FINRA Suspends Former LPL Advisor Who Promised Client “Plenty of Money”

Posted on November 10th, 2022 at 2:11 PM
FINRA Suspends Former LPL Advisor Who Promised Client “Plenty of Money”

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has issued a three-month suspension and $10,000 fine to a former LPL advisor who allegedly promised to double a client’s investment by improperly texting the client from a personal phone.

The former advisor, Dennis Karjala, was terminated from LPL in October 2021 over similar allegations. Karjala accepted FINRA’s sanctions without admitting or denying any investigatory findings, according to the settlement letter. According to FINRA, Karjala improperly messaged a client in August 2021 and misrepresented the investment’s fees and expected performance. Specifically, Karjala informed the client that a mutual fund only charged an upfront fee and that the client had “already lost 30%” by holding cash, according to FINRA.

However, the mutual fund additionally charged “ongoing fees” and Karjala failed to provide any basis for the 30% loss calculation. Furthermore, Karjala also claimed that he was “certain” the client would make “plenty of money” before retirement and that the client’s investment should “double”. According to FINRA, “These statements were false, exaggerated, unwarranted, promissory and/or misleading.”

Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, regulatory and disciplinary matters.

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, finra, lpl

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

I am grateful to have found an outstanding law firm that specializes in securities matters. My lawyers were extremely knowledgeable, diligent, and are skilled litigators. No stone was left upturned. As a result of their experience and tenacity, the arbitration proceeding was dismissed in my favor.

Michael E.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

March 12, 2025
GPB Capital Investors May Receive Some Compensation Under Proposed Distribution Plan

GPB Capital Holdings investors have not received returns on their investments since 2018. According to InvestmentNews, after years of litigation, a court-appointed receiver has submitted a plan to return funds to the 17,000 investors who purchased $1.8 billion in GPB limited partnerships.

March 11, 2025
Former CNBC Analyst Pleads Guilty to $2.7 Million Securities Fraud Scheme

James Arthur McDonald Jr., a former financial advisor and frequent CNBC guest analyst, has agreed to plead guilty to securities fraud, admitting to defrauding investors out of at least $2.7 million, as reported by ThinkAdvisor. The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

March 10, 2025
Wells Fargo and Merrill Lynch Settle SEC Charges Over Cash Sweep Program Policies

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced settlements with Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network LLC, and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated over allegations that they failed to implement proper policies and procedures for their cash sweep programs.