As published in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) disciplinary actions report for March 2012, Robert DelBuono III of Trumbull, Connecticut has submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which he was fined $5,000 and suspended from association with any FINRA member in any capacity for 30 days. The fine must be paid either immediately upon DelBuono’s reassociation with a FINRA member firm following his suspension, or prior to the filing of any application or request for relief from any statutory disqualification, whichever is earlier.

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As published in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) disciplinary actions report for March 2012, Jun “Jennifer” Feng of Saratoga, California has submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which she was barred from association with any FINRA member in any capacity. Without admitting or denying the findings, Feng consented to the described sanction and to the entry of findings that she failed to respond to FINRA requests for documents and information.

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As published in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) disciplinary actions report for March 2012, Harry Friedman of Woodmere, New York has submitted an Offer of Settlement in which he was barred from association with any FINRA member in any capacity. Without admitting or denying the allegations, Friedman consented to the described sanction and to the entry of findings that he failed to adequately supervise certain employees of his member firm who engaged in a fraudulent trading scheme through which improper markups were concealed and customers were denied best execution. The findings stated that the firm’s customers did not receive the most favorable market price because Friedman failed to reasonably supervise and detect occurrences in which the registered representative interjected the firm’s proprietary account between the customer and the market.

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As published in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) disciplinary actions report for March 2012, Maureen Hanley Gearty of Middle Village, New York has submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which she was suspended from association with any FINRA member in any capacity for 30 days and shall cooperate with FINRA in its continuing investigation of a matter. In light of Gearty’s financial status, no monetary sanction has been imposed. Without admitting or denying the findings, Gearty consented to the described sanctions and to the entry of findings that she signed an agreement with her member firm and other persons registered with the firm in which the parties arranged to have the firm directly pay her $350,000 for commissions and branch office expenses.

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As published in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) disciplinary actions report for March 2012, Jacobo Gomez-Gutierrez of Santa Catarina, Mexico has submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which he was fined $5,000 and suspended from association with any FINRA member in any capacity for one year. The fine must be paid either immediately upon Gomez’ reassociation with a FINRA member firm following his suspension, or prior to the filing of any application or request for relief from any statutory disqualification, whichever is earlier. Without admitting or denying the findings, Gomez consented to the described sanctions and to the entry of findings that for more than a year, he falsified transaction instruction forms for customer accounts by changing dates, security names, share amounts and price information on forms that had previously been signed and used to process trades on customers’ behalf, without his firm’s knowledge or approval.

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As published in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) disciplinary actions report for March 2012, Michael Patrick Hanlon of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which he was fined $5,000 and suspended from association with any FINRA member in any capacity for three months. The fine must be paid either immediately upon Hanlon’s reassociation with a FINRA member firm following his suspension, or prior to the filing of any application or request for relief from any statutory disqualification, whichever is earlier.

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As published in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) disciplinary actions report for March 2012, Marsha Ann Hill of Halstead, Kansas has submitted an Offer of Settlement in which she was fined $20,000 and suspended from association with any FINRA member in any capacity for one year. The fine must be paid either immediately upon Hill’s reassociation with a FINRA member firm following her suspension, or prior to the filing of any application or request for relief from any statutory disqualification, whichever is earlier. Without admitting or denying the allegations, Hill consented to the described sanctions and to the entry of findings that she made unsuitable recommendations to her customer to purchase a variable annuity in the amount of $110,418.97 and two private placement offerings in the amount of $10,000 each.

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As published in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) disciplinary actions report for March 2012, Amrita Holden of Anaheim Hills, California has submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which she was barred from association with any FINRA member in any capacity. Without admitting or denying the findings, Holden consented to the described sanction and to the entry of findings that she wrongfully converted $187,000 from an elderly customer without permission or authority. The findings stated that on several occasions, Holden, through the use of Individual Retirement Account (IRA) distribution request forms, transferred funds from the customer’s firm account to Holden’s outside bank account.

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As published in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) disciplinary actions report for March 2012, Ron William Howell of Anaheim, California was fined a total of $12,500, suspended from association with any FINRA member in any capacity for three months, and suspended from association with any FINRA member in any principal capacity for three months. The suspensions are to run consecutively. FINRA did not seek disgorgement; Howell did not directly receive commissions because he was on a salary but he owned 96 percent of his member firm. The Hearing Panel considered the amount of the commissions paid to the firm as one factor in determining the appropriate fine and suspension. The findings stated that Howell made unregistered securities sales in violation of Section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933.

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On March 28, 2012 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York issued an order granting a preliminary injunction and other relief on March 27, 2012 against Brian Raymond Callahan of Old Westbury, New York, and Callahan’s investment advisory firms, Horizon Global Advisors Ltd., and Horizon Global Advisors, LLC. The Commission's complaint, filed on March 5, 2012, alleges that Callahan defrauded investors in five offshore funds and used some of their money to buy himself a multi-million dollar beach resort property on Long Island. According to the Complaint, Callahan raised more than $74 million from at least two dozen investors since 2005.

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On March 29, 2012 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published that the commission deems it appropriate and in the public interest that public administrative proceedings be, and hereby are, instituted pursuant to Section 15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against Gary J. Yocom (“Respondent”). In anticipation of the institution of these proceedings, Respondent has submitted an Offer of Settlement which the Commission has determined to accept. Solely for the purpose of these proceedings and any other proceedings brought by or on behalf of the Commission, or to which the Commission is a party, and without admitting or denying the findings herein, except as to the Commission’s jurisdiction over him and the subject matter of these proceedings, and the findings contained in Section III.2 below, which are admitted, Respondent consents to the entry of this Order Instituting Administrative Proceedings Pursuant to Section 15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Making Findings, and Imposing Remedial Sanctions, as set forth below.

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On March 29, 2012 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published that the commission deems it appropriate and in the public interest that public administrative proceedings be, and hereby are, instituted pursuant to Section 15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against Andrea M. Ritchie (“Respondent”). In anticipation of the institution of these proceedings, Respondent has submitted an Offer of Settlement which the Commission has determined to accept. Solely for the purpose of these proceedings and any other proceedings brought by or on behalf of the Commission, or to which the Commission is a party, and without admitting or denying the findings herein, except as to the Commission’s jurisdiction over him and the subject matter of these proceedings, and the findings contained in Section III.2 below, which are admitted, Respondent consents to the entry of this Order Instituting Administrative Proceedings Pursuant to Section 15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Making Findings, and Imposing Remedial Sanctions, as set forth below.

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On March 29, 2012 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published that the commission deems it appropriate and in the public interest that public administrative proceedings be, and hereby are, instituted pursuant to Section 15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against Joseph A. Padilla (“Respondent”). In anticipation of the institution of these proceedings, Respondent has submitted an Offer of Settlement which the Commission has determined to accept. Solely for the purpose of these proceedings and any other proceedings brought by or on behalf of the Commission, or to which the Commission is a party, and without admitting or denying the findings herein, except as to the Commission’s jurisdiction over him and the subject matter of these proceedings, and the findings contained in Section III.2 below, which are admitted, Respondent consents to the entry of this Order Instituting Administrative Proceedings Pursuant to Section 15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Making Findings, and Imposing Remedial Sanctions, as set forth below.

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On March 13, 2012 British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) published that it has issued a notice of hearing alleging that a West Vancouver man repeatedly allowed documents to be filed with the BCSC that were materially false or misleading. The notice alleges that Farshad Shirvani repeatedly failed to disclose that three separate cease trade orders (CTOs) were issued against International Ranger Corp, a B.C.-based mineral exploration company, while he was a director. Shirvani is a also director of Doubleview Capital Corp, and the president, promoter and a director of Casa Minerals Inc. and Next One Capital Corp, all of which are B.C.-based companies. In his capacity as a director, promoter or officer of these companies, Shirvani was required to disclose in certain regulatory filings that the CTOs were issued while he was a director of Ranger.

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On March 06, 2012 British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) published that the panel has sanctioned a B.C. lawyer who breached securities laws when he purchased securities in a mining company that was engaged in an acquisition. Kjeld Werbes purchased shares of Global Uranium Corp. with knowledge of the company’s acquisition of a mining property before that information was made public. In March 2010, Global retained Werbes to draft the acquisition agreement. The acquisition was disclosed on April 16, 2010. Werbes purchased 20,000 Global shares on April 14. Werbes admitted that his purchase contravened the prohibition in the Securities Act against illegal insider trading.

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