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.

Steven Lloyd Cronin
SFC/ 08-047

Between January 2003 and March 2004 (the “relevant period”), while employed at Baseline Securities Inc. and LaBranche Financial Services, Inc. (“LFSI”), institutional sales representative Cronin engaged in an undisclosed outside business and profit- sharing arrangement with a third party, whereby Cronin would refer customers to the third party for NASDAQ trading in exchange for 50 percent of the after expense profits. During the relevant period, Cronin received monthly payments of between $60,000 and $100,000. Cronin never made a written request or received the prior written approval of LSFI to engage in this profit-sharing arrangement. When the profit-sharing arrangement ended, Cronin received a payment of $950,000 as compensation for lost profits. Subsequently, in connection with an NYSE Enforcement investigation, Cronin was asked to provide testimony concerning his outside business activities. Cronin made material misstatements in testimony to NYSE Enforcement about the profit-sharing arrangement and about the $950,000 he received. Further, in October 2004 Cronin made misstatements to his member firm employer, LFSI, on a questionnaire concerning his business relationship with another individual. 

Violated NYSE Rule 

• 346(b) by engaging in outside business activity by entering into profit-sharing arrangement with third party without making written request and receiving prior written consent of member organization employer; 
• 476(a)(4) by making material misstatements to NYSE; 
• 476(a)(6) by engaging in outside business without approval of member organization employer, making material misstatements to Exchange and making material misstatements to member organization employer about business relationship. 

Steven Lloyd Cronin: Censure, $50,000 fine; 4 month suspension, and