Securities Lawyers Blog
Our firm is investigating claims made by Castleview Partners, LLC (Castleview Partners) when the firm terminated broker Ralph Fetrow (Fetrow). According to the firm, Fetrow was discharged in September 2016 after allegation were made that Fetrow violated firm policies and was under investigation for possible violations of firm policies and procedures prohibiting trading away and outside business activities.
According to Fetrow’s brokercheck records Fetrow disclosed outside business activities including Painted Hill Farms, Financial Planning Association, Shippensburg University, RAMS 88 Inc, and Ralph Fetrow Consulting. At this time it is unclear whether the allegations stem from one of these disclosed entities or another business practice. 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”. Often times brokers who engage in this practice use outside businesses in order to market their securities.
Fetrow entered the securities industry in 1999. From October 2008 through December 2015 Fetrow was associated with Invest Financial Corporation. Since February 2016, Fetrow has been registered with Kovack Securities Inc. out of the firm’s Lemoyne, Pennsylvania office location.