Todd Anthony Esh – and the firm that employs him or her – is regulated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
If you are like most people, before you go out to dinner at a new restaurant, you probably take a quick look at the reviews. This makes sense; you are going to pay for an expensive dinner, and you need to be sure that you are getting a good value.
Yet, when choosing a financial advisor, many people fail to conduct this same level of due diligence. Before turning over access to your money, you need to be sure that you have found a financial advisor that you can trust. Here, our audit report, including details of allegations, complaints, and sanctions will help you decide whether or not to invest with Todd Anthony Esh.
The stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient… Warren Buffet
BrokerComplaints.com is currently investigating allegations related to Todd Anthony Esh. We provide a free platform for investors to help them in their claims against negligent brokers and brokerage firms.
About Todd Esh
Todd Anthony Esh is an Investment Adviser. Todd Anthony Esh’s Central Registration Depository (CRD) number is 2916425 and the FINRA Profile can be found at – https://brokercheck.finra.org/individual/summary/2916425.
Click here to download a Detailed Audit Report for Todd Anthony Esh.
Todd Anthony Esh has previously been reprimanded and has disclosures and/or client dispute(s) listed at FINRA BrokerCheck.
Accusations and Disclosures
You can find below, a quick snapshot of Todd Anthony Esh’s regulatory actions, arbitrations, and complaints.
DISCLOSURE 1 –
- Event Date: 6/2/2020
- Disclosure Type: Regulatory
- Disclosure Resolution: Final
- Disclosure Detail :: DocketNumberFDA:
- Initiated By: UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
- Allegations: SEC Release 34-88991; IA Release 40-5514, June 2, 2020: The Securities and Exchange Commission (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 (Exchange Act) and Section 203(f) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (Advisers Act) against Todd A. Esh ( espondent or Esh). The Commission finds that from March 2018 to July 2019, Esh was a registered representative and investment adviser representative associated with a broker dealer and investment adviser dually registered with the Commission. On May 20, 2020, a judgment was entered by consent against Esh, permanently enjoining him from future violations of Sections 17(a) of the Securities Act and Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder in the civil action entitled Securities and Exchange Commission v. Phillip Hudnall, et al., Civil Action Number 4:20-cv-00327, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri. The Commission’s complaint alleged that Esh, among other things, made material misrepresentations and omissions to investors in connection with a securities offering.
- Resolution: Order
- Sanction Details :: Sanctions: Bar (Permanent)
- Sanction Details :: Registration Capacities Affected: association with a broker, dealer, investment adviser, municipal securities dealer, municipal advisor, transfer agent, or NRSRO
- Duration: Indefinite
- Start Date: 6/2/2020 Registration Capacities Affected: participating in any offering of a penny stock, including: acting as a promoter, finder, consultant or agent
- Duration: Indefinite
- Start Date: 6/2/2020
DISCLOSURE 2 –
- Event Date: 4/23/2020
- Disclosure Type: Civil
- Disclosure Resolution: Pending
- Disclosure Detail :: Initiated By: UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
- Allegations: On April 23, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Western Division issued this complaint as to Respondent Todd Esh. Plaintiff SEC alleges as follows: This matter involves a fraudulent securities offering orchestrated by Phillip Hudnall, with help from Esh, operating through BirdDog Business, LLC and BirdDog Oil Equipment, LLC, (collectively BirdDog), two entities that Hudnall and Esh founded and controlled. Hudnall and Esh raised more than $3.6 million by selling promissory notes issued by BirdDog to investors. Defendants promised that they would use investor funds to buy and refurbish used oil and gas equipment which BirdDog would then resell at a profit (the Equipment Transactions). Instead, Hudnall misappropriated most of investors’ money and squandered the rest on a bogus equipment deal. To stoke investor interest, Defendants promised that the notes would pay a 30% return after just nine months. Defendants also emphasized the safety of the investment, promising investors that their principal would be secured by a first priority security interest in specific oil and gas equipment. Critically, Hudnall and BirdDog assured investors that they had done this sort of transaction before. In offering materials provided to prospective investors, they highlighted two purportedly profitable Equipment Transactions that they had already completed. They represented that each transaction had taken less than 6 months and generated a 30% return – the same return promised to investors. They suggested in BirdDog’s term sheet that other transactions had taken place, telling investors, among other things, that Hudnall had tested the concept of the Equipment Transactions, and had discovered that the concept was profitable. Unfortunately, Hudnall’s representations regarding his previous deals were lies. And, the two completed transactions described in BirdDog’s term sheet were fake. In addition to misrepresenting their experience, Defendants were not using investor funds as promised. Defendants made only one attempt at investing BirdDog’s funds as promised. That isolated effort was a spectacular failure. By engaging in the conduct described in this Complaint, Defendants Hudnall, Esh, BirdDog Business, LLC, and BirdDog Oil Equipment, LLC have engaged and – if not enjoined – will continue to engage in transactions, acts and practices, and courses of business that violate the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 (Securities Act) and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) and Exchange Act Rule 10b-5 thereunder.
- Resolution: permanently restrained and enjoined
- Sanction Details ::
DISCLOSURE 3 –
- Event Date: 9/29/2003
- Disclosure Type: Customer Dispute
- Disclosure Resolution: Denied
- Disclosure Detail :: Allegations: CLIENT ALLEGES UNSUITABILITY OF INVESTMENTS AND MISREPRESENTATION.
- Damage Amount Requested: $53,960.66
- Arbitration Docket Number:
According to a study prepared for the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, 80 percent of American investors report that they have been solicited to participate in a fraud scheme, while 11 percent of American investors report that they personally lost money as a result of fraud.
FINRA notes that the rate of investment fraud is most likely much higher than it is reported. This is because many victims of financial advisor scams are too ashamed to come forward. Further, the study also found that a significant number of investors do not know how to spot common red flags of investment fraud. The least you should do is share your experience with other potential victims of investment scams.
Previous Associations
Under federal securities law and securities industry regulations, registered investment firms have a legal duty to supervise their financial advisors. Section 15(b)(4)(E) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 makes a securities firm liable for the conduct of representatives.
- LPL FINANCIAL LLC (CRD#: 6413) :: 3/26/2018 – 7/24/2019 :: SHAWNEE, KS
- PARK AVENUE SECURITIES LLC (CRD#: 46173) :: 10/15/2015 – 11/7/2017 :: NEW YORK, NY
- WADDELL & REED (CRD#: 866) :: 1/29/2008 – 10/9/2015 :: OVERLAND PARK, KS
- UBS FINANCIAL SERVICES INC. (CRD#: 8174) :: 3/28/2003 – 7/20/2007 :: ROANOKE, VA
- MORGAN STANLEY DW INC. (CRD#: 7556) :: 8/6/1997 – 3/31/2003 :: PURCHASE, NY
The duty to supervise securities representatives is a strong legal requirement. Registered investment firms must take many different steps to ensure that they are protecting their customers from irresponsible and criminal financial advisors.
Legit or Not?
Unfortunately, stockbroker fraud is more common than many investors would like to think. And yes, stockbrokers (including Todd Anthony Esh, but not limited to) can (and do) steal money from their clients. While it’s rare that a broker will literally steal his client’s money (though that does happen), typically the “theft” of investment funds comes in the form of other fraudulent violations of securities law and FINRA rules which leads to significant investment losses.
Sometimes investment losses occur because advisors, stockbrokers, and even brokerage firms, commit fraud. Massimo Vignelli
Investors generally understand that there are risks associated with buying and selling securities. The market can go up, and the market can go down. No matter how skilled of an investor you are, there are always risks. With that being said, sometimes investment losses cannot be blamed on simple back luck.
There are 10 major types of complaints we receive against Investment Brokers –
- Outright Theft (Conversion of Funds)
- Unauthorized Trading
- Misrepresentation or Omission of Material Facts
- Excessive Trading (Churning)
- Lack of Diversification
- Unsuitable Investment Recommendations
- Failure to Disclose a Personal Conflict of Interest
- Front Running of Transactions
- Breakpoint Sale Violations
- Negligent Portfolio Management
Do your due diligence before investing. Public records are available for everybody to review and decide on the safest bet.
How to Protect Yourself
We, as citizens, place a great deal of trust in the financial advisors who are tasked with helping us achieve and maintain financial security. Most of the time financial advisors and stockbrokers are honest folks who work diligently in their client’s best interests. However, on occasion financial advisors and the brokerage firms who employ them mess up and cause serious financial harm to their clients. Sometimes these losses are caused by simple negligence. Other times fraud or other serious misconduct is to blame.
Here are 5 signs that your broker needs to be reported –
- Breach of Fiduciary Duty: Under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, certain investment professionals, known as registered investment advisors (RIAs), owe fiduciary obligations to their customers. Your investment broker must always look out for your best interests. If you lost money because of your broker’s breach of fiduciary duty, you may be entitled to compensation for the full value of your damages.
- Unsuitable Investments: Many financial advisors are not fiduciaries. Instead, they are held to the suitability standard. These stockbrokers and financial advisors can only sell and recommend financial products that are appropriate for a customer’s unique investment profile. If you lost money in unsuitable investments, you should consider reporting them.
- Material Misrepresentations or Omissions: Brokers have a duty to make fair and honest representations to their clients. If they fail to do so, and an investor loses money due to a misrepresentation or a material omission, the broker may be liable for the investor’s losses.
- Lack of Diversification: Brokers must also act with the appropriate level of professional skill. Pushing a customer into over-concentrated investments is highly risky. Brokers can be held liable for losses sustained because of an investor’s inappropriate lack of diversification.
- Excessive Trading (Churning): Stockbrokers and financial advisors must have a well-grounded, reasonable basis to execute all trades. Unfortunately, there are cases in which brokers will frequently trade on a customer’s account, simply to increase their own fees. This unlawful practice is known as churning.
- Unauthorized Trading: Brokers must have the proper legal authority to make transactions on behalf of a client. If you lost money because your broker made trades that you never approved of, you may have been the victim of unauthorized trading. You should consult with an experienced attorney.
Report Todd Esh
In order to prevail in an investment fraud lawsuit or FINRA arbitration cases, you must be able to assert a viable ‘cause of action’.
Todd Anthony Esh – and the firm that employs this broker – is regulated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). FINRA provides an online form to allow investors to file a formal complaint against their financial advisor, stockbroker, or brokerage firm.
Click here to go to FINRA’s Online Complaint Form →
This form will ask you for specific information related to your complaint. Be prepared by gathering the following:
- Name and symbol for the investment product in question.
- The CRD number (2916425) for the broker – Todd Anthony Esh
- Your complete contact information.
Remember, it is advised to report your broker to FINRA, only after you have exhausted all of your other remedies and carefully prepared a compelling complaint. Once you file a complaint against your broker at FINRA, your case will be bound by FINRA’s rules and the arbitration panel’s eventual decision. The time clock will start, and your complaint will be served on your broker or broker-dealer.
The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the source BrokerComplaints.com and do not necessarily reflect the official position of ‘The Skeptic Files,’ which shall not be held liable for any inaccuracies presented. The information provided within this article is for general informational purposes only. While we try to keep the information up-to-date and correct, there are no representations or warranties, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability of the information in this article for any purpose.
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