Ex-Merrill adviser who threw smoothie wants probation

James Iannazzo stands in Superior Court in Bridgeport, Connecticut, March 9, 2022 (Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media/pool photo)

James Iannazzo, who's facing three charges as a result of the incident in January, seeks to plead not guilty and be put on probation for up to two years.

James Iannazzo, the former Merrill Lynch broker who was fired after a disorderly incident in a Connecticut smoothie shop, applied for a pretrial probation program Wednesday, according to a report in the Connecticut Post.

Iannazzo, 48, was arrested after the incident in January and faces three charges, including intimidation based on bigotry or bias in the second degree, a felony. The other charges are second-degree breach of peace and first-degree criminal trespass.

Iannazzo’s attorney, Eugene Riccio, on Thursday morning confirmed the Post’s report and said his client was seeking accelerated rehabilitation. He made no further comment about the matter.

Under accelerated rehabilitation, a program for nonviolent offenders, Iannazzo would not plead guilty to the charges but could be placed on up to two years of probation, according to the report. If he commits no other crimes during that probation, the charges against him are dismissed.

A Superior Court Judge in Bridgeport, Nbidi Moses, continued the case until April 8.

Iannazzo was arrested Jan. 22 by the Fairfield, Connecticut, police after erupting at a Robeks smoothie store, throwing a drink at an employee, hitting them and demanding to know who made a smoothie that contained peanuts and caused his child to have a severe allergic reaction, according to the Fairfield police.

A video of the incident, in which Iannazzo repeatedly uses profanity and calls one employee an “immigrant loser,” caused a firestorm at the time on social media platforms, including Twitter.

Iannazzo told officers that he was upset about his son having a severe allergic reaction and he went back to the store as a result, according to the police.

Iannazzo, a 25-year veteran at Merrill Lynch, isn’t currently registered with a securities firm. The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. last month said it halted, at least for the short term, Iannazzo’s use of its certification.

[Also Read: James Iannazzo Update: Finra has made a ‘preliminary decision’ to recommend some type of disciplinary action against James Iannazzo, according to BrokerCheck]