Wisconsin Financial Advisor Suspended and Fined for Unauthorized Transactions

Posted on September 3rd, 2024 at 10:18 AM
Wisconsin Financial Advisor Suspended and Fined for Unauthorized Transactions

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law

FINRA has suspended and fined Wisconsin financial advisor John E. Pelletier after he executed 16 unauthorized transactions, allowing a client's ex-wife to nearly deplete his individual retirement account (IRA). As reported by ThinkAdvisor, Pelletier, a senior financial advisor with BMO Investment Services, received a three-month suspension and a $10,000 fine.

The client discovered the unauthorized transactions when his electricity was cut off. His ex-wife, who lived with him and handled the household bills, had taken the money but failed to pay the electric bill for months. This situation led the client to uncover that his IRA had been almost entirely drained without his knowledge.

FINRA's hearing office determined that Pelletier enabled distributions at the direction of DP’s ex-wife, who was not an authorized agent on the account.

Despite Pelletier's claim that the client had given oral authorization for his ex-wife to direct trades, the panel found no evidence supporting this claim.ThinkAdvisor also reports that Pelletier’s actions violated BMO Investment Services’ written policies, which explicitly warned against accepting orders from an account owner’s spouse.

 

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

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, finra

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

I am so glad I found you! Wow! I appreciate your help, concern and guidance.

RB

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

September 5, 2025
Merrill Lynch Advisor Faces FINRA Disciplinary Action for Refusing to Cooperate with Investigation

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has initiated disciplinary proceedings against former Merrill Lynch broker Ali F. Chehab of Portland, Oregon. According to ThinkAdvisor, FINRA alleges that he refused to cooperate in an investigation into potential misconduct, including unauthorized trading and material misrepresentati...

September 4, 2025
Wells Fargo Ties $2,000 Bonus to Non-Solicitation Clause, Raising Advisor Concerns

Wells Fargo & Co. recently issued a $2,000 bank-wide award to its 215,000 employees, following the Federal Reserve’s June decision to lift its asset growth restrictions.

September 3, 2025
Kansas City Advisory Firms Agree to $25.5 Million Settlement Over No-Poach Allegations

Mariner Wealth Advisors, along with two other Kansas City-area firms, has agreed to a $25.5 million class action settlement over allegations that they illegally agreed not to solicit each other’s advisors.