The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has expelled the real estate firm formerly called DT Securities and its owner\/CEO Markel Newton. According to the regulator, DT Securities and Newton engaged in negligent misrepresentations involving private placements. Markel is also barred for alleged violations involving two of the firm\u2019s offerings to purchase real estate in Georgia and Florida, as well as a third one involving alcoholic treatment facilities in California.<\/p>\n
According to FINRA, in the private placement offerings Fresh Start, DT Atlanta, and DT Florida, Markel and DT Securities should have disclosed that the California Department of Real Estate had submitted a complaint against him in 2010.<\/p>\n
The complaint against Markel and DT Ventures Real Estate Investments accused them of performing certain activities without the required real estate license, as well as making misrepresentations about deposits made for purchase to sellers. In 2011, Markel consented to a 30-day suspension.<\/p>\n
In addition to accusing Markel of not alerting the state, FINRA also accused Markel of improperly releasing escrow proceeds to purchase properties prior to satisfying funding-raising goals that were delineated in two of the private offerings.\u00a0The settlement document said that although DT Florida had originally aimed to raise at least $3M by the end of November in 2009, that closing date was extended to 1\/29\/10. The funds were to go back to investors if that figure wasn\u2019t achieved. The private placement offering put into effect by DT Atlanta in 2011 came with the goal to raise a minimum of $1.7M\u2014a figure that was later lowered to $400K. That lower figure was reportedly never properly fulfilled.<\/p>\n
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