FINRA has barred former Wells Fargo broker Mario Rivero, Jr. from the securities industry for failing to cooperate with a FINRA investigation into allegations made by two former customers.
If you have lost money with Mario Rivero, Jr., Wells Fargo, or LPL Financial LLC, contact FINRA arbitration lawyers Iorio Altamirano LLP for a free and confidential evaluation of your account.
FINRA Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent
FINRA has barred former LPL Financial LLC broker John Edgar Simmons, Jr. from the securities industry for refusing to cooperate with a FINRA investigation.
Mr. Simmons, Jr. was most recently registered as a broker with LPL Financial LLC in Gulf Breeze, Florida.
If you have lost money with John Edgar Simmons, Jr., or LPL Financial LLC, contact FINRA arbitration lawyers Iorio Altamirano LLP for a free and confidential evaluation of your account.
FINRA has barred former LPL Financial LLC broker John Scott from the securities industry. According to FINRA, the matter originated from an investigation of Mr. Scott’s potential participation in certain private placement offerings.
If you have lost money with John Scott, or LPL Financial LLC, contact New York securities arbitration lawyers Iorio Altamirano LLP for a free and confidential evaluation of your account.
Iorio Altamirano LLP represents investors in disputes with their financial advisors and brokerage firms, such as LPL Financial LLC.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has suspended financial advisor Elias Hakimian from the securities industry for three months. Mr. Hakimian consented to the suspension after FINRA alleged that he borrowed $120,000 from a customer without notice to or obtaining written pre-approval from his employing brokerage firm, LPL Financial LLC, in violation of FINRA Rules 3240 and 2010. FINRA also fined Mr. Hakimian $5,000.
LPL Financial LLC allowed Mr. Hakimian to “voluntarily resign” after a customer alleged that he engaged in churning in the customer’s accounts and invested the customer’s funds in speculative ventures contrary to the customer’s objectives and risk tolerance, in addition to taking loans from the customer.
Excessive trading occurs when a financial advisor makes many trades in a customer’s account, not to benefit the customer but to generate commissions for the broker.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has barred stockbroker Rhett Douglas Bedwell from the securities industry. Mr. Bedwell was expelled from the brokerage industry for refusing to cooperate with a FINRA investigation in whether Mr. Bedwell moved a client’s IRA to a different administrator and used forged documentation to invest the client’s money into a Ponzi Scheme.
Mr. Bedwell was a financial advisor with LPL Financial LLC (“LPL Financial”) in Rodgers, Arkansas, from November 2017 until his employment ended in August 2019. On September 9, 2020, LPL Financial disclosed that Mr. Bedwell had been identified in a pending customer arbitration alleging that in 2019, he moved a client’s IRA to a different administrator and used forged documentation to invest the client’s money into a Ponzi Scheme.
Before his employment with LPL Financial, Mr. Bedwell was a financial advisor at Arvest Wealth Management in Bentonville, Arkansas, from July 2015 until November 2017.
FINRA has barred former LPL stockbroker Bradley Allen Goodbred from the securities industry for refusing to respond to an information request issued pursuant to FINRA Rule 8210.
On February 1, 2021, LPL terminated Goodbred’s registration by filing a Form U5, stating that Goodbred had been terminated because he failed to disclose and obtain the firms’ approval to act as power of attorney for a customer, in violation of firm policy. LPL stated that as a power of attorney, Mr. Goodbred requested and facilitated distributions of funds from his customer’s outside advisory accounts and deposited the funds into the customer’s bank account. He then had the customer provide him with personal checks totaling $430,000. The checks were made payable to a real estate company representative owned and operated as an outside business activity. Goodbred and FINRA entered into a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (“AWC”) on February 16, 2021.
FINRA indicated that the matter originated from a tip received by FINRA staff on January 13, 2021.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has suspended financial advisor Scott Richard Hansen for three months from the securities industry over allegations that Mr. Hansen, who is not a lawyer and did not attend law school, prepared a will and trust agreement for an elderly client who was in hospice care. FINRA also fined Mr. Hansen $7,500.
At the time of the alleged conduct, Mr. Hansen was a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Moab, Utah. LPL Financial terminated his employment in March 2020 for his conduct.
If you have lost money with broker Scott Hansen or LPL Financial, contact New York securities arbitration lawyers Iorio Altamirano LLP for a free and confidential review of your account.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has suspended financial advisor Arthur Obermeier from the securities industry for 60 days and fined him $5,000. Mr. Obermeier’s sanctions arise from his execution of trades without his customers’ authorization or consent.
Arthur Obermeier was registered with LPL Financial LLC in Boulder, Colorado, from June 2002 until his employment was terminated in May 2019. LPL Financial LLC fired Mr. Obermeier, alleging that he exercised discretion in clients’ accounts without authorization.
If you have suffered financial losses investing with Arthur Obermeier or suspect that Mr. Obermeier executed trades in your account without authorization, contact New York securities arbitration law firm Iorio Altamirano LLP for a free and confidential consultation.
FINRA has barred stockbroker Christopher B. Black from the securities industry. FINRA handed down the expulsion because Mr. Black refused to provide information and documents connected with FINRA’s investigation into whether Mr. Black entered into undisclosed loan arrangements with a customer. Mr. Black was a financial advisor at LPL Financial LLC in Statesboro, Georgia, from October 2017 until his employment was terminated in April 2020 for violating firm policy for not disclosing the loan arrangements. Mr. Black has also been affiliated with the following business entities: Renasant Financial Services and LPL Business.
Mr. Black has also been the subject of three customer complaints while employed by LPL Financial LLC. First, in April 2020, a customer alleged that Mr. Black recommended the purchase of bonds that were not suitable for the investor. A second customer filed a complaint in July 2020, also alleging misrepresentation and unsuitable recommendations regarding the purchase of bond investments. Third, a customer filed a complaint in October 2020, which alleged that Mr. Black misappropriated funds between August 2019 and April 2020. No further details are publicly available regarding this pending complaint.
Before his employment with LPL Financial LLC, Mr. Black was a financial advisor at Wells Fargo in St. Simons Island, Georgia, from November 2013 until September 2017.
A recently filed FINRA customer complaint alleges that a former LPL Financial and Ameriprise Financial Services broker recommended unsuitable investments in a number of business development companies (BDCs) and real estate investment trusts (REITs), as well as other high-commission illiquid investment recommendations. The allegations focus on the broker’s time with LPL Financial from 2006 to 2015 and with Ameriprise Financial Services from 2015 to 2016. Claimants’ statement of claim, which was filed on or around September 9, 2020, seeks damages of $3.9 million.
Iorio Altamirano LLP is interested in speaking with any customers who may have suffered losses in their business development companies (BDCs) and real estate investment trusts (REITs) investments. If you have lost money with LPL Financial or Ameriprise Financial Services, contact New York securities arbitration lawyers Iorio Altamirano LLP for a free and confidential evaluation of your account.
Business Development Companies (BDCs)
Securities Arbitration Lawyer Blog