FINRA suspends Claudio Leonardo Villa (CRD #5465144, Peekskill, New York)

March 5, 2018 – A Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent (AWC) was issued in which Villa was assessed a deferred fine of $10,000 and suspended from association with any FINRA member in all capacities for 18 months. Without admitting or denying the findings, Villa consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that he intentionally structured two cash deposits of $10,000 into his personal bank account to avoid the filing of a Currency Transaction Report (CTR). The findings stated that Villa made the deposits at the request of a relative with cash that the relative told Villa he had earned. Villa made the deposits as a favor to the relative, whom he believed was concerned about the tax and other consequences of making the deposits directly into his own account. After Villa made the deposits into his personal bank account, he wrote checks in identical amounts to the relative’s spouse. Villa promptly acknowledged his misconduct when interviewed by both his member firm and FINRA. The suspension is in effect from March 5, 2018, through September 4, 2019. (FINRA Case #2017055193001).  If you or someone you know has lost money investing with Claudio Villa, call the experienced attorneys at Epperson & Greenidge at 877-445-9261 for a free consultation. You may be eligible to recoup your losses. Epperson & Greenidge accepts all cases on a contingency basis: we only get paid if and when you collect money. Time to file your claim may be limited, so we encourage you to avoid delay. Call 877-445-9261 now to speak to an attorney for free.