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.

John N Matson, a former financial advisor, was associated with LPL Financial LLC of Manhattan Beach, California, from 2007 to 2015 and 2017 to 2022. Prior to returning to LPL FINANCIAL LLC, he was affiliated with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. of Los Angeles, California from 2015 to 2017, according to FINRA's BrokerCheck.
His professional records include regulatory actions by FINRA in 2022 and SEC in 2024, as well as customer disputes related to his advisory activities. Below is the summary of these cases:
In December 2022, John Nicholas Matson was prohibited from associating with any FINRA-member firms. This action was taken after he allegedly refused to provide the requested documents and information during an investigation into his recommending promissory notes to a customer.
The investigation was initiated after an 80-year-old customer registered a complaint, as per FINRA’s official report. The customer alleged issues with payment related to these notes. Matson’s alleged lack of cooperation with the FINRA inquiry led to the imposition of the indefinite bar.
In July 2024, the U.S. SEC opened a civil investigation involving John Matson and his company, South Bay Acquisitions LLC.
The SEC complaint alleged that Matson raised approximately $1.5 million from five investors by selling unregistered securities as "LLC Bonds," which promised returns of 12% to 20%. The SEC also alleged that investor funds were diverted for personal use, and some funds were used to pay returns to earlier investors.
Between 2010 and 2023, Matson was the subject of multiple customer complaints, according to FINRA BrokerCheck. The most notable complaints were filed in January and July 2023.
If you want to discuss John N Matson or any other securities-related issues, contact an experienced securities lawyer at Soreide Law Group for a free consultation: 888-760-6552.
Soreide Law Group represents our clients nationally before FINRA on a contingency basis.
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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