Phil Fiore Jr. Fired By UBS For Multiple Violations

UBS Financial Services Inc. fired Phil Fiore Jr., one of its top brokers based in Stamford, Connecticut, for failing to keep the firm informed of outside business activities, even while he was under heightened supervision. Fiore was terminated at the close of November for violating firm policies, including not disclosing an unpaid directorship at a not-for profit entity affiliated with a client; not seeking approval to operate a charity golf tournament; and not seeking firm approval to make blog posts, according to his FINRA BrokerCheck report. He also failed to disclose to UBS that a new client had made an investment in Fiore's outside business, which had been approved by UBS, also according to BrokerCheck. Phil Fiore Jr. was a Senior Vice President and part of the FDG Institutional Consulting Group, in addition to being one of the top-ranked advisers in his state, according to Barron's magazine. Barron's also said the group had $8 billion in client assets in 2015. Fiore had [...]

Dominic Thomas DeBruin Banned By FINRA

FINRA barred LPL Financial broker Dominic Thomas DeBruin for depositing client funds into his personal bank account. The money was "related to potential private securities transaction" that was not disclosed to LPL, a settlement notice issued by FINRA's Department of Enforcement said.In October 2016, FINRA reached out to DeBruin for documents, asking him to show up and give testimony. DeBruin chose not to do so. The two sides settled the matter without DeBruin admitting or denying FINRA's findings.FINRA's BrokerCheck states that Dominic Thomas DeBruin first entered the securities industry in 1996 when he registered with First Hanover Securities Inc. and Continental Broker-Dealer Corp. before switching to Argent Securities in 1997. DeBruin's registration was terminated within four months of employment. However, he claims he resigned before the termination. DeBruin later had short stints with Paragon Capital Corp. and Paulson Investment Co. before registering with Prudential Investment Management Services in 1999, where he remained for five years. Beginning in 2005, DeBruin worked for Waddell & [...]

FINRA Files Complaint Against Dawn Bennett

FINRA filed a complaint against Dawn Bennett for failing to testify in its investigation of possible fraud related to her clothing company. Bennett did not appear for testimony on four different occasions between April and September of this year, violating FINRA's rules, according to FINRA's complaint. The charges come roughly a year after the regulator started looking into her for allegedly engaging in fraud while working at Western International Securities. Last year, Dawn Bennett allegedly solicited her employer's clients in a debt deal that supposedly was guaranteed by her retail clothing business at DJBennett.com. She sold roughly six million dollars worth of promissory and convertible notes to around thirty investors, a substantial number of whom were elderly and included Western's customers, FINRA's complaint states. FINRA discovered that she potentially misappropriated investor funds, committed fraud, and performed undisclosed outside business activities and private securities transactions. Western allowed Bennett to resign November of last year. “Evidence gathered during the investigation reveals that [...]

Levi David Lindemann Receives 6-Year Sentence For Ponzi Scheme

Levi David Lindemann, a Minnesota investment advisor, received a six-year prison sentence for stealing from clients and operating a Ponzi scheme, according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Lindemann was sentenced to 74 months imprisonment by a U.S. District Court, having pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal mail fraud and money-laundering charges. He was the owner and operator of Gershwin Financial Inc., which did business as Alternative Wealth solutions, from 2009 to 2014. “Lindemann abused his position of trust as a financial adviser to steal from his clients, including the elderly,” Mike Rothman, Minnesota's commerce commissioner, said. “Lindemann defrauded his victims by promising to put their money in legitimate, safe investments when he actually used the funds to pay for personal expenses and Ponzi-type payments to other clients to cover up and continue his fraud.” According to Levi David Lindemann's guilty plea, he solicited funds from roughly 50 investors and said he would “use the invested funds to buy secured [...]