Michael Mendenhall (CRD #496391) a former broker with Colorado Financial Service Corporation and UVest Financial Services Group, Inc., was convicted of 25 counts of securities fraud and theft involving elderly victims, and sentenced to 30 years in prison and more than $1.4 million in restitution fees in Denver District Court. The Denver District Court Judge […]

Stephen Nietsch (CRD #3111082, Registered Representative, Boynton Beach, Florida) was barred from association with any FINRA member in any capacity and ordered to pay $20,000, plus interest, in restitution to a customer. The sanctions were based on findings that Nietsch borrowed $20,000 from an elderly customer contrary to his member firm’s procedures prohibiting him from […]

The following information was obtained on FINRA’s website’s ‘Disciplinary Actions, February 2012.”   Neal Seth Smalbach (CRD #1459854, Registered Principal, Palm Harbor, Florida)   submitted an Offer of Settlement in which he was barred from association with any FINRA member in any capacity.   Without admitting or denying the allegations, Smalbach consented to the described […]

Raymond James Financial Services Inc., has paid a $1.79 million arbitration award to an 87-year-old client after going to state court to appeal the judgment writes Darla Mercado, in a November 30, 2011, article for the InvestmentNews.com. The Honorable Judge Emily Tobolowsky, of the 298th Judicial District Court in Dallas last month confirmed the award […]

An article appeared in the About.com Guide, written by Julie Garber regarding a Miami broker and elder abuse.  She wrote that recently a Miami news station reported on the elder abuse case of Josephine Troisi, age 93, and her sister, Mary Teris, age 95. A few years ago the sisters, who live together in Hollywood, Florida, hired […]

A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration panel has ordered Wedbush Securities and one of its former brokers to pay $2.9 million in damages and fees to an elderly investor who allegedly fell victim to a faulty investment scheme. The founder Edward Wedbush, and broker Debbie Michelle Saleh were ordered to pay $2,865,885 in damages. The […]