Senior Investors

JPMorgan Chase Must Pay Oil Heiress’s Trust $18M For Derivatives Investments, Account Mismanagement, and Unsuitable Investment Advice

Published on: October 12, 2012 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

JPMorgan Chase (JPM) must pay the trust of oil heiress Carolyn S. Burford $18 million for the “grossly negligent and reckless” way that the financial firm handled the account. In Tulsa County District Court in Oklahoma, Judge Linda G. Morrissey said that beneficiary Ann Fletcher was persuaded to invest in derivatives that were unsuitable for the trust, causing it to sustain significant losses. The judge is also ordering punitive damages to be determined at a later date, as well as repayment of the trust’s legal expenses.

Fletcher, now 75, is the daughter of Burford, who passed away in 1996. The trust was set up in 1955 by Burford’s parents. Burford’s dad is the founder of Kelly Oil and her mother had connections to another oil company.

Between 2000 and 2005, the trust and JPMorgan, which gained management over the trust after a number of bank mergers and oversaw it until 2006, got into a number of variable prepaid forward contracts. These derivatives were pitched to the trust as way for it to make more income. However, according to the court, Fletcher was cognitively impaired and experiencing medical problems when the bank recommended that the trust buy the derivatives. A year before, she even expressed in a written letter to the bank that she was scared about getting involved in “puts & calls.” She eventually chose to trust their recommendation that she buy them.

Judge Morrisey believes that the bank failed to properly explain the product to its client while neglecting to reveal that it stood to benefit from the transaction. She also says that when JPMorgan invested the contracts’ proceeds in its own investment products, which she described as “double dipping,” it was in breach of fiduciary duty. JPMorgan also billed the trust transaction investment fees and corporate trustee fees.

Morrisey said that because the bank gives employees incentives to make it revenue, this creates a conflict of interest for those that are advising and managing fiduciary accounts. She said that the financial misconduct that occurred in this securities case exhibits JPMorgan’s disregard of its clients, especially when it knew, or if it didn’t then was reckless in not knowing, that such conduct was occurring.

Investors that purchase variable prepaid contracts generally consent to give a number of the stock shares to the brokerage firm in the future. Such a deal can protect investors from certain losses and can be accompanied by tax benefits. However, they can also lead to additional fees. With Burford’s trust, however, the trustee is not allowed to sell its original stocks. The court said that JPMorgan failed to tell Fletcher that getting involved in the contracts could lead to the sale of that stock.
JPMorgan says it disagrees with the court’s ruling and it may appeal.

JPMorgan Must Pay $18 Million to Heiress Over Derivatives, Bloomberg, October 10, 2012

JP Morgan Ordered to Pay $18 Million to Oil Heiress’s Trust, New York Times, October 10, 2012

More Blog Posts:
New York’s Attorney General Sues JP Morgan Chase & Co. Over Alleged MBS Financial Fraud by Its Bear Stearns Unit, Stockbroker Fraud Blog, October 4, 2012
Ex-Employee Accuses Bank of America of Securities Fraud Involving Complex Derivatives Products, Stockbroker Fraud Blog, October 29, 2010

Barclays LIBOR Manipulation Scam Places Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan Chase, and UBS Under The Investigation Microscope, Institutional Investor Securities Blog, July 16, 2012 Continue Reading ›

Securities Law Roundup: Merrill Lynch Pays Customers $32M For Allegedly Overcharging Them with Unwarranted Fees, Brookstone Securities is Accused of $1.6M in Fraudulent CMO Sales to Elderly Retirees, and Planner Loses CFP Designation Following After Maine

Published on: June 28, 2012 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority says that it is fining Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. $2.8M in the wake of certain alleged supervisory failures that the SRO says led to the financial firm billing clients unwarranted fees. The financial firm paid back the $32M in remediation to affected clients, in addition to interest.

According to FINRA, from 4/03 to 12/11, Merrill Lynch lacked a satisfactory supervisory system that could ensure that certain investment advisory program clients were billed per the terms of their disclosure documents and contract. As a result, close to 95,000 client account fees were charged.

Also, due to programming mistakes, Merrill Lynch allegedly did not give certain clients timely trade confirmations. These errors caused them to not get confirmations for over 10.6 million trades in more than 230,000 customer accounts from 7/06 to 11/10. Additionally, FINRA contends that Merrill Lynch failed to properly identify when it played the role of principal or agent on account statements and trade confirmations involving at least 7.5 million mutual fund buy transactions. By settling, Merrill Lynch is not denying nor admitting to the charges. It is, however, agreeing to the entry of FINRA’s findings.

FINRA Bars Former Wells Fargo Advisors Broker that Bilked Child with Cerebral Palsy

Published on: April 26, 2012 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Ralph Edward Thomas Jr., a former broker has been permanently barred from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Thomas, who misappropriated money from three clients, including a child suffering from cerebral palsy, has been sentenced to a prison term of four years. He also must pay $836,000 in restitution.

According to prosecutors, the former broker stole the money over several years. More than $750,000 came from the child’s trust fund, which held the proceeds from a medical malpractice settlement he received for $3 million. During this time, he worked for Invest Financial Corporation, Harbor Financial Services, and Wells Fargo Advisors, which terminated him as their broker in 2010.

This case of securities fraud started after the child’s mom moved the trust to the bank in 2001. This gave Thomas control over the money. He would give out up to $1,500 of the child’s almost $6,300 in monthly annuity payments. He would then use withdrawal slips with the mother’s signature already written on it to buy cashier’s checks and take out money. He would deposit the checks in his personal accounts at other banks. In addition to the over $750,000 that he converted from the child’s account, Thomas converted $12,500 of the mother’s money.

Insurance Agent Convicted in Annuity Case Involving 83-Year-Old Dementia Patient

Published on: March 21, 2012 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Independent insurance agent Glenn A. Neasham has been convicted for felony theft for selling a complex annuity to an elderly woman who was suffering from dementia. Neasham, who maintains that the woman seemed fine when the transaction was made in 2008, contends and that he acted appropriately. Now, other insurance agents say they are having second thoughts about offering this financial product.

“Indexed” annuities are savings products that pay interest tied to how the stock- and bond-market indexes perform. An insurance agent gives the buyer a guarantee that the latter won’t lose any principal as long as the investor doesn’t withdraw his/her money early when steep penalties would otherwise ensue.

A lot of insurance agents like annuities because they can earn high commissions (12% or greater of the amount invested).from insurance companies. Annuity sales have increased by over four times in the last 10 years as a volatile stock market and low interest rates attracted buyers.

US Army Staff Sergeant Held in Afghan Civilian Massacre Was Once Accused of Securities Fraud

Published on: March 20, 2012 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Before US Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales joined the military, he had a career as a stock trader. Now, media sources, who have been digging into his background to find out more about the man accused of massacring 16 villagers in Afghanistan, are reporting that the 38-year-old’s stockbroker career ended after he was accused of defrauding an elderly couple and bilking them of their life savings.

According to The Washington Post, prior to joining the military, Bales and MPI, the financial firm that he worked for, were ordered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority to pay a $1.4 million securities settlement (compensation and punitive damages), for allegedly engaging in unauthorized trading, fraud, unsuitable investments, churning, and breach of fiduciary duty. Bales allegedly sold valuable stocks off while favoring penny stocks in order to up his commission.

The claimant, 74-year-old Gary Liebschner, said that he was never paid a cent of the arbitration award. In his securities complaint against Bales, which he filed in 2000, Liebschner said that $825,000 in AT & T stock lost all value because of trades that this former stock trader had made for him. ABC News says that when Liebschner was asked if he thought of Bales was a con man, the elderly senior replied in the affirmative.

“A question one may ask is, what do the actions of this man as a soldier have in common with his actions as a former stockbroker?” asked Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas, LTD LLP Founder and Stockbroker Fraud Lawyer William Shepherd. “In either case, it is apparent that he was and is a very disturbed person. Having represented thousands of investors to recover investment losses I have found that most of the harm is caused by either the large percentage of ruthless financial firms or the small percentage of disturbed brokers. Most financial advisors are honest and care very much about their clients, but a few of them range from gambling addicts to complete sociopaths.”

US officials have said that early on the morning of March 11, Bales walked to two villages and started shooting families in their homes. He initially reported shooting a number of Afghan men outside a US combat post and reports of the staff sergeant’s initial account imply that he may have asserted that his actions had a legitimate military goal even though he entered the villages without authorization. What he didn’t mention, however, was that he had also killed over a dozen women and children. Bales’ defense lawyer, who says that his client doesn’t remember the shootings, plans to mount an insanity defense.

Afghan Murder Suspect Bales ‘Took My Life Savings,’ Says Retiree, ABC News, March 19, 2012

Staff Sgt. Robert Bales’ arrest as suspect in civilian shootings renews questions about mission in Afghanistan: A Closer Look, Cleveland.com, March 18, 2012

More Blog Posts:
AmeriFirst Funding Corp. Owner Convicted of Texas Securities Fraud, Stockbroker Fraud Blog, February 3, 2012

Well Fargo Advisers to Pay $2 Million to Settle Claims that Broker Sold Unsuitable Reverse Convertible Securities to Seniors, Stockbroker Fraud Blog, December 17, 2011

Wells Fargo & Co. May Have to Pay Another $15M to Minnesota Nonprofits For Securities Fraud, Institutional Investor Securities Fraud, December 24, 2010 Continue Reading ›

AmeriFirst Funding Corp. Owner Convicted of Texas Securities Fraud

Published on: February 3, 2012 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

The former COO of AmeriFirst Acceptance Corp. and AmeriFirst Funding Corp. was recently convicted of multiple counts of Texas securities fraud and mail fraud for his involvement in bilking over 500 investors of over $50 million. A lot of the victims of Dennis Woods Bowden were retirees.

Per evidence that was given at trial, the 58-year-old executive and Jeffrey Charles Bruteyn, who was AmeriFirst’s managing director, made available Secured Debt Obligations (SDOs) as promissory note offerings to raise millions of dollars from investors in Florida and Texas. A lot of these clients, who were no longer employed, had hoped to place their money in investments that were safe.

While Bruteyn, who was convicted of nine counts of Texas securities fraud, directed brokers to sell the securities, it was Bowden who deceived and misled and defrauded them by signing the documents that were given to investors and misrepresenting/not disclosing material facts about the securities and the risks involved. For example, he falsely represented to investors that:

Wells Fargo-Sponsored Survey Finds that Sense of Security About Retiring Doesn’t Necessarily Come with Affluence

Published on: December 22, 2011 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

According to a recent Wells Fargo & Co-sponsored survey, 23% of the 800 Americans with at $100,000 in investable assets who participated reported that they don’t feel confident that they will have enough money saved by the time they retire. 75% said they felt sure that they would have enough. The ones most likely to feel confident are the ones with a written a financial plan, trust that the stock market will take care of their investments, are married, have at least $250,000 in investable assets, and/or are male. Those who felt unsure about their finances for when they retire included those who are single, female, belong to the 40-59 age group, and/or have under $250,000 in investable assets.

Some of the Other Findings from the Survey:
• 48% of those in the 25 to 49 age range want to keep working during their retirement years.
• More men (42%) than women (34%) wanted to keep working even after hitting retirement age.
• Approximately three-quarters of those that are currently working believe that having a specific amount of money matters more than what age they are when they retire.
• Women without a written financial plan and/or with investable assets of over $100,000 but under $250,000 are more likely to believe that they won’t have enough money when they retire regardless of what they do now.
• Nearly 2 in 5 Affluent Americans feel like they should significantly reduce their spending now to save up for retirement • One-third of those surveyed worry that they won’t be able to leave their children an inheritance because their savings will have to go toward their retirement • Four in 10 prefer to enjoy life now rather than worry: These people are usually already retired (54%), seniors belonging to 60-75 age group (51%), Democrats (47%), and parents with kids that are already legal adults (44%)
• Parents with kids under 18 (71%), adults belonging to the 40-49 age group (62%), women (65%), and seniors age 50-59 (64%) are the ones most likely to worry about what will happen when they retire.

Unfortunately, there appears to a nationwide rise in investment fraud targeting baby boomers, many who are just (or on the verge of) retiring. The Wall Street Journal reports that many of these older investors found themselves placing their money in high-risk bets to compensate for the losses they suffered during the recently financial crisis.

There are approximately 77 million baby boomers currently live in the US. Of the 3,475 enforcement actions involving fraud in 2010, 1,241 affected investors were 50 years of age or older. According to securities regulators, this number is expected to hit a record figure this year. Enforcement actions involved free-lunch seminars, variable annuities, or the misuse of professional credentials. Common types of senior investment fraud included Ponzi scams, self-directed IRA’s containing bogus investments in gold, real estate, and oil wells, and promissory notes.

Our elder financial fraud lawyers at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas, LLP represent seniors throughout the US. We know the toll that losing your savings can take on you and your family.
Retirement Fears Jump the Wealth Gap to Strike Many Affluent Americans, Wells Fargo Retirement Study Finds, Wells Fargo, December 14, 2011
Boomers Wearing Bull’s-Eyes, Wall Street Journal, December 14, 2011

More Blog Posts:
Well Fargo Advisers to Pay $2 Million to Settle Claims that Broker Sold Unsuitable Reverse Convertible Securities to Seniors, Stockbroker Fraud Blog, December 17, 2011
Texas Securities Fraud Over Sale of Allegedly Bogus Annuities to Elderly Seniors, Stockbroker Fraud Blog, December 14, 2011
LPL Financial Ordered to Pay $100K for Lack of Adequate Oversight that Resulted in Unsuitable Investments for Clients, Stockbroker Fraud Blog, November 29, 2011 Continue Reading ›

Well Fargo Advisers to Pay $2 Million to Settle Claims that Broker Sold Unsuitable Reverse Convertible Securities to Seniors

Published on: December 17, 2011 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

To settle Financial Industry Regulatory Authority securities fraud allegations against one of its brokers, Wells Fargo Advisers will pay a $2M fine, as well as repay an unspecified amount to elderly clients that were defrauded. Over 21 senior investors were reportedly targeted by Alfred Chi Chen, who sold them reverse convertible notes even though the majority of them were retired and/or had never invested in this type of complex instrument. A number of investors were in their 80’s and 90’s.

FINRA says that Chen made over $1M in commissions even as the investors sustained losses. He also is accused of not giving discounts on Unit Investment Trust (UIT) transactions even when clients were eligible. As part of its settlement, Wells Fargo will pay restitution to those that should have but did not get the discounts and those that were sold unsuitable investments.

FINRA Executive Vice President and Chief of Enforcement Brad Bennett said that Wells Fargo did not review the reverse convertible transactions to make sure that they were suitable and that investors were harmed as a result. The SRO also determined that Wells Fargo did not give certain clients that were eligible breakpoint and rollover and exchange discounts when they bought UITs because the financial firm’s procedures and systems were not sufficient to properly monitor unsuitable reverse convertibles and ensure that clients got the discounts for which they were eligible. (Discounts should be offered on UIT sales when purchases go beyond certain thresholds or involve termination or redemption proceeds from another UIT during the initial offering period.)

By agreeing to settle, Wells Fargo is not admitting to or denying FINRA’s allegations.

The SRO has filed a separate complaint against Chen, who allegedly exposed clients to risks that were not in line with their investment profiles. As of June 2008, 172 of the accounts he worked with held reverse convertibles. 148 accounts had concentrations over the 50% of their total holdings. 46 accounts had concentrations of over 90%.

Reverse Convertibles
These interest-bearing notes involve repayment of principal connected to an underlying asset’s performance. The specific terms of reverse convertibles may vary. An investor risks loss if the underlying asset’s value drops under a certain maturity level or during the reverse convertible’s term.

It is important for many elderly investors that their investments not expose them to too much risk. For an elderly senior to lose his/her life savings because a financial firm or broker behaved irresponsibly, committed securities fraud, or made an avoidable mistake is unacceptable.

Wells to pay $2M to settle claims broker sold unsuitable investments to seniors, Investment News, December 15, 2011
Wells Fargo Fined by Finra Selling Structured Notes to Aged, Bloomberg, December 15, 2011

More Blog Posts:
Broker-Dealers are Making Reverse Convertible Sales That are Harming Investors, Says SEC, Stockbroker Fraud Blog, July 28, 2011
RBC Wealth Management Unit Ferris Baker Watts to Pay Investors Restitution Over Reverse Convertible Notes Allegations, Says FINRA, Stockbroker Fraud Blog, October 23, 2010
Wells Fargo Settles for $148M Municipal Bond Bid-Rigging Charges Against Wachovia Bank, Institutional Investors Securities Blog, December 8, 2011 Continue Reading ›

Texas Securities Fraud Over Sale of Allegedly Bogus Annuities to Elderly Seniors

Published on: December 14, 2011 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Two men are accused of Texas securities fraud involving the sale of bogus annuities to the elderly. The authorities arrested Leon Randy Sinclair III, a 53-year-old Houston man, on charges of theft by deception, misapplication of fiduciary property, and money laundering. Sinclair and his San Antonio-based business partner, Luther Pierce Hendon, allegedly transferred money from the investment policies into their own bank accounts.

Dozens of elderly persons were reportedly bilked out of their life savings while the two men allegedly stole millions of dollars. The elderly clients were sold charitable gift annuities that they thought would go toward their savings for the future. Unfortunately, per the criminal complaints filed against Hendon and Sinclair, the money they were investing actually went to the two men.

Annuities

LPL Financial Ordered to Pay $100K for Lack of Adequate Oversight that Resulted in Unsuitable Investments for Clients

Published on: November 29, 2011 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

LPL Financial must pay $100K for its improper supervision of a broker. The Oregon Division of Financial and Corporate Securities, which fined the financial firm, reports that LPL Financial has put in place better oversight procedures since the violation was discovered. LPL Financial is a LPL Investment Holdings Inc. division.

According to the state’s securities division, Jack Kleck, an LPL Financial branch manager, sold risky gas and oil partnership-related investments to almost 36 residents. A lot of these clients were elderly seniors for whom these investments were unsuitable (considering their investment goals and age). Some even lacked the mental capacity to make such investment choices.

LPL Financial is accused of committing securities law violations, including not making sure that company procedures and policy were enforced and inadequately supervising Kleck, whose securities license was taken away in 2007. He was ordered to pay a $30,000 fine.