SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
MGN NAPLES, Fla. – A retired doctor says he lost part of his savings after his broker of more than 20 years made some bad investments – and the red flags that could have helped him keep his money were hiding in plain sight. Dr. Ralph Younkin now lives in Naples, but said he first met his broker, Jerry Cicolani, more than 20 years ago in Northeast Ohio. “He was introduced to me and assigned to me,” recalled Dr. Younkin of his first meeting with Cicolani through a large brokerage firm. “He said he was young but he was hard working and he would be with me and work his way and it would be worth my while, so I took him on.” Over the years, Younkin said he grew to view Cicolani like another member of his family. But after more than two decades of handling his portfolio, multiple federal agencies contacted him and asked him about Cicolani. “I was, I was shocked, obviously,” he said. “I was totally shocked but I wanted to find out as quickly as I could what the problem was.” Cicolani was accused of being involved in a petroleum investment ponzi scheme, according to federal documents. He pleaded guilty in 2015 to the “sale of unregistered securities” and “structuring transactions to evade reporting requirements.” Cicolani was sentenced to to 57 months in prison and ordered to pay back more than $7.2 million in restitution. Cicolani is currently being held in a Southwest Florida jail while awaiting transport to a federal prison. Younkin, after learning about problems with his investments, discovered other complaints against Cicolani dating back to 2002. Most investors are unaware that there’s a group looking out for their interests. “A lot of people unfortunately don’t know that we’re out there protecting investors,” said Gerri Walsh, senior vice-president of investor education at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). FINRA is an independent non-profit authorized by Congress to keep an eye on brokers. It can fine, suspend or even bar an individual broker from practicing, and their information is available for free through BrokerCheck. “The best step that a consumer can take is to check their financial professionals at least once a year,” Walsh said. “Check your account statement, make sure there aren’t any unauthorized transactions happening. Make sure that the investments that you have are investments you’ve indicated you wanted purchased, but also use FINRA’s brokerage check database to learn about an individual because circumstances do change.” Cicolani’s BrokerCheck page lists dozens of complaints. With 641,133 brokers and more than 90 million investors, it is nearly impossible to notify individuals of every complaint lodged with FINRA, Walsh said “It’s very difficult to have a system that would alert people when there is that kind of a change, that is why we encourage people to check out BrokerCheck before you do business with them,” she said. “Make sure that they’re registered, if there are any blemishes on their records, ask about them. Not all blemishes are the same.” Walsh recommends those having issues with their investments or broker to contact the respective firm first. All firms have a compliance officer, she said. Investors can also file a complaint with FINRA. Those with questions about BrokerCheck can contact their help line at (800) 289-9999.