Barred Oregon Broker Accused of Stealing Over $1.6M From Clients
April 22, 2026 by Dinah Wisenberg Brin
Wink’s Moore on the Market: I recently spoke with a financial professional who was a fiduciary, and was upset that I “don’t promote articles on bad acting insurance agents that have been caught.”
For the record, I DO promote those articles to LinkedIn. I want EVERYONE to know who they are, so that they can be avoided.
I just think that “news” about these situations are published less than those for registered reps or financial planners.
That said, this one’s for you, my friend.
There are bad actors that muddy the waters for everyone, everywhere: insurance agents, annuity salespeople, registered representatives, fiduciaries, bankers, stock brokers and more.
Let’s focus more on what matters: the clients that are adversely affected by these bad actors.
Get them educated, provide support and act with integrity.
Then, everyone wins! -sjm
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A barred financial advisor from Baker City, Oregon, has been charged with stealing over $1.64 million from his clients over nearly 17 years, when he allegedly sold their stocks and transferred the proceeds into his personal bank account, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Federal prosecutors charged Jeffrey Thomas Higgins, 54, with investment advisor fraud, which they said occurred from December 2007 through June 2024. His most recent firm, Western International Securities, was acquired in 2020 by Atria Wealth Solutions, which became part of LPL Financial about four years later.
