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

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

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.

January 6, 2026
SEC Halts Review of Ultra-Leveraged ETFs, Citing Risk Limits

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has stepped in to curb the expansion of ultra-leveraged exchange-traded funds, issuing a series of warning letters that effectively block proposed products designed to deliver three- and five-times the daily returns of stocks, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.

January 5, 2026
FINRA Suspends Former UBS Broker Over Personal Credit Card Transfers

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has sanctioned a former UBS Wealth Management USA broker, Timothy R. Jones.