Private Placements

Some Brokers Are Taking Advantage Of Investors During The COVID -19 Coronavirus

Published on: March 24, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Watch Out for Brokers Looking to Make High Commissions During COVID-19

With the market crashing in the wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), many investors are suffering from massive losses in their portfolio and are looking to their brokers for investment advice.

Unfortunately, not all stockbrokers work with their customers’ best interests at heart, breaching their fiduciary duty in the process. There are also unscrupulous registered representatives who may even seek to take advantage of these hard times and try to persuade investors to buy into risky investments that charge high commissions. Such fraudulent and negligent behavior will lead to even more investment losses and ultimately, acts of stockbroker misconduct.

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas Investigates Claims Involving Non-traded REIT Preferred Apartment Communities

Published on: March 23, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Preferred Apartment Communities Investors Pay High Commissions

Throughout the United States, our non-traded real estate investment trust (REIT) attorneys at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm) are speaking to investors whose registered brokers or investment advisors persuaded them to invest in Preferred Apartment Communities, which is a non-traded REIT.

This investment has paid stockbrokers up to 7% commission and comes with additional fees, including around 4-5% in brokerage firm fees and offering costs.

Jack Jones and Mark Robare of Robare & Jones Wealth Management are the Subjects of a FINRA Complaint Involving GPB Investments and Other Privately Traded Investments

Published on: March 17, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Triad Advisors Sued Over GPB Private Placement Sales

In our latest GPB investor fraud claim against a brokerage firm, Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas, (SSEK Law Firm) is seeking up to $500K from Triad Advisors on behalf of a retired Texas couple. The claimants, who are in their seventies, entrusted a significant chunk of their savings to Triad brokers Jack Jones and Mark Robare, whom they are accusing of overconcentrating their money in GPB private placements and other unsuitable investments. The couple contend that they lost half a million dollars as a result.

GPB Capital Holdings, an alternative asset firm that issued the private placements, is accused of operating a $1.5B Ponzi scam. Now, the 60 brokerage firms whose registered financial representatives sold these investments are finding themselves the subject of broker fraud claims from investors seeking to recover their money.

SSEK Investigates Stockbroker Misconduct Claims Involving Ex-Commonwealth Capital Broker Kimberly Springsteen-Abbott

Published on: February 26, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Ex-Commonwealth Capital Broker Was Accused Of Misusing Investors’ Money

If you or someone you know lost money while working with former Commonwealth Capital broker, Kimberly Springsteen-Abbott, please contact our stockbroker fraud lawyers at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas so we can determine whether you have grounds for a claim.

In 2013, Springsteen-Abbott was accused by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) of misusing about $345K of investor funds to pay for her own expenses. These included home renovations, meals, travel, and other items.

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas Investigates Claims Involving Ex-NYLIFE Securities Broker Over Future Income Payments Sales

Published on: February 21, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Ex-NYLIFE Securities Broker Accused Of Selling Investments In Mass Ponzi Scam

If you suffered losses after former NYLIFE Securities broker, Kari Bracy, also known as Kari Falwell, or any other registered representative persuaded you to invest in Future Income Payments, please contact Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm) today.

Our stockbroker securities law firm has been looking into claims involving Future Income Payments, LLC. By the time the company stopped doing business in 2018, over 2600 investors were owed more than $300M. The firm has since been accused of running a Ponzi scam.

Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas Files GPB Capital Private Placement Fraud Case Against International Assets Advisory

Published on: February 20, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Texas-Based Broker Sold GPB Private Placements To Retiree Couple

Once again, Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm) has filed an investor fraud claim against a broker-dealer after its financial advisor sold investments in GPB Capital Holding’s funds to customers.

This time, the brokerage firm is International Assets Advisory (IAA), LLC and the broker involved is Williams Keen Butcher who is based in Houston.

Kristian Finfrock, Founder of Retirement Income Strategies, is the subject of Investor Complaints Over GPB Capital and Other Esoteric Investments

Published on: January 8, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Another Kalos Capital Broker Sold GPB Investments To Investors

Once again, our GPB investment lawyers at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm) have filed an investor fraud lawsuit against Kalos Capital and one of its brokers, Kristian Finfrock.

In this latest broker fraud case, the Claimants are a retired couple who contend that Kalos Capital broker and investment advisor, Kristian Finfrock, pushed them into placing $750K of their life savings into alternative investments including non-traded real estate investment trusts (Non-traded REITs), annuity contracts, and GPB Capital private placements.

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas Investigates Sagepoint Financial Over GPB Private Placement Sales

Published on: December 19, 2019 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Sagepoint Financial Customers Suffer Losses from GPB Private Placements and Funds

If you are an investor who suffered losses after a Sagepoint Financial broker sold you GPB private placements, our securities fraud lawyers at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm) would like to talk to you. GPB Capital Holdings is accused of running a $1.8B Ponzi scam. Sagepoint Financial is one of more than 60 broker-dealers whose registered representatives sold these investments to their customers.

Sagepoint Financial is part of Advisor Group, a huge network of independent wealth management firms. In August, the broker-dealer and another Advisor Group firm, Royal Alliance, were prominently named by the lead plaintiffs in the first class action securities case against GPB Capital. The firms’ brokers had sold them their investments in the GPB Automotive Portfolio and the GPB Holdings II funds.

Kalos Financial Sends Letter to Investor Defending Its Sale of GPB Private Placements

Published on: November 14, 2019 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Kalos Financial Defends Its Sale Of GPB Private Placements

In a letter issued to investors on November 4th, Kalos Financial President, Larry Lyons, reported that its due diligence team recently met with senior GPB Capital Holdings executives including CEO, David Gentile.

The brokerage firm is one of dozens of broker-dealers under fire for selling GPB private placements that were issued by the asset management company, which has since been accused of operating a $1.8B Ponzi fraud.

GPB Capital CCO Michael Cohn is Charged with Obstruction

Published on: October 25, 2019 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

GPB Capital News: Michael Cohn Facing Obstruction Charges

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed criminal charges against Michael Cohn, the Chief Compliance Officer and Managing Director of GPB Capital Holdings. Cohn is a former US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) examiner.

The obstruction of justice charge is related to the regulator’s probe into the alternative asset firm, which is accused of operating a $1.5B Ponzi scam. Now, Cohn is accused of stealing information from the Commission before leaving the regulator last October to start his employment at GPB Holdings.