SEC bars former Morgan Stanley broker who stole $5 million

SEC bars former Morgan Stanley broker who stole $5 million
Final judgment also finds Barry F. Connell liable for restitution, which he repaid in criminal case
JAN 05, 2021

A federal court in New York has entered a final consent judgment against Barry F. Connell, a former Morgan Stanley broker whom the Securities and Exchange Commission had charged with investment adviser fraud for misappropriating client funds.

The SEC brought the complaint against Connell in 2017, charging that he misappropriated more than $5 million by moving funds between certain client accounts and issuing falsified third-party wire transfer forms and checks. Connell allegedly directed the funds to cover his personal expenses.

In a parallel criminal action, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York filed criminal charges against Connell. He pled guilty to those charges and was sentenced to a prison term of time served of approximately 36 months and ordered to pay forfeiture and restitution.

The final judgment finds Connell liable for disgorgement in the amount of $5,148,651 that is deemed satisfied by the restitution ordered against him in the criminal action.

Connell, who was barred by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. in 2017, also consented to an SEC order permanently barring him from the industry.

Latest News

Kestra adds Raymond James recruiter to expand advisor hiring push
Kestra adds Raymond James recruiter to expand advisor hiring push

The independent broker-dealer expands its business development bench with a new recruiter and an internal promotion in the West.

Cerity Partners names Will Peng chief innovation officer
Cerity Partners names Will Peng chief innovation officer

The leading ultra-high-net-worth RIA joins other large wealth firms, including Raymond James and LPL, in creating executive roles focused on artificial intelligence strategy

BlackRock expands Aladdin's private markets benchmarking tools
BlackRock expands Aladdin's private markets benchmarking tools

New Preqin-powered benchmarks add transparency to private equity and credit performance across BlackRock's platforms.

Fed's Bowman pushes for lighter-touch AI oversight at smaller firms
Fed's Bowman pushes for lighter-touch AI oversight at smaller firms

Supervision vice chair speaks following recent launch of AI adoption practices by regulators.

Why fixed income still belongs in your clients' portfolios
Why fixed income still belongs in your clients' portfolios

In an era of AI euphoria and market FOMO, getting back to basics with fixed income may be the most contrarian and most important move advisors can make.

SPONSORED Who builds the income when the pension disappears?

Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income

SPONSORED Why direct indexing stopped being optional

Direct indexing is on pace to outgrow ETFs and mutual funds. Northern Trust's Ken Lassner explains why the advisors who get it wish they had started sooner.