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 am so blessed to have you and your dynamic team defending me. Your ethics, forward thinking and strategies are amazing.  You guys are the best group of attorneys in the country that I could hire to handle this complicated case.

Cindy C.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

August 19, 2025
UBS Hit with $737,000 FINRA Arbitration Award Over Mismanaged Tesla Options Strategy

UBS Financial Services has been ordered to pay $737,000 in damages and fees after a former Tesla executive accused the firm of mishandling an options strategy involving his concentrated stock position.

August 18, 2025
Stifel Drops Advisor Chuck Roberts Amid Legal Fallout from Failed Structured Notes Strategy

Stifel Financial Corp. has parted ways with Chuck Roberts, a high-profile financial advisor whose investment strategies have triggered a wave of costly legal complaints.

August 15, 2025
FINRA Bars Former Ameriprise Advisor Over $2.2 Million in Client Loans

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has permanently barred former Ameriprise Financial broker Eric A. Dupre for borrowing more than $2.2 million from clients without firm authorization.