Joseph Michaletz Named in Multiple Customer Disputes Since December 2019 Joseph Gerard Michaletz, a Dai Securities broker, is the subject of seven customer complaints that were filed over the last eight months. The allegations against him claim that he sold GPB private placements to customers for whom they were unsuitable. This…
Ex-Morgan Stanley Broker Admits To Criminal Investment Fraud, Faces SEC Charges Michael Barry Carter, a former Morgan Stanley (MS) broker, has pleaded guilty to federal investment fraud and wire fraud charges involving a scam in which he defrauded five customers. This included at least one elderly client, of more than…
FINRA Bars Former Registered Representative Following Probe Into Accusations Bryant Edwin Caveness, an ex-Ameriprise Financial Services stockbroker, has been barred by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) after he stopped cooperating in the self-regulatory organization (SRO)’s probe into his firing by the firm. According to his Form U5 termination letter,…
Former National Securities Stockbroker Named in Over 12 Customer Disputes Thomas Edison Kelly, Jr., an Aegis Capital broker, has been the subject of a number of customer complaints between 2013 and 2020, three of which are still pending. Prior to working for Aegis Capital in 2018, Kelly was a National…
Delayed Filing with the SEC Shows 45.2% Drop in AUM Over 18 Months Last month, GPB Capital Holdings finally filed its Form ADV with the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) after requesting an extension from the regulator in 2019. In the form, the alternative asset firm, which is already under…
Colorado Investment Firm Fined $200K For Investing Unqualified Buyers Into Unsuitable Investments The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has ordered First Western Capital Management Co. to pay a $200K fine over allegations that, over a 7-year period, it invested over $666M of clients’ funds into securities that they didn’t…
Galvin’s Office Files Civil Lawsuit Alleging Overconcentration, Unsuitable Investments William Galvin, the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, has filed civil charges against former NEXT Financial Group broker, Charles Chester Kulch. The state is accusing him of selling real estate investment trusts (REITs) and variable annuities (VA) to customers for…
Former Financial Representative Is Facing Criminal Trial for Annuity Fraud The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has fined Northwestern Mutual Investment Services $350K for failing to properly supervise former stockbroker, Sampson Pearson, which enabled him to defraud customers of $570K. Northwestern Mutual Investment Services is the brokerage arm of Northwestern…
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…
Alternative Asset Firm Gets Federal Aid While Its Investors Fight To Recover Their Losses Even as the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the FBI, state regulators and others have continued to investigate GPB Capital Holdings over allegations that it ran an up to $1.8B…