Eccleston Law Blog

Conservation Easement Crackdown: Understanding IRS Enforcement and Investor Risk

November 13th, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Conservation easements can serve as powerful legal tools that protect open land, preserve wildlife habitats, and offer legitimate tax benefits to property owners.
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Federal Judge Restrains Former UBS Advisors Amid Solicitation Dispute with Elevation Point

November 12th, 2025 at 9:28 AM
A federal judge in Florida has approved a stipulated order restricting a $1.4 billion advisory team that left UBS Wealth Management USA for RIA Elevation Point from contacting certain clients.
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FINRA Bars Advisor Over Misuse of Client Funds and Not Cooperating

November 11th, 2025 at 9:35 AM
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has barred former Raymond James financial advisor Jose A. Gamez after he failed to appear for testimony in connection with allegations that he used client funds for personal purposes.
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FINRA Suspends Former Wells Fargo Broker Over Unapproved Real Estate Venture

November 7th, 2025 at 1:49 PM
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) suspended former Wells Fargo broker George J. Cairnes for four months and fined him $25,000 for engaging in unapproved real estate outside business activity, according to a settlement letter issued.
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Former Ameriprise Broker Ordered to Pay $2.2 Million for Elder Exploitation

November 6th, 2025 at 3:23 PM
A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration panel has ordered Eric A. Dupre to pay nearly $2.2 million in damages to his former firm and two customers following allegations of theft and elder exploitation.
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Former Wells Fargo Representative Suspended for Unauthorized Texting and Obstruction

November 5th, 2025 at 3:20 PM
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has suspended former Wells Fargo representative Eyan M. Townsend for one year and fined him $10,000 for using personal text messages to conduct business and attempting to obstruct an internal investigation by deleting those communications.
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FINRA Suspends Former Morgan Stanley Advisor Over $180,000 in Improper Transfers

November 4th, 2025 at 9:23 AM
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) suspended former Morgan Stanley advisor C.J. Kline for two years and imposed a $5,000 fine for allegedly executing more than $180,000 in improper fund transfers between his personal and brokerage accounts.
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Former Florida Broker Pleads Guilty in $2.7 Million Investment Fraud and PPP Loan Scheme

November 3rd, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Former Florida broker Jared Dean Eakes, 34, of Jacksonville, has pleaded guilty to wire and bank fraud in connection with a $2.7 million investment scam and a separate scheme involving over $4.75 million in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, according to U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida.
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Department of Labor Sued Over Illegitimate Deferred Compensation Opinion Letter

October 31st, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Three former Morgan Stanley advisors filed suit this week against the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), claiming the agency exceeded its authority and was unduly influenced when it issued an advisory opinion that sought to undermine their deferred compensation claims.
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SEC Sues Former Franchise Group CEO Over $350 Million Hedge Fund Fraud

October 30th, 2025 at 2:32 PM
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a lawsuit against Brian Kahn, former CEO of Franchise Group Inc., alleging he defrauded investors of more than $350 million in a multi-year investment adviser fraud tied to the collapse of Prophecy Asset Management (Prophecy).
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If the regulators are after you, and are trying to make a case against you, and you are going to contest their allegations against you, make sure you have the best securities industry defense lawyers, Eccleston Law Firm. My case was spun into a combination of penalties including fines, cash settlements, CE courses and suspension. They were the best I have seen in action. When all was said and done, they had done their magic, my situation was negotiated and settled with a simple "letter of caution" and a case closed without action. It is the most important legal business decision you will ever make, make it Eccleston Law.

Rick R.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

December 15, 2025
FINRA Sanctions Former Merrill Broker for Unapproved Referral Payouts

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued a six-month suspension and a $7,500 fine against former Merrill Lynch broker Jeremiah Householder after finding that he accepted referral commissions from an unapproved third-party lender.

December 12, 2025
SEC Charges Driver Who Posed as a Financial Professional and Lost Over $1 Million

Federal regulators charged a New York area driver with masquerading as a seasoned investment professional and causing significant losses for three investors.

December 11, 2025
DOJ Secures Five-Year Prison Sentence in Wolf Capital Crypto Fraud Case

Federal prosecutors have obtained a five-year prison sentence for Travis Ford, an Oklahoma resident who admitted to orchestrating a fraudulent crypto investment scheme through Wolf Capital.