The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is ordering Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments (PKS) to pay almost $3.4M in restitution to a Native American tribe. The tribe had paid excessive sales fees for the purchase of Business Development Companies (BDCs) and non-traded Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Gopi Vungarala was the Purshe…
Texas First Financial CEO is Arrested For Fraud Authorities have arrested Bobby Eugene Guess, an ex-Texas-based registered representative and the CEO and founder of Texas First Financial, for financial fraud. Guess promoted himself as a financial expert through financial seminars and radio promotions in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He is accused…
A class action securities case brought by stockholders is accusing American Capital Agency Corp. of charging excessive management fees that were given to directors and executive officers as compensation. The real estate investment trust invests in agency mortgaged backed securities “on a leveraged basis.” Because of this, American Capital must…
In a recent Investor Alert, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority said that it wants investors to be aware of the risks involved in investing in non-traded real estate investment trusts that are publicly registered. The regulator is also recommending that investors ask the right questions regarding benefits, fees, and features.…
United Development Funding IV, a Texas real estate investment trust, said that it has received a Wells Notice from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. This is a sign that the regulator’s staff will likely recommend an enforcement action against the mortgage and development REIT. There are individuals connected to…
Brian S. Block, the ex-CFO of American Realty Capital Properties Inc., now called Vereit, has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges that accuse him making false filings with the SEC, making false certifications, securities fraud, and conspiracy to commit securities fraud. His criminal trial is scheduled for May 2017. …
Raymond James and Robert W. Baird Are Charged With Compliance Failures The Securities and Exchange Commission said that Robert W. Baird and Co. and Raymond James & Associates (RJF) will pay $250K and $600K, respectively, to settle charges accusing them of compliance failures in their own wrap free programs.…
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is ordering WFG Advisors to pay a $100K penalty for charging clients too much on their investments business development companies and real estate investment trusts. The Dallas-based firm is the registered investment advisory arm of Williams Finance Group. According to the regulator, the purported…
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Galvin is ordering seven brokerage firms to pay $238K in fines for their involvement in the proxy fraud committed by Realty Capital Securities. The broker-dealers are: · Voya Financial Advisors Inc. (VOYA) · Invest Financial Corp. · FMN Capital Corp. · Platinum Wealth…
According to InvestmentNews, a number of independent broker-dealers could find themselves in legal hot waters, should investors decide to pursue them through arbitration for selling UDF real estate investment trusts. United Development Funding is under investigation over allegations that the UDF IV was run for years like a Ponzi scam.…