Genworth To Pay $219M To Settle Securities Case
Genworth Financial Inc. has settled a class-action lawsuit alleging misrepresentations regarding its long-term-care insurance business for $219 million. Genworth, which is the biggest long-term-care insurance carrier, stated after the market closed last week that it had reached a preliminary settlement with plaintiffs. The suit claims Genworth, its chief executive Tom McInerney, and former chief financial officer […]
Morgan Stanley Subject Of Arbitration Filed By NC Couple
Two North Carolina investors have filed an arbitration claim with FINRA against Morgan Stanley over unsuitable investments involving the firm’s Cushing MLP High Income Exchange Traded Note. The married couple, who are retirees in their sixties, are accusing the brokerage firm of common law fraud, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, negligent supervision, and failure to […]
Former Broker Indicted On Fraud Charges
Claus Foerster, an ex-broker from South Carolina, was indicted by a grand jury for bilking customers out of $2.8 million during a fourteen-year span. Foerster operated his scheme from 2000 to 2014 while working as a financial advisor at Smith Barney & Co., Morgan Keegan & Co. and Raymond James Financial Inc., according to an […]
JPMorgan Broker Gets 5 Years For Gambling Funds
Michael Oppenheim, a former JPMorgan Chase & Co. broker who claims to have thieved millions of dollars from clients because his brain was “hijacked” by an addiction to gambling on sports, was sentenced to five years in prison. At his peak, Oppenheim had nearly 500 clients and managed just shy of $90 million at JPMorgan. […]
Financial Advisor For Ex-Alabama Football Player Pleads Guilty To Fraud
Keith Michael Rogers, a financial advisor from Huntsville, Alabama, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud in connection with the sale of securities, according to the Alabama Securities Commission. Specifically, Rogers’ plea was attributed to his engaging in an act, practice or course of business which operated as a fraud or deceit upon his victims. […]
UMT Headquarters Raided By Law Enforcement
Law enforcement authorities raided the headquarters of United Mortgage Trust (“UMT”) in a suburb of Dallas, Texas this month, looking for documents pertaining to management of the company. A search warrant was issued by a federal magistrate of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Particular executive offices and employees were […]
Frankowski Firm Investigating UDF REITs
The Frankowski Firm is continuing its investigation into United Development Funding III and IV (UDF) on behalf of investors in the company’s real estate investment trusts (REITs). The FBI recently raided the company’s offices in Texas, and immediately afterward UDF IV’s price dropped to $3.20 per share, more than 81% lower than its December 2015 […]
Ex-MetLife, Pruco Broker Accused Of Deceptive Variable Annuity Sales Practices
FINRA has accused a former MetLife Securities Inc. and Pruco Securities Inc. broker, Winston Wade Turner, of harmful and deceptive variable annuity sales practices. According to FINRA’s complaint, Turner allegedly “engaged in a course of deception and other misconduct in connection with sales and exchanges of variable annuities involving numerous customers.” Turner also allegedly induced […]
Former Oxford City Football Club Director Pleads Guilty To Fraud
Thomas A. Guerriero of Hillsboro Beach, Florida pleaded guilty to running a $6.6 million telemarketing and investment fraud conspiracy. Guerriero was formerly the director of the Oxford City Football Club, a minor league soccer team based in the university town northwest of London, England. He resigned just before he was indicted on federal charges in December. […]
Most Common Investment Adviser Violations
Six investment adviser violations make up roughly 60% of all deficiencies the SEC’s staff find when they investigate adviser offices, according to Renee Esfandiary, assistant director of the SEC’s Office of Compliance, Inspections and Examinations. The investment adviser violations include: Compliance Rule Violations include not have written policies and procedures to ensure firm operations adhere to […]