Recent Blog Posts
SEC Halts Florida’s Financial Advisor’s Fraudulent Securities Offering
On August 26th, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published a public announcement stating that emergency regulatory action against a South Florida financial advisor and his investment entity. According to allegations raised by the agency, Coral Gables Asset Management LLC and its owner David C. Coggins defrauded investors. Below, our South Florida securities… Read More »
Broker With Ties to Florida Fined and Suspended for Unauthorized Trades
Sylvester Knox (CRD#: 1625705) is a previously registered broker and actively registered investment advisor (RIA). From August of 2000 to February of 2017, Mr. Knox was employed at Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith. Subsequently, he served as a representative for FSC Securities Corporation. In March of 2018, Sylvester Knox was sanctioned by the… Read More »
Florida Broker Fined and Suspended for Selling Away From Member Firm
Jason Nicholas Dukas (CRD #4188239) is a registered broker and investment adviser in Florida. From August of 2011 to July of 2017, Mr. Dukas was employed by Wells Fargo Clearing Services. Since August of 2017, he has been a representative of Stifel, Nicholas & Company Incorporated. In May of this year, FINRA fined this… Read More »
SEC Charges a Florida Resident in Connection to $18.5 Million Securities Fraud Scheme
On July 24th, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced securities fraud charges against Trustify Inc. and its founder Daniel K. Boice. Mr. Boice currently resides in Nassau County Florida. According to federal regulators, the company raised more than $18.5 million from at least 90 different corporate and individual investors on false pretenses…. Read More »
SEC Files Investment Fraud Charges Against a Wind Company in South Florida Federal Court
On July 14th, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced investment fraud charges against Thunderbird Power Corp., an Arizona-headquartered wind power company. According to the allegations raised in the South Florida federal court, the company defrauded investors out of more than $1.9 million through the sale of unregistered securities. Here, our Miami investment… Read More »
SEC Awards Nearly $4 Million in Compensation to Whistleblower to Securities Industry Insider
On July 14th, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) confirmed that the agency has awarded $3.8 million to a whistleblower who helped by providing critically important information to federal regulators. The SEC notes that the whistleblower’s disclosures both disrupted an ongoing fraud scheme and helped bring enforcement action that recovered millions of dollars… Read More »
FINRA Arbitration Panel Awards Investors Approximately $250,000 in Compensatory Damages
On June 18th, 2020, a FINRA Arbitration Panel awarded a pair of investors approximately $250,000 in compensation in a broker negligence claim (Case Number: 20-00620). The respondents in the case were Anthony Mastroianni Jr. (CRD#: 2151249), John F. Riccardi Jr. (CRD#: 4771185), and Windsor Street Capital LP (CRD#: 34171/SEC#: 8-46219). Notably, the FINRA arbitration… Read More »
Brokerage Firm Failed to Establish Adequate Supervisory System, Improperly Used Unregistered ‘Finder’ in Florida
Silver Leaf Partners, LLC (CRD#: 126694/SEC#: 8-65902) is a New York-based brokerage firm that is licensed to operate in 50 U.S. states and territories, including in Florida. It first entered the securities industry in 2003. On June 29th, 2020, the National Adjudicatory Council (NAC) ruled that this firm failed to create and maintain an… Read More »
SEC Halts Fraudulent Cryptocurrency Offering—Operators Were Soliciting Funds from Investors in Florida
On June 19th, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced emergency action against Sean Hvizdzak and Shane Hvizdzak—two brothers from Central Pennsylvania. Federal regulators contend that the men raised money for private cryptocurrency-related funds by making false representations. The SEC also believes that investor money was misappropriated. Notably, the Hvizdzak brothers solicited money… Read More »
Palm Beach County Broker Fined, Suspended for One Year for Selling Away
Alexander Jon James (CRD #5630825) is a previously registered broker with more than ten years of experience in the securities industry. From January of 2012 to May of 2017, Mr. James worked at Voya Financial Advisors in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Subsequently, he was associated with Allstate Financial Services in West Palm Beach. On… Read More »
