SEC Bars Financial Advisor for Securities Trading Scheme

Posted on May 10th, 2024 at 1:33 PM
SEC Bars Financial Advisor for Securities Trading Scheme

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has barred financial advisor Andrew Komarow from the securities industry, following a similar bar by FINRA. Komarow accepted the SEC settlement without admitting to or denying the SEC's findings.

According to InvestmentNews, Komarow is known for his Connecticut-based practice focusing on special needs and autism. He was found to have been involved in a "free-riding" securities trading scheme from October 2022 to January 2023, according to the SEC settlement.

"Free-riding" involves traders exploiting the "immediate access" credit provided by certain broker-dealers before cash deposits from bank accounts are received. The SEC discovered that Komarow initiated "unfunded automated clearing house transfers of money totaling $6.9 million from multiple bank accounts to accounts at broker-dealers and engaged in speculative trading with the resulting credits before the transfers were canceled for insufficient funds."

Although Komarow's trading activities did not yield significant profits at each broker-dealer, he withdrew funds from two accounts where he had engaged in free-riding. As per the SEC's findings, this led to losses exceeding $3 million for the broker-dealers, while Komarow personally profited at least $615,031.

 

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

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, sec

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

 


It was really fun seeing you fight for us. You have an amazing way of thinking out of the box.


 

Beth M.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

January 9, 2026
FINRA Sanctions Former Wells Fargo Advisor for Profile Falsification and Unauthorized Trading

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) disciplined former Wells Fargo Advisors broker James E. Holmes III for misconduct tied to his falsifying customer information and unauthorized trading.

January 8, 2026
Georgia Investment Advisor Pleads Guilty to Ponzi Scheme

A former Georgia investment adviser has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after federal prosecutors accused his firm of operating a multiyear Ponzi scheme that cost investors millions of dollars, as reported by Financial Advisor News.

January 7, 2026
FINRA Releases 2026 Regulatory Oversight Report, Spotlighting Private Placement Compliance Risks

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) released its 2026 Annual Regulatory Oversight Report, responding directly to member feedback and reinforcing its stated mission to protect investors and promote market integrity.