Recent Blog Posts
Miami, FL FINRA Arbitration Panel Awards Two Investors More than $3 Million in Compensation
On July 16th, 2019, a FINRA Arbitration Panel based in Miami, Florida issued a decision in favor of a pair of investors in a dispute filed against Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, LLC (Case Number: 17-01908). In total, the panel awarded the investors nearly $3.3 million — much of it because it found that the… Read More »
FINRA Complaint: Former Miami Financial Advisor Accused of Commodities Fraud May Have Unlawfully Associated With Brokerage Firm
Robert Juan Escobio (CRD No. 703813) is a former licensed broker and former registered investment advisor (RIA). From 2000 to 2017, Mr. Escobio was employed at Southern Trust Securities in Miami, Florida. On July 17th, 2019, FINRA’s Department of Enforcement filed a fraud complaint against this broker (Disciplinary Proceeding No. 2018059545201). Among other things,… Read More »
With Regulatory Investigation After Being Arrested on Fraud Charges
William Roger Maurer (CRD#: 6876160) is a former securities broker. From November of 2017 to August of 2018, Mr. Maurer was employed at Voya Financial Partners (CRD#: 34815) in Jacksonville, Florida. In the summer of 2018, this financial representative was discharged by Voya Financial after he was arrested by Florida police on both fraud… Read More »
Florida Brokerage Firm Sanctioned By FINRA for Failure to Supervise, Churning
Summit Brokerage Services (CRD#: 34643/SEC#: 8-46310) is a brokerage firm that is regulated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). With headquarters in Boca Raton, FL, Summit Brokerage has been in the securities industry since 1993 and it is licensed to operate in 51 U.S. states and American territories. On July 2nd, Summit Brokerage… Read More »
Florida Financial Advisor Fined, Suspended for Unauthorized Trading
Steven Michael Roffman (CRD#: 1673527) is a registered FINRA broker. Since 2016, Mr. Roffman has been employed at IFS Securities in Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to that, Mr. Roffman was also associated with several broker-dealers in Florida, including Ameriprise Financial Services, Raymond James & Associates, Morgan Keegan & Company, and North Coast Securities Corporation. In… Read More »
SEC Waives Rule 21F-4(a), Awards $3 Million to Joint Whistleblowers
On June 3rd, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an Order Determining Whistleblower Award Claim. For assisting in enforcement action, the federal securities regulator awarded a pair of joint whistleblowers $3 million in compensation, to be divided equally between the two parties. Notably, in doing so, the SEC decided to voluntarily waive… Read More »
South Florida Financial Advisor Faces Investor Complaint for Breach of Fiduciary Duty, Negligence
Peter Lewis Goffin (CRD#: 1617710) is an actively registered broker and investment advisor. Since October of 2003, this financial advisor has been an associate of Newbridge Securities — based out of a branch office in Boca Raton, FL. Records from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) indicate that Mr. Goffin holds securities licenses in… Read More »
Former Miami Securities Broker Fined $20,000 and Suspended for Fifteen Months for Acting as Unregistered Financial Advisor
Carlos Ricardo Fuenmayor (CRD#: 4055839) is a previously registered broker and investment advisor. From February 2015 to October of 2016, Mr. Fuenmayor was a representative of Dakota Securities International, Inc. based in a branch office in Miami, Florida. However, Mr. Fuenmayor was associated with Dakota Securities International prior to 2015. In 2017, the Financial… Read More »
Florida Financial Advisor Barred After Refusing to Cooperate With Investigation Into Unauthorized Transactions
Thomas L. Studer (CRD#: 6300308) is a previously registered broker and investment advisor. From May of 2014 to November of 2018, Mr. Studer was employed as a securities representative at Thrivent Investment Management in The Villages, Florida. On May 23rd, 2019, Thomas Studer was expelled from the securities industry after he declined to provide… Read More »
SEC Charges Two Former Woodbridge Directors With Investment Fraud
On April 11th, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed investment fraud charges against two former Woodbridge directors — Ivan Acevedo and Dane R. Roseman. In addition to facing charges from the SEC, both men are also facing criminal charges for their role in perpetuating the company’s massive Ponzi scheme. In a legal… Read More »
