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Regulation and Compliance > Federal Regulation > FINRA

FINRA Suspends Ex-Ameriprise Rep Over DUI Conviction

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A former Ameriprise broker was suspended for six months and fined $5,000 by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority after she failed to disclose in a timely manner a felony conviction she received for driving while under the influence of alcohol and then made false statements in four disclosures she provided to the firm.

Without admitting or denying the regulator’s findings, Jean A. St. Pierre signed a FINRA letter of acceptance, waiver and consent on Monday to settle the alleged FINRA rule violations and prevent any future actions against her based on the same findings.

Why it matters: As the regulator points out, a broker is subject to “statutory disqualification” from membership, or association with a member, for 10 years after conviction of certain crimes, including any felony. Brokers are required to report felony charges within 30 days of learning of them.

What to know: St. Pierre was a registered broker at an Ameriprise office in Overland Park, Kansas, from August 1990 to April 2023, according to her report on FINRA’s BrokerCheck website. She was also a registered representative for Ameriprise starting in September 2015.

On April 25, 2023, Ameriprise filed a Form 5 Uniform Termination Notice disclosing it terminated St. Pierre’s registration “due to FINRA statutory disqualification.”

The firm did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

In March 2018, while St. Pierre was associated with Ameriprise, she was charged with the felony offense of driving while under the influence of alcohol, according to FINRA. St. Pierre pleaded guilty to the felony in August 2018 and “knew that she had been charged with a felony, but she did not amend her Form U4 to disclose the felony charge within 30 days of learning of it,” the FINRA AWC letter said.

On March 2, 2023, St. Pierre finally filed an amended Form U4 to disclose the felony charge and conviction, according to FINRA.

While associated with Ameriprise, St. Pierre also falsely certified four separate times that, from 2019 through 2022, she had not been charged with or convicted of any felony, according to FINRA.

“By willfully failing to timely disclose the felony charge and conviction on her Form U4, St. Pierre violated” Article V, Section 2(c) of FINRA’s by-laws and FINRA Rules 1122 and 2010.

Every broker is required to file any necessary amendments to his or her Form U4 “not later than 30 days after learning of the facts or circumstances giving rise to the amendment,” according to FINRA.

The regulator’s by-laws also require that amendments to Forms U4 that involve a statutory disqualification like the one in this case be filed “not later than ten days after such disqualification occurs.”

Looking ahead: St. Pierre is not currently registered or associated with any FINRA member firm and is no longer registered as a broker or advisor, according to her BrokerCheck report.

The sanctions imposed by FINRA will become effective on a date set by the regulator.

The fine will be due and payable “either immediately upon reassociation with a member firm or prior to any application or request for relief from any statutory disqualification resulting from this or any other event or proceeding, whichever is earlier,” according to FINRA.

Photo Credit: FINRA.


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