Close-up of a judge’s gavel on a wooden desk with legal books and scales in the background.

Ford Gray Keeler (CRD# 1696709), a financial advisor currently with LPL Financial in Grand Junction, Colorado, is facing fresh scrutiny. He has a pending $210,000 customer dispute tied to alternative investments and a prior settlement from earlier in his career. Over the years, Keeler has moved across multiple firms, and investors have brought forward complaints along the way.

Arbitration Case Alleges Risky Product Sales

In June 2025, investors filed a $210,000 arbitration claim with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), accusing Keeler of recommending unsuitable products. The case centers on purchases of GWG Holdings L bonds (2014) and the Griffin Capital Net Lease REIT (2013) during his tenure at Financial West Group.

A month later, in July 2025, the complaint widened to include allegations of unsuitable recommendations in 2022 while at Western International Securities. These, too, involved GWG L Bonds and other alternative real estate securities.

The dispute remains pending arbitration. The products at issue — non-traded REITs and GWG L Bonds — have long been associated with risks such as illiquidity, high fees and steep losses for retail investors.

Keeler’s history of customer disputes dates back two decades. In 2003, while at Wells Fargo Investments, a client alleged that Keeler had misrepresented surrender charges on a mutual fund purchase. The case was settled for $5,000, with no contribution from Keeler personally.

Why This Matters for Investors

When a broker faces multiple customer disputes, especially those tied to alternative investments, it can raise serious questions about whether the products were appropriate for the investors involved.

It’s important to note that pending arbitration claims are not findings of misconduct. However, they can reveal patterns that investors should carefully review before working with a financial professional.

Products like non-traded REITs and high-yield bonds often carry high commissions, limited liquidity and elevated risks. Many investors are not fully aware of these drawbacks until it’s too late, leaving them with losses or investments that are difficult to sell.

Take Action to Protect Your Investments

At Sonn Law Group, we represent investors nationwide who have suffered losses from unsuitable recommendations, complex alternatives or other forms of broker misconduct.

Our attorneys have extensive experience pursuing claims through FINRA arbitration and holding firms accountable when investors are misled or sold inappropriate products. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney’s fees unless we recover money for you.

For a free, confidential consultation, call 833-912-3000 or complete our online form to discuss your case.

Sonn Law Group is investigating claims regarding Joel Eziekel Blum (CRD #4905379, Goshen, New York). Blum recently submitted an AWC in which he was fined $10,000 and suspended from association with any FINRA member in any capacity for 20 days. See FINRA Case #2014040186601. Blum was associated with Merrill Lynch from May 2008 until his termination in February 2014. Blum has been associated with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., since February 2014. The Form U-5 filed by Merrill Lynch to terminate Blum's registration states that he was discharged for "conduct including failure to contact clients in advance of entering orders in non-discretionary accounts and mismarking order tickets as unsolicited." FINRA found that Blum executed discretionary transactions in customer accounts without written authorization to do so. In addition, Blum mismarked order tickets in connection with these transactions, inaccurately indicating that the trades were unsolicited, according to FINRA. In entering into the AWC, Blum neither admitted or denied FINRA's findings. Pursuant to FINRA Rules, member firms are responsible for supervising a broker's activities during the time the broker is registered with the firm. Therefore, Ameriprise or Merrill Lynch may be liable for investment or other losses suffered by Blum's customers. If you were a client of Ameriprise, Merrill Lynch, or Blum, and have suffered investment losses or financial irregularities, please contact Sonn Law Group to explore your legal options. Sonn Law Group is a nationally recognized law firm representing individuals, trusts, corporations and institutions in claims against brokerage firms, banks and insurance companies. To learn more, please call us at 844-689-5754 or complete our "contact form."
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