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.
JERRY DAVIS RAINES (CRD#: 4578689), and
DONNA LYNN BARNARD (Also known as: DONNA LYNN BROOKS, DONNA LYNN STARGELL) CRD#: 5653949,
two former brokers from HDVEST INVESTMENT SERVICES of Kilgore, Texas, were barred by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) from acting as a broker or otherwise associating with a broker-dealer firm on September 7, 2018. FINRA barred Raines and Barnard for alleged failure to provide FINRA with documents and information requested in connection with its review of their participation in sales of promissory notes related to a group of unregistered investment companies, the Woodbridge Group of Companies.
Allegedly, JERRY DAVIS RAINES and DONNA LYNN BARNARD did not cooperate in an investigation of a real estate investment Ponzi-like scheme.
In 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged the Woodbridge Group of Companies with running a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme. They claim that the Ponzi scheme targeted 8,400 investors. The SEC filed charges against five unregistered sales personnel in August. In July, FINRA had requested documents from JERRY DAVIS RAINES and DONNA LYNN BARNARD but in August, their lawyers conveyed to FINRA they would not respond. Their failure to cooperate is a violation of FINRA rules and resulted in them both being barred.
According to FINRA’s BrokerCheck, available to the public online on FINRA’s website, Raines and Barnard have numerous ‘Customer Disputes’ pending on their reports. They were both registered with the firms listed below on the same dates. They were also terminated by HD VEST INVESTMENT SERVICES in Kilgore, Texas, due to their alleged involvement in unsuitable sales of Woodbridge securities.
08/05/2014 - 05/22/2017 HD VEST INVESTMENT SERVICES - Kilgore, TX
04/15/2013 - 06/17/2014 SIGNAL SECURITIES INC - KILGORE, TX
If you were a victim of the alleged Ponzi scheme orchestrated in part by JERRY DAVIS RAINES and DONNA LYNN BARNARD formerly with HD VEST INVESTMENT SERVICES of Kilgore, TX, contact Soreide Law Group and speak to an experienced securities lawyer at no cost regarding the possible recovery of your investment losses at: 888-760-6552.
Soreide Law Group represents clients nationwide before FINRA and operates on a contingency fee basis—no fee if no recovery.
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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