Former Morgan Stanley Advisor Fined and Suspended for Unauthorized Trading

Posted on August 14th, 2024 at 11:25 AM
Former Morgan Stanley Advisor Fined and Suspended for Unauthorized Trading

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law

FINRA has fined a former Morgan Stanley advisor, Craig Sherman Thistlethwaite, $10,000 and suspended him for 60 days for unauthorized trading and other violations.

As reported by AdvisorHub, Thistlethwaite conducted 546 trades between January 2014 and April 2021 in two customers' accounts without obtaining the necessary authorizations. Additionally, he communicated with a customer about trades using an unapproved personal cell phone.

Thistlethwaite violated several FINRA rules, including those against unauthorized trading and recordkeeping requirements, as well as FINRA's Rule 2010. Under an Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (“AWC”), he settled the charges without admitting or denying the findings.

Thistlethwaite's actions led to substantial financial repercussions for Morgan Stanley. In December 2022, an arbitration panel awarded nearly $12 million to an investor who alleged that the firm failed to supervise an unsuitable options strategy involving technology stocks like Nvidia, Tesla, Apple, Salesforce, and Microsoft. In a related case, Morgan Stanley paid $4.2 million to the customer's spouse, who filed a separate claim over the same options strategy.

 

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

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, finra

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

I cannot thank you enough for your efforts. You have proven to be a valuable resource

Jim T.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

May 9, 2025
FINRA Suspends Former Wells Fargo Advisor Over Unauthorized Transfer in Elderly Client's Account

FINRA has fined and suspended former Wells Fargo financial advisor Jarrett Thomas after he executed a $50,000 transaction for an elderly client despite being informed that she was no longer capable of managing her finances.

May 8, 2025
All 50 States Now Aligned on Annuity Sales Standards

The annuity industry officially has secured uniformity in sales regulations across all 50 states.

May 7, 2025
Jury Finds Investment Advisor Liable for Failing to Disclose Annuity Commissions

A federal jury in Massachusetts has found investment adviser Jeffrey Cutter and his firm, Cutter Financial Group, liable for violating federal securities law by failing to disclose significant upfront commissions and conflicts of interest related to an annuity replacement scheme.