Enforcement Actions
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
UNDISCLOSED SETTLEMENTS
2009
NOTE: Stipulations of Fact and Consent to Penalty (SFC); Offers of Settlement (OS); and Letters of Acceptance Waiver, and Consent (AWC) are entered into by Respondents without admitting or denying the allegations, but consent is given to the described sanctions & to the entry of findings. Additionally, for AWCs, if FINRA has reason to believe a violation has occurred and the member or associated person does not dispute the violation, FINRA may prepare and request that the member or associated person execute a letter accepting a finding of violation, consenting to the imposition of sanctions, and agreeing to waive such member's or associated person's right to a hearing before a hearing panel, and any right of appeal to the National Adjudicatory Council, the SEC, and the courts, or to otherwise challenge the validity of the letter, if the letter is accepted. The letter shall describe the act or practice engaged in or omitted, the rule, regulation, or statutory provision violated, and the sanction or sanctions to be imposed.
December 2009
James Frederick Henjum
AWC/2007009449501
Henjum guaranteed a customer against trading losses without the customer’s or his member firm’s prior written authorization. Henjum reimbursed the customer approximately $19,200 from his personal funds for trading losses incurred.
James Frederick Henjum: Fined $5,000; Suspended 20 business days
Bill Singer's Comment
In these tough days, RRs are tempted to take a few bucks out of their own pockets to placate unhappy clients -- or to guarantee against losses (if you would just give me another chance, I promise, this tip is going to pan out, and I'm so sure of it that I will personally reimburse you if you suffer one cent of loss).  Unfortunately, you can't offer such pay-offs or reimbursements without getting the arrangement in writing and having your firm sign-off on the proposal. 

See this page http://www.rrbdlaw.com/RegulatoryLinks/undsettl/index.htm  for more details on these types of cases.
November 2009
Kimberly Sue Rutherford
AWC/2008012477401

In connection with the sale of an annuity contract, Rutherford misrepresented to a customer that he would receive a higher return rate than what the terms of the policy offered. Rutherford provided the customer with falsified annual account statements and an altered annuity contract that reflected a higher return rate, when in fact the customer was receiving a lower rate of return. Rutherford falsified an annual account statement by increasing the account balance by over $5,000 in order to mislead the customer into believing that he received additional earnings as a result of the higher rate of return, and deposited over $5,000 of her own personal funds into the customer’s account to compensate him for the disparity in return rates.

After agreeing to reimburse another customer for any early withdrawal penalties in connection with transferring money to his annuity, Rutherford falsified an annuity confirmation statement wherein the account balance was increased to cover a surrender charge that had not been credited after the customer complained that he was charged a penalty for early withdrawal.

Kimberly Sue Rutherford: Barred
September 2009
Stephen John Woods
AWC/2008015754101
Woods paid a customer $353 to compensate the customer for trading expenses, without his member firm’s authorization or permission. 
Stephen John Woods: Fined $5,000; Suspended 10 business days
August 2009
Gail Sylvenia Frick
AWC/2008013428001
Frick engaged in outside business activities and private securities transactions without prior written notice to her member firm. Frick was provided a money order by a customer in order to open an account at her member firm on behalf of the customer’s children, misplaced the money order and, in an attempt to settle the customer’s potential complaint in this matter, deposited $1,100 of her own personal funds into an account at her firm for the benefit of the customer’s children without notifying the customer or the firm. Frick used the funds she had previously deposited into the account to purchase mutual funds for the account without the customer’s knowledge, authorization or consent.
Gail Sylvenia Frick: Fined $25,000; Suspended 15 months
Bill Singer's Comment
Talk about the kitchen sink: OBA, PST, Undisclosed settlement, and unauthorized purchase. Frankly, the sanction struck me as a bit generous --- Frick either had a good lawyer or got to FINRA on a good day.

If I have one quibble, it's that I don't think FINRA is on particularly sound ground if it cites an RR for the undisclosed settlement of a complaint if there isn't an actual complaint but merely a "potential" complaint (there we go again with those troublesome adjectives and adverbs). All customers have potential complaints about virtually everything. Likely, Frick "anticipated" that the customer would complain about the misplaced money order, but that's not the same thing as charging her with the undisclosed settlement of an actual complaint. What happened here is that a money order (apparently for $1,100) was lost and rather than ask the customer to provide a replacement, Frick simply went out of her own pocket to cover the funds. No...that doesn't make her actions right but it does put them in a far different light than describing the underlying conduct as settling a customer complaint. We need to be particularly precise when drafting regulatory opinions because they are often used to support sanctions to be imposed in other similar cases.
Jason Jude Daeger
AWC/2008014243001
Daeger attempted to settle a customer complaint by making a $1,500 deposit into the customer’s bank checking account without his member firm’s knowledge or consent. 
Jason Jude Daeger: Fined $5,000; Suspended 10 business days
Bill Singer's Comment
See "Undisclosed Settlement" page for more examples
Foreman settled a customer complaint away from his member firm without the firm’s knowledge or involvement in the settlement, and Foreman also guaranteed the customer against loss
Sam Aubrey Foreman Jr.: Fined $10,000; Suspended 30 business days
July 2009
Richard Wayne Hill
AWC/2008013715501

Hill issued checks totaling $479,450 from customer accounts to corporate payees representing that he was purchasing race horses for the customers; but, instead, converted $350,000 to his own use by arranging for the corporate payees to issue checks made payable to him for the same dollar amounts, less a small administrative fee. Also, Hill settled a customer complaint for $12,000 and failed to inform his member firm about the complaint. 

Richard Wayne Hill: Barred
Bill Singer's Comment
"Less a small administrative fee" -- how considerate.  What really shocked me is that Hill had agreed to pay a customer $12,000 to settle a complain and then actually reneged on that promise.  I mean the guy gave his word, his sacred word and all of that.  Wow . . . I never saw that coming. I really thought that after the whole race horse fiasco that he would have at least paid the measly $12,000. And, yes, the aforementioned commentary is largely dripping with my patented, acerbic sarcasm...just in case you didn't figure that out.
Steven Jones (Principal)
OS/#2006005683901
Jones engaged in excessive and unsuitable trading in customers’ accounts. Also, Jones settled a customer complaint for $1,600 without his employers’ knowledge or consent. 
Steven Jones (Principal): Fined $7,500; Suspended 18 months; Ordered to pay $70,106.90, plus interest, in restitution to customers.
June 2009
Berteletti created a false and misleading account summary and provided it to a customer, and failed to respond to FINRA requests for information. Berteletti engaged in securities transactions in a customer’s account without the customer’s authorization and consent, and without discretionary authority. Berteletti settled a customer complaint away from his member firm
Richard M. Berteletti Jr.: Barred
May 2009
Patrick James Jensen
AWC/2007009082701
Jensen paid $18,000 to another firm’s trader and the trader’s relative so that the trader would continue to conduct his firm’s securities transactions through its account with Jensen. Also, while serving as the registered representative of record on a customer’s corporate account, Jensen shared in losses and gains in the account without written authorization from his member firm or the customer, and he did not share in the profits and losses in direct proportion to his financial contributions to the account. 
Patrick James Jensen: No fine in light of financial status; Suspended 1 year
Bill Singer's Comment
When I am asked about the difference between working on Wall Street and other businesses, I often try to explain the concept of "regulatory law" -- and how things that are not necessarily wrong as a matter of law or in other businesses are deemed "violations" on the Street.  Here is a perfect example. In some industries, Jensen would be called a go-getter -- a hustler for accounts, someone who would take bucks out of his own pocket to increase his take-home. On Wall Street such ingenuity and creativity is frowned upon. The payment to the trader/trader's relative is viewed as an inappropriate inducement. The sharing in the account must be done in strict accord with the rules, and that was apparently not the case here.
March 2009
Sirota attempted to settle a customer complaint by sending the customer a check and a letter for her to sign retracting the complaint, without providing prior notice to his member firm or obtaining the firm’s consent. 
Ronald Harris Sirota (Principal): Fined $5,000; Suspended 10 business days
Bill Singer's Comment
January 2009
Jun M. Chiu
AWC/2007010948901
Chiu paid $3,125 to a public customer to settle a complaint the customer made, without her member firm’s knowledge or approval. 
Jun M. Chiu: Fined $5,000; Suspended 10 business days in all capacities
Without permission or authorization from his member firm, he paid $29,000 to public customers in an attempt to prevent them from filing a complaint against him with his firm. 
Lance Jeffrey Ziesemer (Registered Supervisor): Fined $5,000; Suspended 20 business days in all capacities
Michael D. Kirk
AWC/2007010653301
Kirk guaranteed a public customer against loss in connection with a securities transaction. 
Michael D. Kirk: Fined $2,500; Suspended 10 business days in all capacities
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