In a recent MoneyWatch article, Steve Vernon writes that investment fraud and financial abuse targeting the elderly is a major problem today, according to a recent survey by the Investor Protection Trust and Investor Protection Institute. The top three ways in which seniors are exploited are: Theft of diversion of funds or property by caregivers […]

Carlos Dawkins aka Andy Dawkins (CRD #5340915, Registered Representative, Douglasville, Georgia) submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which he was barred from association with any FINRA member in any capacity. Without admitting or denying the findings, Dawkins consented to the described sanction and to the entry of findings that he improperly shared […]

David Marasek (CRD #2866848, Registered Representative, Boca Raton, Florida) submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which he was fined $5,000 and suspended from association with any FINRA member in any capacity for 10 business days. Without admitting or denying the findings, Marasek consented to the described sanctions and to the entry of […]

Brent Keith Deviney (CRD #2131402, Registered Representative, West Palm Beach, Florida) was barred from association with any FINRA member in any capacity. The sanction was based on findings that Deviney failed to respond to FINRA requests for information and documents, and to appear for on-the-record interviews in connection with an investigation of allegations that Deviney […]

Robert Nunes Da Frota (CRD #2137208, Registered Representative, Fort Myers, Florida) submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which he was fined $10,000, suspended from association with any FINRA member in any capacity for six months and ordered to make full repayment of the outstanding balance on a customer’s loan. Without admitting or […]

Soreide Law Group is currently investigating Alpine Total Dynamic Dividend Fund (AOD). There were nearly 220 million shares sold to the public with a Closed-End Fund trading 31.45% above its Net Asset Value. It may soon be no longer one of the more favored of the Alpine funds. Alpine has recently disclosed that they have […]

The Securities and Exchange Commission alleged three former brokers at JP Turner & Co. in Atlanta, traded excessively in accounts of seven clients from January, 2008, through December, 2009. Regulators reported that these three brokers churned their client's accounts and received $845,000 in commissions and fees for themselves and the brokerage. Unfortunately, their customers lost […]

On September 9th, 2012, at the annual meeting of the North American Securities Administrators Association Inc. (NASAA) in Coronado, California, the top five types of violations in some areas of supervision at broker-dealers were: failure to follow written supervisory policies, suitability, correspondence/e-mail, maintenance of customer account information and internal audits, according to the results of […]

Raymond James, FINRA ID # 11-03503 (Bradenton, FL, 8/21/2012) A split FINRA arbitration panel awarded $985,700, including triple damages, to an elderly customer on his misappropriation claim. This award against Paul David Arnold, and Raymond James and Associates, Inc., of Bradenton, Florida, involved the purchasing of an annuity, electronic transfers and conversion of funds of […]