SEC bars RIA chief compliance officer previously found guilty of fraud

SEC bars RIA chief compliance officer previously found guilty of fraud
Jennifer Campbell was office manager and chief compliance officer for a registered investment advisor in Buffalo, New York.
JUN 22, 2023

The Securities and Exchange Commission Wednesday barred the former chief compliance officer of a defunct upstate New York registered investment advisor who was convicted of wire fraud last year and sentenced to three years in prison in March.

Jennifer Campbell, who had been office manager and chief compliance officer at an investment advisory firm based in Buffalo, New York, last November pleaded guilty to wire fraud. From 2018 to 2021, Campbell, 48, used her access to client accounts to steal more than $500,000 from several clients and from the firm itself.

She wrote checks from client accounts, forging the signature of either the client or a principal at the firm, and then deposited the checks into her own personal account, according to the Department of Justice. The SEC also alleged that, with respect to one client account, Campbell executed unauthorized sales of securities to generate cash that she then misappropriated.

The SEC did not include the name of the firm in Buffalo where she worked, but several news websites last year reported that Campbell had worked at Pratt Collard Buck Advisory Group, which closed at the end of 2021. According to the firm’s Form ADV, it had $262 million in client assets. A spokesperson for the firm on Thursday did not comment.

In addition to the three-year prison sentence in the criminal matter, Campbell was ordered by the Department of Justice to make restitution in the amount of $371,000 and ordered to forfeit $357,000.

Here's what wealth advisors need to know before going solo

Latest News

Florida non-compete bill backed by Citadel bodes ill for advisor mobility
Florida non-compete bill backed by Citadel bodes ill for advisor mobility

As other states curb non-competes, the East Coast growth hub could soon become the most employer-friendly jurisdiction in the US.

Private placement executives from GPB Capital, guilty of fraud, get seven and six years in prison
Private placement executives from GPB Capital, guilty of fraud, get seven and six years in prison

Last summer, the two, David Gentile and Jeff Schneider, were found guilty of fraud in federal court in Brooklyn and received their sentencing today.

Advisory firm moms share high satisfaction but report early parenthood hurdles
Advisory firm moms share high satisfaction but report early parenthood hurdles

Early parenthood linked to lower fulfillment and fewer leadership roles, despite otherwise strong industry-wide support.

Creative Planning CIO warns of short-term private equity flips
Creative Planning CIO warns of short-term private equity flips

“It's the Golden Age, we're all blessed that this is where we are, what we do for a living, and that the sun is shining on the transition towards the RIA space," Creative Planning CIO Jamie Battmer said at a forum hosted by Goldman Sachs.

Munis poised to outshine fixed income in coming summer redemption season
Munis poised to outshine fixed income in coming summer redemption season

Strategists expect municipal bonds to best Treasuries during the four-month window from May until August, following a historical trend.

SPONSORED The evolution of private credit

From direct lending to asset-based finance to commercial real estate debt.

SPONSORED Compliance in real time: Technology's expanding role in RIA oversight

RIAs face rising regulatory pressure in 2025. Forward-looking firms are responding with embedded technology, not more paperwork.