FINRA Suspends Pinnacle Partners for Violating Temporary Cease and Desist Order

FINRA suspended indefinitely Pinnacle Partners Financial Corporation, of San Antonio, TX, and its President, Brian K. Alfaro, for failure to comply with a FINRA Temporary Cease and Desist Order prohibiting their fraudulent misrepresentations. The suspension resulted from FINRA's Notice of Suspension that alleged that Pinnacle and Alfaro had continued to make fraudulent oral and written misrepresentations and omissions in connection with their offer and sale of certain oil and gas joint interests, and had otherwise failed to comply with the terms of the Temporary Order FINRA issued on January 21, 2011. 

FINRA filed a complaint against Pinnacle and Alfaro on Dec. 3, 2010, alleging that Alfaro and Pinnacle operated a "boiler room" in which numerous brokers placed thousands of cold calls on a weekly basis to solicit investments in oil and gas drilling joint ventures Alfaro owned or controlled. The complaint further asserts that Pinnacle raised more than $10 million from over 100 investors, and that Alfaro diverted some of the customer funds for unrelated business and personal expenses. The hearing on these allegations will be Sept.12, 2011, at which time the Hearing Panel will consider the merits of these claims and whether to order additional penalties.