NOTE: Stipulations of Fact and Consent to Penalty (SFC); Offers of Settlement (OS); and Letters of Acceptance Waiver, and Consent (AWC) are entered into by Respondents without admitting or denying the allegations, but consent is given to the described sanctions & to the entry of findings. Additionally, for AWCs, if FINRA has reason to believe a violation has occurred and the member or associated person does not dispute the violation, FINRA may prepare and request that the member or associated person execute a letter accepting a finding of violation, consenting to the imposition of sanctions, and agreeing to waive such member's or associated person's right to a hearing before a hearing panel, and any right of appeal to the National Adjudicatory Council, the SEC, and the courts, or to otherwise challenge the validity of the letter, if the letter is accepted. The letter shall describe the act or practice engaged in or omitted, the rule, regulation, or statutory provision violated, and the sanction or sanctions to be imposed.

Dean Irwin Cronister (Principal)
AWC/2009016709019

Cronister participated in the sales of a total of $266,302.51 in Universal Lease Programs (ULPs) to public customers and failed to provide his member firms with prior written notice and failed to obtain the firms’ prior written approval; Cronister received approximately $33,080 total in commissions.

Cronister engaged in outside business activities and accepted a total of $64,491.64 in checks from a ULP issuer made payable to a corporation he wholly owned; the checks were for sales of ULPs made by independent agents of his corporation. Cronister failed to provide prompt written notice of his outside business activities to his member firms. Cronister participated in a face-to-face interview with a compliance officer at one of his firms, acknowledged that all forms of outside business activities must be disclosed on an outside business activity form and must receive the firm’s written approval prior to engaging in any outside business activity but never provided oral or written notification that he was engaged in outside business activity and receiving overrides on the sale of ULPs by other individuals.

Dean Irwin Cronister (Principal): Fined $43,000 (includes disgorgement of commissions); Suspended 6 months

Tags: Universal Lease Programs