FINRA has reported on the Brokercheck report for former advisor Shane Wilhelm that he has been permanently barred from registration with a FINRA Broker-Dealer. The Report states that Mr. Wilhelm was previously registered with Fortune Financial Services and Truist Investment Services, and that he previously had offices in Roanoke, Virginia,…
FINRA, a regulator of the securities industry, recently barred North Carolina broker Christina Peterman after she failed to respond to a FINRA request for information and documents. The Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent states that the investigation related to a filing by her Broker-Dealer firm, Truist Investment Services, Inc.…
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently announced significant penalties against sixteen firms for widespread recordkeeping failures, amounting to over $81 million in combined fines. Among the firms involved were Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC, Guggenheim Securities LLC, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., Cambridge Investment Research Inc., Key Investment Services LLC,…
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has issued a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (AWC) against LPL Financial LLC, a notable member firm in the securities industry. The AWC alleges a series of alleged rule violations that occurred over several years, painting a picture of insufficient supervision and inaccurate…
The Securities and Exchange Commission of the U.S. (the SEC) recently fined J.P. Morgan Securities $18,000,000 for taking various steps to prevent securities whistleblowers from contacting the SEC or other securities regulators. J.P. Morgan agreed to the Order which can be found here. The alleged wrongdoing centered on the language…
An Atlanta, Georgia area investment adviser, John Woods, was recently sentenced to 8 years in prison for his role in operating a ponzi scheme. Operating over a staggering 13-year period, Woods defrauded more than 400 individuals, including retirees, seniors, and military veterans, resulting in a loss exceeding $49 million. Under…
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) recently issued a disciplinary order against Christopher Booth Kennedy, a former registered representative with Western International Securities, for a series of egregious violations. The order which can be found here, stemming from a complaint filed by FINRA’s Department of Enforcement, outlines Kennedy’s misconduct between…
A former stockbroker / investment advisor from Bergen County, New Jersey, has been indicted for allegedly stealing over $3 million from five unsuspecting clients. Kenneth A. Welsh, 42, of River Edge, has been charged with four counts of wire fraud and one count of investment advisor fraud, as announced by…
Lickhai Quach, a Silver Spring, Maryland broker/agent of Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc., was recently barred by FINRA from association with any FINRA firm. The FINRA Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent states that Mr. Quach refused to produce documents or information to investigators as required by FINRA Rule 8210. Mr.…
Miche Jean was a registered securities salesperson with Morgan Stanley in Rockville, Maryland since 2015. However, on November 12, 2020, Morgan Stanley submitted a Termination Notice (Form U5), indicating that they terminated Jean’s employment due to concerns related to his trading strategy for certain clients, potential unauthorized discretion in specific…