SEC Charges Unregistered Brokers For Selling Securities to Retail Investors

Posted on March 24th, 2021 at 2:25 PM
SEC Charges Unregistered Brokers For Selling Securities to Retail Investors

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law LLC:

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced charges against Jason P. Wootten and Ronald Frank Stevenson and the companies they controlled for registration violations connected with their unlawful sales of securities of real estate funds to retail investors. EquiAlt LLC managed the real estate funds. The SEC previously filed an enforcement action against EquiAlt and its funds, alleging that they were operating a Ponzi scheme that raised more than $170 million from approximately 1,100 investors in 35 states. 

According to the complaint, Wootten and his company, Family Tree Estate Planning, LLC, sold over $32 million of the Fund's securities to more than 100 investors. Through Family Tree Estate Planning, Wootten received approximately $3.7 million in commissions from EquiAlt, even though neither Wooten nor his company was registered as a broker-dealer. 

The complaint also alleges that Stevenson and his company, American Financial Security, LLC, sold approximately $19 million of the Funds' securities to more than 100 investors. Stevenson, through the company, received roughly $1.7 million in commission, despite neither Stevenson nor American Financial Security being registered as a broker-dealer. 

The SEC has filed charges against Wotten, Stevenson, and their companies with violating the registration provisions of Sections 5(a) and 5(c) of the Securities Act of 1933 and the broker-dealer registration provisions of Section 15(a)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The SEC is also seeking disgorgement of ill-gotten gains with interest and financial penalties.

Eccleston Law LLC represents financial advisors nationwide. Please contact us to discuss any issues that you may have. 

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, sec, unregistered brokers

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

April 24, 2024
RIA Insurance Claims Skyrocket

A recent analysis by Golsan Scruggs reveals a staggering 231 percent increase in errors-and-omissions (E&O) liability claims among registered investment advisor (RIA)
insurers.

April 23, 2024
Surge Predicted in Regulation Best Interest Cases

According to a recent analysis, Reg BI-related actions quickly have ascended to the top five issues for FINRA, with fines totaling $6 million in 2023.

April 22, 2024
FINRA Fines Independent Broker-Dealers Over Cybersecurity Lapses

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has imposed fines and censured independent broker-dealers Osaic Wealth and Securities America for cybersecurity deficiencies that led to hackers accessing the private information of more than 32,000 customers.