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.

Matthew Norman O’Brien
AWC/2009018063001

O’Brien

• signed the name of a customer of his member firm on a Letter of Authorization form and then used the form to effect a transfer of $3,000 from the customer’s brokerage account to O’Brien’s personal bank account without the customer’s knowledge or approval; 
  
• borrowed $13,000 from the customer, who was not related to O’Brien and contrary to his member firm’s written procedures prohibiting its registered persons from entering into lending agreements with customers unless the customer was an immediate family member;
  
• executed a trade in the customer’s account without the customer’s knowledge or consent; and
  
• failed to respond to FINRA requests for information and documents.

Matthew Norman O’Brien : Barred

Tags: Borrowing  LOA