Marcus Boggs

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 faces up to 20 years in prison and will be sentenced in June.

Boggs spent his entire 12 years in the industry working for Merrill Lynch. Also a former registered investment advisor, he has 13 disclosures on his BrokerCheck, including bars from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas investigates Marcus Boggs, a former Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor

Published on: September 23, 2019 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Shepherd, Smith, Edwards & Kantas (“SSEK”), a law firm specializing in representing wronged investors, is looking into allegations by the SEC against former Merrill Lynch financial advisor, Marcus Boggs (“Boggs”). Boggs reportedly joined Merrill Lynch in 2006, working in the company’s Chicago office. The SEC has alleged that Boggs stole client funds in excess of $1.7 million. The stolen assets were used to cover personal expenses, including credit card charges. According to the SEC, Boggs sought to portray himself as a pillar of the Chicago community, involving himself with various charities and attending social events in an effort to ingratiate himself with the city elite. Also, according to the SEC, Boggs maintained he managed of $40 million in assets for his clients.

Merrill Lynch fired Boggs over the SEC charges in December of 2018. Had Merrill been properly supervising Boggs, the company may have prevented some of the theft. According to FINRA, Boggs has three complaints on his official record all involving unauthorized transfers from client accounts. Merrill wisely sought resolution of these matters and it appears none have actually gone to hearing.

SSEK has experience in representing customers of financial advisors who either stole their money, or stole the money of other clients. SSEK’s experience shows that before a financial advisor begins stealing money, he or she often does other things that are wrong for clients, such as unsuitable investing, churning, unauthorized trading or other misconduct. Even after theft is uncovered, those other wrongs often go unnoticed and are never addressed without a customer hiring a law firm like SSEK.

Ex-Merrill Lynch Investment Adviser Accused of Stealing $1.7M

Published on: August 27, 2019 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Marcus Boggs, a former Merrill Lynch investment adviser, is now facing US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charges accusing him of using $1.7M of client monies to pay his own credit card bills. According to the regulator, Boggs, who was a Chicago-based RIA, illegally transferred funds from the accounts of three retail advisory clients on more than 200 occasions.

The firm fired him after finding out about the alleged misconduct, which would have taken place between 2016 and December 2018. Boggs was a registered investment adviser (RIA) with Merrill for 12 years, which was the entire time that he worked in the securities industry.

His job was to offer investment advice to clients, and Boggs didn’t have the authority or permission to liquidate the assets or trade in his alleged victims’ accounts. However, he allegedly went on to sell securities in said accounts and directly take money out of them for his own use.