Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) BrokerCheck reveals disclosures about securities broker James Vernon Hart (also known as Vern Hart) [CRD#: 1122114, Carmel, Indiana]. Hart works with Raymond James Associates Inc. as of June 16, 2011.
Recent disclosures raise concerns about Hart’s conduct, including allegations of excessive fees and mismanagement of a client’s account.
On June 13, 2024, a client’s guardian filed a pending dispute against Hart while he was employed at Raymond James Associates Inc. The allegations claim that Hart did not manage the client’s account in their best interests and/or charged excessive fees. This matter is currently under review in Howard County, Indiana Circuit Court.
On October 12, 1999, a client of NatCity Investments Inc. filed a complaint against Hart, alleging that he failed to execute a stop-loss order for 1,000 shares of over-the-counter (OTC) stock in February 1999. The client claimed that Hart informed him of the stock’s decline in April 1999 but had not sold the shares as instructed. Hart denied receiving the order. The firm settled the complaint for $5,226.
On December 2, 1996, a client of NatCity Investments Inc. and Raffenperger, Hughes Co. alleged that Hart misrepresented insurance policies purchased in 1992 and 1993. The client claimed that the premiums were insufficient to sustain the policy based on guaranteed rates. The parties settled the dispute out of court for $18,500, with Hart contributing $9,255. The firm’s counsel advised settling to avoid trial expenses.
Ccontact Soreide Law Group online or at (888) 760-6552 to consult with a securities attorney. Soreide Law Group works on a contingency basis and advances all costs. The firm is known for helping investors across the country with recovering losses from sales practice misconduct. Hart and his firms deny any wrongdoing in these disputes.
Steven Graham (CRD 1977736) denies the allegations in a pending customer claim filed on August 11, 2026. The disclosure names Western International Securities as the firm, and the claim involves corporate bonds. No arbitrator has ruled on it. His BrokerCheck report also lists a settled bond dispute and a federal court matter from earlier years.
A claim filed on September 11, 2024 names Thomas Hamlin (CRD 2208505) over a 10% Senior Unsecured Note in iCap Fund III. Every disclosure on his BrokerCheck report involves an iCap private placement and names Somerset Securities as the firm. Each one settled, and a settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing.
Peter Po's most recent settlement came on June 28, 2026, when a corporate bond claim settled for $40,000. Po (CRD 3106974) appears in several settled customer disputes over corporate and high-yield bonds. The disclosures name NI Advisors or California Securities as the firm, and each matter ended in a settlement, not a finding.
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