The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has barred former Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC stockbrokerFrank Anthony Quartararo, Jr. of Sandy Springs, Georgia for allegedly effecting a series of unauthorized withdrawals from customer bank accounts, resulting in over $775,000 in customer losses. FINRA charged Quartararo with forging customer signatures in order to complete some of these transactions.
According to FINRA's investigation, from 2009 through 2011, Quartararo misappropriated $775,400 from two of his customers at Wells Fargo Bank, forging their signatures on official bank documents in order to complete the transactions.
During the investigation, FINRA discovered that Quartararo had been terminated by Wells Fargo in December of 2011 after his misconduct became apparent to the firm, whereupon Quartararo became associated with Gilford Securities briefly in 2012. FINRA found that during the intake process at Gilford, Quartararo falsely denied that he had been discharged from Wells Fargo, causing Gilford to file a false Form U4 based on Quartararo's false statement that he had never been discharged because of or engaged in "fraud or the wrongful taking of property."
Quartararo specifically was alleged to have inappropriately withdrawn without authorization $499,363 from the bank account of one firm customer and $276,076 from another.
On December 21, 2011, Quartararo allegedly admitted he had misappropriated funds and committed forgery in the furtherance of this misconduct, resulting in Wells Fargo's decision to discharge Quartararo.
If you have invested with Frank Anthony Quartararo or any other broker or financial advisor who has engaged in unauthorized activity—such as withdrawals—in your banking or investment accounts and this misconduct has proven harmful to your investments or financial interests, please call The Law Offices of Jonathan W. Evans & Associates at (800) 699-1881 for an investigation and consultation.