Florida Broker, Heather VanLandingham, Formerly With Suntrust, Fined and Suspended by FINRA

Soreide Law Group, based in Florida, obtained the following information from FINRA’s April 2018 Disciplinary Report on Florida broker:
Heather Xanthe VanLandingham (CRD #5343446, Odessa, Florida)
was fined $5,000 and suspended by FINRA for 20 business days for allegedly effecting transactions in a client’s account at her member firm without the client’s knowledge or authorization.
FINRA’s findings stated that a hacker gained access to the client’s email and sent emails through the client’s account to Heather VanLandingham, the client’s representative, requesting separate wire transfers from the client’s account to outside bank accounts.
Allegedly, Heather VanLandingham did not know the emails were sent by an imposter. VanLandingham complied with the requests and initiated two wire transfers totaling $53,000. In each case allegedly, VanLandingham falsely attested in the firm’s records that she verbally contacted the client. Because there were insufficient funds in the account to fund the latter wire transfer, VanLandingham allegedly sold shares of four securities in the client’s account without authorization from the client.
FINRA stated that based on Heather VanLandingham’s false attestations, the firm processed the wires and disbursed the client’s funds to the outside account.
FINRA’s findings also stated that VanLandingham caused her firm to maintain inaccurate books and records by misrepresenting on firm documents that she had spoken with the client to confirm the wire transfer requests when she had not verbally confirmed the requests.
The suspension was in effect from March 5, 2018, through March 30, 2018.
(FINRA Case #2016048942501)
According to FINRA’s BrokerCheck, Heather VanLandingham has 2 Disclosures on her report.  VanLandingham has been in the securities industry for 4 years and was listed with the following 2 firms:
04/27/2016 - 02/16/2018 SUNTRUST INVESTMENT SERVICES INC - RIVERVIEW, FL
07/06/2013 - 02/17/2016 MORGAN STANLEY - PALM HARBOR, FL
If you experienced financial losses due to the actions or recommendations of former Suntrust of Riverview, Florida, broker Heather VanLandingham, contact the Florida-based Soreide Law Group and speak to an experienced securities lawyer regarding the possible recovery of your investment losses through a FINRA arbitration at:  888-760-6552.
Soreide Law Group operates on a contingency fee basis—no fee if no recovery.  We represent clients nationwide before FINRA.