Investors File Complaints Against James Hayne

The Frankowski Firm is investigating complaints regarding Texas-based Cetera Advisors broker James Hayne (CRD# 3257845). He has spent sixteen years in the securities industry and has been registered with Cetera Advisors in Mansfield, Texas since 2014. Previous registrations include Questar Capital Corporation in Glendora, California (2013-2014); First Allied Securities in Glendora, California (2008-2013); Edward Jones in Pomona, California (2002-2008); and Morgan Stanley DW in Purchase, New York (1999-2002). He is a registered broker and investment adviser with five US states: Alabama, California, Florida, Nevada, and Texas. According to his BrokerCheck report, Hayne is the subject of one pending customer complaint, four closed or denied customer complaints, and one tax lien: In October 2015 a customer alleged Hayne, while employed at First Allied Securities, breached his fiduciary duty, breached his contract, committed fraud, acted negligently, failed to supervise, and made unsuitable and excessive trades. In 2014 a customer alleged Hayne, while employed at First Allied Securities, executed unauthorized trades, charged excessive commissions, [...]

Broker Took $1.7M By Churning Accounts

Broker Edward Beyn allegedly received over $1.7 million in commissions and fees by excessively trading his clients' accounts, or "churning," while he was a registered representative with Craig Scott Capital, according to FINRA's Enforcement Department. FINRA claims Beyn churned nine accounts of six of his customers, all of whom are over 60 years old, between March 2012 and May 2015, making a profit by violating securities rules. His short-term trading strategy involved quickly churning over accounts to generate "outsize commissions for himself" and Craig Scott Capital, according to FINRA's complaint. The clients ranged in age from 61 to 72 at the time they opened their accounts with Beyn. Those clients included business owners involved in construction, welding equipment and airlines parts. All suffered net losses. “He relied heavy [sic] on buying and selling equities of companies releasing their earnings reports as a catalyst for excessively trading,” according to the complaint. Beyn is currently registered with Rothschild [...]

Laidlaw Broker Facing Eight Complaints

The Frankowski Firm is investigating Laidlaw broker Ahmad Wares of New York. Wares is the target of several customer complaints, and Ware's clients who lost money investing with him may be able to recover their losses. Wares spent fifteen years in the securities industry and has been registered with Salomon Whitney in Farmingdale, New York since December 2015. Earlier registrations include Laidlaw & Company in London (2012-2015); EKN Financial Services in Melville, New York (2010-2012); First Midwest Securities in Melville (2008-2009); New Castle Financial Services in Melville (2007-2008); Empire Financial Group in Uniondale, New York (2005-2007); Ehrenkrantz King Nussbaum, Inc. in Melville (2002-2005); and Ladenburg Capital Management in Bethpage, New York (1998-2002). Of his former employers, four have since been expelled by FINRA: EKN Financial Services, New Castle Financial Services, Empire Financial Group, and Ehrenkrantz King Nussbaum. According to FINRA's BrokerCheck report on the former Laidlaw broker, Wares has had eight customer complaints filed against him as well as [...]

Craig Scott Capital Subject Of FINRA Complaint

FINRA recently filed an amended complaint against Craig Scott Capital, LLC and its co-founders, Craig Scott Taddonio and Brent Morgan Porges, alleging, among other things, excessive trading, churning, failure to supervise. Churning and Excessive Trading According to the complaint, Respondents churned and excessively traded Craig Scott Capital customer accounts. They encouraged their sales team to recommend active trading in customer accounts to maximize commissions to the detriment of their customers. FINRA claims that for nearly three years Craig Scott Capital fostered a culture of aggressive, excessive trading of customer accounts. By encouraging the firm's representatives to recommend hundreds of short-term trades in customer accounts, the firm earned over $5 million in commissions while customers lost over $9 million dollars in losses in accounts where the annualized turnover rates were as high as over 200 and the annualized cost-to-equity ratios were as high as 800%. Failure to Supervise FINRA also alleged that Respondents failed to establish and enforce a reasonable supervisory [...]