Center Street Securities Fined for GPB Sales  

FINRA orders Center Street Securities to pay Restitution for Unsuitable GPB Sales      

According to a Letter of Acceptance Waiver and Consent on December 29, 2022, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has censured and fined Center Street Securities $70,000 and ordered the firm to pay partial restitution of $89,652.50, plus interest.        

Center Street Securities Inc. (CRD # 26898) a broker dealer based in Nashville, TN, reportedly engages in a general securities business.     

FINRA found that between May 4, 2018, and June 29, 2018, the firm allegedly negligently failed to tell 20 investors in an offering related to GPB Capital Holdings, LLC that the issuer failed to timely make required filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including filing audited financial statements.  

In February 2021, we reported that the CEO of GPB Capital Holdings, a New York-based registered investment adviser, and two others were arrested in connection with a massive “Ponzi-like scheme” that allegedly defrauded 17,000 investors across the U.S. out of more than $1.7 billion, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.        

According to FINRA, on April 27, 2018, GPB Capital sent a letter to numerous broker-dealers that sold GPB Capital offerings, including Center Street Securities, stating that GPB Capital was in the process of registering certain classes of securities issued by certain of limited partnerships, including GPB Automotive Portfolio, and GPB Holdings II, with the SEC. As part of that process, GPB Automotive Portfolio and GPB Holdings II were required to file audited financial statements. The letters further stated that the delivery of these audited financial statements would be delayed pending the completion of a forensic audit.        

FINRA indicates that while Center Street Securities received the email from GPB Capital notifying it of the delays and GPB Capital’s stated intention to complete a forensic audit, the firm allegedly sold 16 limited partnership interests in GPB Automotive Portfolio and four limited partnership interests in GPB Holdings II after that announcement.   The principal value of those 20 sales, which were finalized and accepted by GPB Capital between May 4, 2018, and June 29, 2018, totaled $1,206,000. Center Street Securities reportedly received a total of $98,727.50 in commissions from the sales, according to the letter.  

The firm’s representatives allegedly failed to inform the customers that Automotive Portfolio and Holdings II had not timely filed their audited financial statements with the SEC or the reasons for the delay. The delay in filing audited financial statements was material information that should have been disclosed, according to the findings.  

How to Recover Investment Losses involving GPB       

The White Law Group has represented numerous investors who suffered financial losses involving GPB Capital. To learn more about the firm’s investigation please see:           

GPB Capital Execs Arrested for Allegations of “Ponzi-like Scheme”          

Claims for GPB Holdings II LP Shareholders       

This information is all publicly available and provided to you by the White Law Group. For a free consultation with a securities attorney, please call the White Law Group at (888) 637-5510.  

The White Law Group, LLC is a national securities fraud, securities arbitration, investor protection, and securities regulation/compliance law firm with offices in Chicago, Illinois and Seattle, Washington. For more information, please visit our website, www.whitesecuritieslaw.com.              

To learn more about the firm’s recent claims involving high risk alternative investments, please see: The White Law Group files another Lawsuit against Centaurus Financial