Investor Lawyers Blog

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas Investigates Former Merrill Lynch Broker Isaiah Williams

Published on: December 11, 2025 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Broker-Dealer Ordered To Pay $9.5M Settlement in Alleged Athlete Investment Fraud If you are an investor who sustained serious losses while working with ex-Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith stockbroker Isaiah Thomas Williams, Jr., the Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas Athlete Investment Fraud team (investorlawyers.com) wants to talk to you. He was a registered representative […]

Texas Couple Files $5,000,000 Structured Product Lawsuit Against Merrill Lynch

Published on: September 5, 2025 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Our Houston Securities Law Firm Is Representing These Investors In FINRA Arbitration Due to what we believe was a blatant commission grab by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith and its broker Philip Wayne Jones, two Texas investors have suffered extreme portfolio losses involving complex structured notes and the purported churning of mutual funds. Now, they are suing […]

FINRA Fines Merrill Lynch $1.2M and $950K

Published on: January 11, 2022 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Two Merrill Lynch Brokers Stole More Than $6M from 13 Clients In December 2021, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) fined Merrill Lynch in two separate matters. One fine, of $950K, is because the firm allegedly failed to detect that two of its financial advisors had stolen more than $6M from 13 customers in schemes […]

Inappropriate COVID-19 Loan Applications Led To FINRA Sanctions for Brokers From Wells Fargo, J.P. Morgan Securities, and Merrill Lynch

Published on: August 9, 2021 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

COVID Relief Loans Involved Undisclosed Business Outside Their Brokerage Firms According to InvestmentNews, ex-J.P. Morgan Securities broker Gloria Willis, former Merrill Lynch stockbroker Evelyn Batista, and ex-Wells Fargo financial advisor Kenric Sexton have either been barred or suspended from the securities industry. These Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) sanctions were imposed after the self-regulatory organization […]

Merrill Lynch To Pay $11.6M To Settle FINRA Case Over Unsuitable Unit Investment Trust Rollovers

Published on: July 6, 2021 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Over 3,000 Customers May Have Been Charged More Than $8.4M in Excessive Sales Fees The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced that Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith will pay approximately $8.4M in restitution and an over $3.2M fine to settle charges alleging supervisory failures involving unit investment trust (UIT) rollovers. The self-regulatory organization (SRO) […]

Ex-Merrill Lynch Broker Marcus Boggs Pleads Guilty In $3M Investor Fraud

Published on: March 26, 2021 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Former Chicago Stockbroker Defrauded Customers To Fund Luxury Lifestyle Marcus E. Boggs, an ex-Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith registered representative, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud in the federal criminal case accusing him of defrauding former customers of $3M. The ex-Chicago financial advisor admitted to using the money to fund his lavish lifestyle. He […]

Ex-Merrill Lynch Broker Gets Eight Years in Prison For Investor Fraud

Published on: January 3, 2021 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Former Kentucky-Based Merrill Lynch Broker Gets Eight Years in Prison Christopher Lee Hibbard, a former stockbroker for Merrill Lynch and Pierce, Fenner & Smith is sentenced to eight years in prison. The ex-Kentucky stockbroker pleaded guilty to investment fraud and multiple counts of wire fraud earlier this year. Hibbard, who worked 18 years in the […]

Ex-Merrill Lynch Brokers Charles Kenahan & Dermod Cavanaugh Investigated for Alleged Churning After Over $200M in Losses

Published on: July 15, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Ex-New Hampshire Governor is Suing For Damages The New Hampshire Bureau of Securities Regulation is looking into allegations brought by the state’s former governor, Craig Benson, who is accusing ex-Merrill Lynch brokers Dermod Cavanaugh and Charles Kenahan of churning his account and causing over $50M in damages that with market adjustments, he claims, is now […]

Citigroup, LPL Financial, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Securities, and Merrill Lynch Fined $1.4M for Failure to Reasonably Supervise

Published on: March 2, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Broker-Dealers Accused of Not Properly Supervising Custodial Accounts The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced that it has fined five major firms $1.4M in total for not reasonably supervising custodial accounts. The broker-dealers are: Citigroup (C), which will pay $300K. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney (MS), which will pay $300K. JP Morgan Securities (JPM), which will […]

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas Investigates Investor Claims Involving Ex- Broker Ma Rosa Linan Abrego and Merrill Lynch

Published on: February 19, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Fired Merrill Lynch Broker Barred By FINRA Indefinitely If you were an investor who sustained losses while working with Ma Rosa Linan Abrego, contact Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas, LLP (SSEK Law Firm) today. Our brokerage firm misconduct lawyers work with clients who have suffered financial losses due to the negligent, fraudulent or other wrongful […]