s revenue came from sales of private placements. But despite the importance of private placement sales to EDI Financial’s bottom line FINRA alleged that the firm failed to have adequate policies and procedures to supervise the sales of its private placement activities.

EDI Financial has been a registered broker-dealer since 1986. The firm conducts a general securities business which includes the sales of private placements and mutual funds. The firm has 70 brokers that operate out of its 22 branch offices, with headquarters in Irving, Texas.

FINRA found that EDI Financial failed to adopt and implement a supervisory systems reasonably designed to achieve compliance with the firm’s suitability obligations for the solicitation and sale of private placements. For example, FINRA determined that the firm lacked adequate written procedures concerning the what concentration of a customer’s assets could be allocated to private placements. Additionally, FINRA alleged that the firm did not effectively monitor customers’ exposure to private placements.

FINRA Bars Former Legend Equities Principal Jerry Chancy Concerning Outside Business Activities

March 26, 2015 | by Staff Attorney

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) sanctioned and barred broker Jerry Chancy (Chancy) concerning allegations that Chancy potentially engage in outside business activities and/or the sales of private securities. When a broker’s outside business activities also include the recommendation of investments the activity is referred to in the industry as “selling away.”

FINRA Rule 8210 authorizes FINRA to require persons associated with a FINRA member to provide information with respect to any matter involved in the investigation. In December 2014, FINRA alleged that it pursued an investigation into allegations that Chancy engaged in undisclosed outside business activities. On January 29, 2015, FINRA requested that Chancy appear and provide testimony. FINRA stated that Chancy told the regulator that he would not provide information or cooperate in the investigation. Consequently, he was barred from the industry It is unclear what organization or product Chancy was involved with or selling that FINRA was investigating.

Chancy first became registered with FINRA through his association with a member firm in 1988. From November 2006 through January 2015, Cadwallader was associated with Legend Equities Corporation.

World Equity Group Alleged to Have Sold Private Placements Without Proper Due Diligence Part III

March 20, 2015 | by Staff Attorney

This post continues our firm’s investigation concerning the recent allegations brought by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) sanctioning brokerage firm World Equity Group, Inc. (World Equity) concerning at least seven different allegations of supervisory failures that occurred between 2009 through 2012. FINRA’s allegations include failures to implement an adequate supervisory system and concerned both internal processes at the firm and procedures and in the handling of customer accounts in the areas of suitability of transactions in non-traditional ETFs, private placements, and non-traded REITs.

FINRA requires firms preserve for at least 6 years all communications relating to its business and to provide for ways to store electronic media. FINRA found that in May 2011, the World Equity opened a new branch office at 311 W. Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois. FINRA alleged that errors in the process of transferring several representatives at that branch to World Equity emails of the representatives were not maintained and preserved before April 13, 2012. In addition, FINRA found that the firm failed to maintain business related emails for ten representatives who used their personal emails for business purposes.

FINRA also alleged that World Equity failed to conduct due diligence in connection with private placements offering from July 2009, through January 2012. During that time FINRA alleged that the firm conducted at least eight private placements including a product called Newport Digital Technologies, Inc. (NDT) and sold more than $6 million in these offerings. In addition, FINRA found that from August 23, 2010 to July 17, 2012 the firm conducted at least five Non-Traded REIT offerings and sold more than $3 million in these offerings.

Gana LLP Investigates WFG Investments Sale of Servergy, Inc.

March 19, 2015 | by Staff Attorney

The law offices of Gana Weinstein LLP have been investigating the sales of Servergy, Inc. (Servergy) stock through a private placement by WFG Investments, Inc (WFG) to its clients. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently filed an action in the Northern District of Texas against Servergy concerning possible violations of the anti-fraud provisions of federal and state securities laws. Between August 2009 and February 2013, Servergy raised approximately $26 million by selling shares of its common stock to private investors

Servergy is a Nevada company headquartered in Texas formed in August 2009. The company’s main product is the developing and manufacturing the Cleantech 1000 Server (CTS-1000), technology that can be used in network function virtualization, distributed storage, and cloud computing. The SEC’s Servergy lawsuit concerns misstatements made by Servergy’s CEO, William Mapp III, to investment advisors and investors regarding Servergy’s prospects. Specifically, it was alleged that the company made statements indicating that Freescale Semiconductor had previously ordered CTS-1000 servers, that Amazon.com, Inc. had pre-ordered the server, and that the CTS-1000 consumes 80% less power, cooling, and space than its competitors.

However, according to the SEC, there was no evidence to back up that Mapp’s statements that Freescale’s ever placed such orders of the CTS-1000. The SEC also alleged that the claims concerning pre-orders from Amazon for the CTS-1000 did not exist. Finally, the SEC alleged that there were errors in a chart titled “Comparing Servergy to the Blade Server Competition” that was included in one of the Company’s private placement memoranda.

FINRA Bars Douglas Melzer Concerning Aquatic Synthesis Unlimited Investments

March 15, 2015 | by Staff Attorney

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) sanctioned and barred broker Douglas Melzer (Melzer) concerning allegations that Melzer participated in four private securities transactions when four of his Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC (Wells Fargo) customers invested $2,000,000 in a company called Aquatic Synthesis Unlimited (Aquatic Synthesis) through investment contracts that were not approved by Wells Fargo. According to FINRA, Melzer received at least $27,000 plus a 2.5% member interest in the investment as compensation for the recommendations. FINRA found that Melzer failed to provide written notice to the firm or receive approval prior to participating in the private securities transactions also known as “selling away” in the industry.

Aquatic Synthesis is a gas drilling waste water treatment facility located in Indiana County. According to news sources , in or about August 2013, after several spills and at least four violation orders, state environmental regulators have shut down the company’s operations. The state Department of Environmental Protection revoked Aquatic Synthesis’ permit and started to use the company’s $1 million bond to begin cleaning up the site.

In addition, FINRA found that in May 2011, the firm became aware that Melzer had requested that the broker codes on certain accounts be altered. These codes are used by Wells Fargo to determine the appropriate split of commissions between Melzer and his partners. By changing the code, Melzer caused commissions that should have been paid to one of Melzer’s partners to be attributed to Melzer without the partner’s knowledge.