SEC Charges Financial Advisor With Misappropriating Funds From NBA Players

Posted on March 31st, 2023 at 1:18 PM
SEC Charges Financial Advisor With Misappropriating Funds From NBA Players

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law 

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged a former Morgan Stanley advisor, Darryl Cohen, with misappropriating nearly $1 million from three current and former NBA players over a two-and-a-half-year period.

Cohen allegedly misappropriated client funds between October 2017 and April 2020 and used the money to support his son’s amateur basketball program, purchase a home gym, and pay purported returns to previous investors, according to the SEC. The SEC further alleges that Cohen sold life insurance settlements to clients for kickbacks to fund his spending. Prosecutors allege that Cohen took in nearly $246,000 in undisclosed kickbacks. “As the complaint alleges, instead of protecting his clients’ investments, Cohen took advantage of their trust for his personal gain”, said Andrew Dean, Co-Chief of the Asset Management Unit.

The SEC, which filed its complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, is seeking permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement, and a civil penalty. Furthermore, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has announced its intention to file criminal charges against Cohen. A Morgan Stanley spokesperson noted that the firm has “fully cooperated” with investigators, and has paid nearly $5.9 million in five settlements related to Cohen’s conduct.

 

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

 

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law

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

November 25, 2025
Financial Advisor Accepts FINRA Bar Amidst Investigation into Alleged Misappropriation

A financial advisor affiliated with a credit union connected to Raymond James Financial agreed to an industry bar after declining to cooperate with FINRA’s investigation into allegations that he misappropriated client funds.

November 24, 2025
Kyle Busch Alleges Considerable Losses in Indexed Universal Life (IUL) Scheme

Kyle Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, and his wife Samantha announced that they lost more than $8.6 million in what they describe as a “devastating financial scheme” involving an Indexed Universal Life (IUL) insurance policy.

November 21, 2025
FINRA Fines Independent Financial Group for Allowing Suspended Broker to Place Trades

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued a censure and $100,000 fine against Independent Financial Group (IFG) after finding that the IFG allowed a suspended and statutorily disqualified broker to continue placing trades.