FINRA sanctioned former Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch (both Tucson, Arizona) broker Francisco Javier Valenzuela for failing to disclose a federal tax lien of $150,967 and for failing to timely respond to FINRA's requests for documents and information.
According to AWC #2018057266702, Valenzuela on multiple occasions failed to timely respond to FINRA's requests for information—such as FINRA's inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Valenzuela's termination from Morgan Stanley.
Francisco Valenzuela (CRD #2786970)'s BrokerCheck file indicates that FINRA first attempted to bar him in 2018 for failing to respond to multiple requests for information (which he ultimately responded to several months after the deadline, thus vacating the bar). Valenzuela previously filed for bankruptcy.
Valenzuela also has one settled customer dispute in his file that alleged misrepresentation in connection with the purchase of a mutual fund, while a dispute from 2008 alleging suitability and misrepresentation related to a variable annuity was denied.
A stockbroker's failure to disclose liens, judgments or other financial perils can prove problematic for investors when that broker's hidden financial agenda leads to a conflict-of-interest situation that can often manifest in the broker selling securities associated with high fees or commissions without regard to the client's needs, the suitability of the recommendations, or the accuracy of the representations of the risks of investing in such securities.
If you have invested with ex-Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch broker Francisco J Valenzuela or with any financial adviser or representative whose failure to disclose a financial event such as a tax lien that contributed to unsuitable recommendations or other harmful transactions, please call an experienced FINRA arbitration attorney at The Law Offices of Jonathan W. Evans & Associates at (800) 699-1881 for an investigation and consultation.