Wells Fargo and Former Advisor Ordered to Pay Customers In Churning Dispute

Posted on August 22nd, 2022 at 1:39 PM
Wells Fargo and Former Advisor Ordered to Pay Customers In Churning Dispute

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law.

A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration panel has ordered Wells Fargo and a former advisor to pay a Pennsylvania couple at least $731,000 over a churning dispute that last nearly five years.

The couple initially filed their claim with FINRA in October 2017 alleging that their Wells Fargo advisor repeatedly violated their fiduciary duty by churning accounts, completing unauthorized trades, and recommending unsuitable investments. According to FINRA, the advisors additionally failed to minimize expenses and tax liability. The former Wells Fargo advisor, Gregory Pease, departed the firm in January 2017 and has not been registered as an investment advisor since May 2021.

According to the arbitration claim, Pease “unilaterally altered risk profiles on Claimants’ account application forms, routinely churned Claimants’ investments through various investment vehicles, and placed Claimants in many investments and portfolios that exceeded Claimants’ stated risk tolerance.” The couple, Edward and Wendy Pesicka, alleged that the investments were “made with the sole purpose of generating additional commission or fees in Pease’s favor.” While the couple prevailed in arbitration, the award fell substantially short of the $9.4 million in damages the couple was initially seeking.

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

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, advisors, 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 22, 2026
EC Zeroes In on Persistent Marketing Rule Failures With New Staff FAQs

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has sharpened its scrutiny of investment adviser marketing practices, signaling continued frustration with recurring compliance failures despite years of guidance and enforcement. As reported by Financial Advisor News, new staff FAQs published in January follow a December risk alert that deta...

January 21, 2026
New Investor Losses as Yieldstreet Rebrands to Willow Wealth

Yieldstreet, now operating under the name Willow Wealth, continues to report significant losses to investor clients despite a high-profile rebrand.

January 20, 2026
SEC Charges Three Advisors in Alleged Sale of Unregistered Oil and Gas Securities

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged three advisors and agents with selling millions of dollars in unregistered oil and gas securities to retail investors while failing to disclose conflicts of interest.