Smoothie-Throwing Advisor Suspended By CFP Board

Posted on February 15th, 2022 at 1:21 PM
Smoothie-Throwing Advisor Suspended By CFP Board

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law:

A former Merrill Lynch advisor has been suspended by the CFP Board after he was arrested for threatening employees and using racial slurs at a smoothie shop in Connecticut.

The former Merrill advisor, James Iannazzo, was arrested after the incident on January 22 at a smoothie shop in Fairfield, Connecticut. Iannazzo allegedly returned to the store after purchasing a smoothie and began yelling at employees, according to Fairfield police. Iannazzo eventually threw his smoothie at one of the employees. Iannazzo additionally cursed at employees and called one a “(expletive) immigrant loser”, according to a video recording of the incident. Iannazzo was angry because the smoothie he bought allegedly contained peanut butter and Iannazzo’s son purportedly is allergic to peanut butter, according to Fairfield police. 

After the video began to spread on social media, Merrill Lynch announced that it immediately had investigated and subsequently terminated Iannazzo’s employment. Additionally, the CFP Board Counsel moved to file a Motion for Interim Suspension against Iannazzo, which was approved by a hearing panel. In essence, Iannazzo’s will serve his suspension until the Board finalizes its investigation and conducts other disciplinary proceedings. 

Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, regulatory and disciplinary matters, including CFP Board and CFA Institute matters. 

 
 
 
 

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, merrill lynch

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

March 4, 2026
Modern Fraud Schemes Escalate in Scale and Sophistication

A recent panel discussion at the Financial Services Institute OneVoice conference in San Diego highlighted how rapidly evolving fraud schemes continue to victimize both retail and wealthy investors.

March 3, 2026
FINRA Suspends Former Stifel Broker Over Costly Account Switching Trades

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) suspended a former Stifel, Nicolaus & Co.

March 2, 2026
FINRA Suspends Cetera Broker for Accepting $50,000 Client Bequest Without Firm Approval

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) imposed a $10,000 fine and a seven-month suspension on an independent broker for accepting a $50,000 bequest from a client without obtaining prior firm approval.