SEC Fines Raymond James $500,000 Over Supervisory Failures

Posted on October 11th, 2022 at 2:04 PM
SEC Fines Raymond James $500,000 Over Supervisory Failures

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has imposed a $500,000 fine on Raymond James over its alleged supervisory failures related to a former Tennessee-based advisor.

According to the SEC, Raymond James’s compliance department failed to adequately respond to a branch manager’s concerns about withdrawals in an elderly client’s account. The department’s failure to act enabled an advisor in Cool Springs, Tennessee, to misappropriate $901,500 from a 98-year old’s retirement account between 2015 and 2019, according to a settlement. The branch manager was not named by the SEC, and the manager attempted to escalate concerns about the withdrawals in June 2018 after taking over the Cool Springs office by referring the case to Raymond James’ Senior and At-Risk Clients group.

While Raymond James created the case team in 2017, the group was not typically tasked with flagging internal threats and subsequently failed to contact the clients directly or initiate an investigation. According to the SEC, the compliance department deemed the investigation to be complete and merely put financial advisor Frederick Stow on a performance improvement plan. In 2019, Stow was able to steal an additional $22,400 from a second elderly client, according to the SEC. Raymond James terminated Stow in May 2019 for “misappropriating funds from a client’s account”, according to BrokerCheck. Stow subsequently pled guilty to aggravated identity theft and securities fraud in federal court in 2020, which resulted in a 60-month prison sentence.

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

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, advisors, law

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

Thank You from the bottom of our hearts for all you have done for us. When we realized this was a very bad investment - we did not know where to turn for help. Then we received your name. When we called you - you were so kind to us and then agreed to help us. For this we are so very grateful. The world would be a much nicer place if there were more people like the two of you in it. We will always remember all the help and kindness you have shown us. Thank you so very very much for everything.

Wayne and Judy S.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

December 19, 2024
GPB Capital Investors See Progress as Court Confirms Receivership

In a significant development for investors in GPB Capital Holdings, the private equity firm will move into receivership following a prolonged legal battle.

December 18, 2024
SEC Fines Cantor Fitzgerald $6.75 Million for Misleading SPAC Investors

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. with causing two special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) under its control to make misleading statements to investors before their initial public offerings (IPOs). 

December 17, 2024
Former Western Asset Management Co-CIO Charged with Fraud for Cherry-picking Trades

The SEC recently charged Ken Leech, former Co-CIO of Western Asset Management, with fraud.