Former Merrill Edge Advisor Barred by FINRA Amid Misappropriation Allegations
From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law
FINRA has barred Mario L. Martinez, a market leader with Merrill Edge in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after he declined to cooperate with a regulatory investigation. According to AdvisorHub, the probe began following a tip that Martinez accepted a loan from a client, among other alleged misconduct.
According to a FINRA letter of settlement, known as an Acceptance, Waiver and Consent (“AWC”), Martinez refused to provide requested information, which automatically triggered an industry bar under FINRA rules. He agreed to the sanctions without admitting or denying the regulator’s findings.
Martinez resigned from Merrill in January after allegations surfaced that he misappropriated client funds and accepted a personal loan without firm approval. AdvisorHub reports that his BrokerCheck record reflects three public disclosures, including his resignation, a $331,000 customer complaint settlement involving similar claims, and the FINRA bar.
Martinez, who began his career at AXA Advisors in 2012 and joined Merrill in 2015, last served as a market leader at Merrill Edge starting in November 2021. He has not publicly commented on the matter.
Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, transition, regulatory, and disciplinary matters.
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