Ex-Huntington Rep Wes Baiz Sanctioned: Outside Business Activity

A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority disciplinary action has barred former Perrysburg, Ohio broker/adviser Wes Baiz (CRD# 6501692) from acting as a broker or investment adviser, as a result of allegations he refused to provide FINRA with documents and information requested during its investigation into his conduct. Baiz was most recently registered as a broker with the Huntington Investment Company.

According to a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent (No. 2018059632301) dated October 2019, Wes Baiz was terminated from his position at the Huntington Investment Company in October 2018 in connection to allegations he failed to meet a heightened supervision plan he was placed on over a failure to disclose outside business activity. After this, according to FINRA, he appeared and provided on-the-record testimony to FINRA on July 2, 2019. FINRA made a followup request for documentation on July 15, 2019, of which Mr. Baiz acknowledged receipt but stated that he would not provide the requested documents or information “at any time.” FINRA found this refusal to constitute violations of FINRA Rules 8210 and 2010. Rule 8210, for context, allows FINRA to require associated persons to provide information and documents connected to FINRA investigations; Rule 2010 requires associated persons “to observe high standards of honor and just and equitable principles of trade.” As a result of the foregoing alleged conduct, Wes Baiz was barred from associating with any FINRA member in any capacity.

Wes Baiz is currently not registered with any FINRA member firm. His previous registrations include the Huntington Investment Company in Perrysburg, Ohio, and MML Investors Services in Maumee, Ohio. He has passed four securities industry qualifying examinations: the Uniform Combined State Law Examination, or Series 66; the Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination, or Series 63; the Securities Industry Essentials Examination, or SIE; and the General Securities Representative Examination, or Series 7. He currently holds no state securities licenses. (Information current as of April 17, 2020.)