KIRSTEN F. HAWKINS (CRD# 2509324) a 45 year-old Staunton, Virginia financial advisor, has admitted to wire fraud and agreed to make restitution of $500,000. According to the U.S. attorney's office, Kirsten Flynn Hawkins was employed at Bank One in Staunton, Virginia, from August 2011 to August 2014, and Hawkins transferred funds to her own personal […]

NOAH L. MYERS (CRD# 2387620) a former investment advisor from Lyme, Connecticut, was sentenced to prison for 40 months. Myers pled guilty to engaging in fraudulent trade allocations involving “cherry picking.” Myers "picked" good investments for himself and left his clients with the bad ones, according to the SEC. Noah L. Myers the former owner […]

JOHN M. BABIARZ (CRD# 3047247), a New England financial advisor, has admitted to stealing $645,000 from his elderly clients. One of the elderly clients considered Babiarz a friend until she found out that a large portion of her savings was gone. Babiarz told his client he was liquidating some of her investments to purchase Facebook […]

FINRA has ordered Fifth Third Securities and one of its registered reps, Mark Vernon Rottler (CRD# 2369550), to pay a client for allegedly making unsuitable investments which cost the client over $125,000. Allegedly, Rottler made unsuitable recommendations of mutual funds, structured products, and equities. The client opened an account with Fifth Third Securities in 2002, […]

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) recently fined Merrill Lynch $175,000 because, according to FINRA, they took a year to report the allegations that one of its financial advisors, Greg Campbell of Clayton, MO, misappropriated more than $1.7 from client accounts. Campbell left Merrill Lynch in Oct. 2011, and went to LPL Financial Holdings Inc. […]

Michael Christopher Evangelista (CRD #2361644, West Chester, Pennsylvania) was barred by FINRA for failing to disclose to his member firms that firm clients were purchasing securities away from the firms or that he was being compensated in connection with his referrals. FINRA's findings stated that Evangelista referred approximately six customers to a third party, and […]

Donald L. Bratten (CRD #1904756, North Platte, Nebraska) was assessed a deferred fine of $10,000 and suspended by FINRA member for four months for allegedly participating in a private securities transaction without providing prior written notice to or obtaining approval from his member firm. FINRA's findings stated that Bratten solicited two firm clients to invest […]

Joseph Brandon Westphal (CRD #4769381, Tampa, Florida) was barred by FINRA for failure to respond to FINRA requests to provide documents and information. FINRA's findings stated that FINRA was investigating allegations by Joseph Westphal’s previous member firm that he opened multiple accounts without approval, had stolen funds, and had committed serious ethical violations. (FINRA Case […]

The following summation of information from FINRA's Website under "Disciplinary and Other Actions, January, 2015," was obtained by the Florida-based Soreide Law Group (888) 760-6552 . Alfred Pierrepont Reeves III (CRD #372836, Hallandale, Florida) was barred by FINRA and ordered to pay $28,704.93, plus prejudgment interest, in restitution to his former employer. The NAC affirmed […]