Currently, the Soreide Law Group is investigating the sales and marketing of Bluerock Real Estate's private placement offering of BR Senior Secured Debenture Trust, LLC. According to the description, "The Trust is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bluerock Real Estate, LLC (“Bluerock”). Bluerock is a national real estate investment firm headquartered in Manhattan, focused on acquiring, […]

Andrew Martin Abern (CRD #1610607, Registered Principal, Miami, Florida) was censured and fined $25,000. Without admitting or denying the findings, Abern consented to the described sanctions and to the entry of findings that he provided some customers with VA expense disclosure forms that contained inaccurate information; the forms understated the annual expenses that would be […]

In a recent Reuters article, they write that FINRA, or The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, is examining major brokerages regarding potential conflicts of interest and financial incentives associated with the sale of complex securities, said the Wall Street regulator's chief. Richard Ketchum, FINRA's chairman and chief executive, said that FINRA is looking "very closely" at […]

FINRA Case Number 11-01278, awards $158,250.00 to the defrauded Claimants for the alleged supervisory failures of Harvest Capital, LLC, of Gregg Rennie and his branch office. Rennie is now serving a prison sentence for selling fictitious notes to investors. Since early 2007, Gregg Rennie, the popular radio host and financial advisor, defrauded numerous clients approximately […]

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 […]

Stephen Paul Tommelleo (CRD #1597585, Registered Principal, Boca Raton, Florida) submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which he was fined $5,000, suspended from association with any FINRA member in any capacity for three months and ordered to pay $14,990, plus interest, in restitution to a customer. Without admitting or denying the findings, […]

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 […]

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 […]

Patrick Alan Deramus (CRD #1718409, Registered Principal, Tampa, 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 six months. Without admitting or denying the findings, Deramus consented to the described sanctions and to the entry of findings […]