Ernesto Chavez (CRD: 4315877) faces a new pending claim on BrokerCheck over an investment made in 2018. The customer alleges $180,000 in damages, and no arbitrator has ruled on the claim.
Without admitting or denying the findings, Howard Kavinsky (CRD: 5881623) consented to FINRA findings that he falsified at least 190 consolidated account statements, according to BrokerCheck. Those statements covered at least eight customers, some of whom were seniors.
His report also lists customer disputes that settled, the largest for $410,000 in August 2026, plus a pending claim. Each of them names B. Riley Wealth Management.
FINRA filed the regulatory matter, case number 2024082486101, on December 20, 2024. Without admitting or denying the findings, Howard Kavinsky consented to the sanction and to the entry of findings against him.
According to the findings, he falsified the statements by overstating the customers' account balances. FINRA also found that the statements reflected fictitious investments.
A consolidated statement is a summary report that a broker or firm prepares. It can pull together accounts held at different places and show them on one page. However, it is not the official account statement, which comes from the firm or custodian that actually holds the assets.
Because a broker can build a consolidated report by hand, investors can compare its balances with their official statements. When the two do not match, the official statement is the one to rely on, and the gap is a question to raise with the firm.
The customer filed this claim on August 28, 2025 under docket number 25-01629, alleging $2,000,000 in damages. According to the disclosure, the customer alleges the representative created fraudulent account statements and churned the account. The matter settled for $410,000 on August 12, 2026.
Earlier, on March 23, 2026, Howard Kavinsky settled a separate claim for $175,000. That customer filed on May 6, 2025, alleging unauthorized trading and excessive trading, with damages of $258,677.
Clients filed another claim on June 22, 2024 under docket number 24-02699, alleging $760,000 in damages. They said the representative refused to give them copies of their statements, and they believed their balances were inaccurate.
Their attorney further alleged that client funds had gone missing over the prior two years, including qualified funds taken out of qualified accounts. The claim also alleged false and misleading balance information. Kavinsky settled the matter for $150,000 on October 15, 2025.
Meanwhile, a customer filed a further claim on September 12, 2025 under docket number 25-01841, alleging $200,000 in damages. It makes the same allegations of fraudulent account statements and a churned account.
That claim remains pending, and no arbitrator has ruled on it.
FINRA member firms must supervise the activities of their brokers. If you have questions about an account that Howard Kavinsky handled, call Soreide Law Group at (888) 760-6552. You can also reach us online to speak with a securities attorney. Our securities lawyers handle FINRA arbitration claims on a contingency fee basis. Learn how FINRA arbitration works.
This post summarizes public FINRA records, including BrokerCheck, as of October 6, 2026. Allegations in customer complaints and arbitrations are claims, not findings. Pending claims remain open and undecided. A settlement is also not an admission of wrongdoing. FINRA may also update or correct these records after that date.
Ernesto Chavez (CRD: 4315877) faces a new pending claim on BrokerCheck over an investment made in 2018. The customer alleges $180,000 in damages, and no arbitrator has ruled on the claim.
William Tunink (CRD: 2738224) settled a customer claim for $299,000 on August 11, 2026, according to his BrokerCheck report. The customer alleged that he obtained loans from the customer, and that some of the money went into an investment.
Tony Barouti (CRD: 3031995) faces a pending $230,400 customer claim, according to his BrokerCheck report. He says the allegations in it are false. His report also lists SEC administrative and cease-and-desist proceedings from August 2025.
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