FINRA’s March 2015 Disciplinary Actions Part I

Bulltick, LLC of Miami, Florida submitted an AWC in which the firm was censured and fined $20,000. Despite not admitting or denying FINRA's findings, Bulltick consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that it failed to adequately implement and enforce its written supervisory procedures on reporting TRACE-eligible securities, pursuant to a Uniform Service Bureau/Executing Broker Agreement executed by the firm and its affiliate that required Bulltick to report the affiliate's transactions in TRACE-eligible securities to TRACE. Subsequently, Bulltick failed to report the right contra-party identifier for transactions in TRACE-eligible securities of the affiliate to TRACE, and Bulltick also reported transactions in TRACE-eligible securities to TRACE that it did not have to report. Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc. of St. Petersburg, Florida submitted an AWC in which the firm was censured and fined $50,000. Despite not admitting or denying FINRA's findings, Transamerica consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that it filed with FINRA an inaccurate [...]

Georgia Financial Adviser Accused Of Defrauding Elderly Couple

The Frankowski Firm is continuing its investigation of Leavitt Sanders and the firms with which he has been associated as further allegations surface against them. John D. and Maxine S. Bankston of Lilburn, Georgia have accused financial adviser Leavitt Sanders of fraud and numerous securities violations. The couple, who are in their eighties, filed their claims with FINRA alleging that Sanders mismanaged and churned their securities accounts by trading excessively in high-risk investments, which included put and call options on futures contracts and day-trading massive stock positions on margin. The Bankstons’ statement of claim asserts that "Mr. Sanders used a 'one size fits all' investment strategy with all of his clients, including the Bankstons, without regard to whether it was prudent or suitable." According to the SEC, Sanders managed $30 million in about 200 investor accounts. Triad Advisors, Inc., with whom Sanders was previously associated, fired Sanders on December 26, 2014. According to FINRA records, as of February 16, 2015, [...]