Adviser Barred from Industry and Ordered to Pay $4 million in Fines

Posted on August 26th, 2016 at 4:20 PM
Adviser Barred from Industry and Ordered to Pay $4 million in Fines

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law LLC:

The Securities and Exchange Commission recently announced that it barred investment adviser Dawn J. Bennett of the Bennett Group from the securities industry for exaggerating her firm’s investment performance. In addition, the SEC ordered Ms. Bennett to pay $600,000 and the Bennett Group to pay 2.9 million.

Administrative Law Judge James Grimes ruled that Ms. Bennett inflated assets and used these inflated assets in order to qualify for the Barron’s list of top advisers. In turn, Ms. Bennett used the rankings to solicit new clients for her company. Ms. Bennett and the Bennett Group advertised that it managed between $1.1 billion and $2 billion in assets, when in reality the firm never managed more than $407 million in assets during that time period.

“Bennett is not fit to remain in the industry in any capacity,” Judge Grimes's ruling reads. “Her numerous false statements regarding AUM and portfolio performance to attract new customers and retain existing ones caused investors to falsely place their trust in her and resulted in large losses,” the ruling continues. He continued, “Her behavior and bald-faced lies made during the Commission's examination and investigation further demonstrate her untrustworthiness and unfitness.” 

The attorneys of Eccleston Law LLC represent investors and advisers nationwide in securities and employment matters. Our attorneys draw on a combined experience of nearly 65 years in delivering the highest quality legal services. If you are in need of legal services, contact us to schedule a one-on-one consultation today.

Related Attorneys: James J. Eccleston

Tags: Eccleston, Eccleston Law, Eccleston Law LLC, James Eccleston

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

I want to extend a tremendous thank you for your dedication, professionalism, hard work and patient demeanor through this challenging time. It was enjoyable interacting with everyone on your team, this certainly helped while dealing with the situation and working towards resolution.

Dan M.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

April 24, 2024
RIA Insurance Claims Skyrocket

A recent analysis by Golsan Scruggs reveals a staggering 231 percent increase in errors-and-omissions (E&O) liability claims among registered investment advisor (RIA)
insurers.

April 23, 2024
Surge Predicted in Regulation Best Interest Cases

According to a recent analysis, Reg BI-related actions quickly have ascended to the top five issues for FINRA, with fines totaling $6 million in 2023.

April 22, 2024
FINRA Fines Independent Broker-Dealers Over Cybersecurity Lapses

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has imposed fines and censured independent broker-dealers Osaic Wealth and Securities America for cybersecurity deficiencies that led to hackers accessing the private information of more than 32,000 customers.