Jeff Kelly: FINRA Bars Getzville Financial Advisor

A disciplinary action taken by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority against former Getzville, New York broker and investment advisor Jeff Kelly (CRD# 3223982) barred him after finding he failed to provide documents and information requested as part of FINRA’s investigation into whether he converted or misappropriated customer funds. A former representative of Ameriprise Financial Services, Kelly was barred from acting as a broker or otherwise associating with a broker-dealer firm.

According to a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent (No. 2017056534501) dated September 2018, Jeff Kelly was registered with Ameriprise Financial Services from 2006 until 2017, when the firm permitted him to resign “while under suspension” after alleged violations of its code of conduct. In June 2018, FINRA sent him a request to provide documents and information, by July 13, connected to its investigation into whether he “engaged in conversion and/or misappropriation” of funds. FINRA’s request notified Kelly that failure to produce the requested documents and information could result in disciplinary action by FINRA and his possible bar from working in the securities industry. FINRA’s findings state that on July 17, 2018 he requested an extension of the deadline until July 27, 2018; then, on July 20, he informed FINRA via email that he would not produce the documents and information in compliance with FINRA’s request. The regulator found that this refusal constituted violations of FINRA Rules 8210 and 2010. As a result of the foregoing alleged conduct, Kelly was barred from association with any FINRA member in any capacity.

Jeff Kelly’s disclosure records also list one employment separation: specifically, that he was “permitted to resign” from Ameriprise Financial Services in December 2017 following his October 2017 suspension for alleged violations of firm conduct rules concerning “ethical behavior pertaining to the records of his LLC business.”

Jeff Kelly is currently not registered as a broker or investment advisor. His employment history includes Ameriprise Financial Services in Getzville, New York; American Express Financial Advisors in Minneapolis, Minnesota; and IDS Life Insurance Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He currently holds zero state licenses and has passed four securities industry qualification examinations.