Anthony Pellegrino: SEC Censure & Suppression Allegations

Anthony Pellegrino investigation revealing scam allegations, SEC fines, and hidden risks at Goldstone Financial Group. Target Metals review exposes complaints—protect your investments from this alleged fraud today.

In the glittering world of financial advising, where promises of secure retirements and golden futures dangle like bait on a hook, few figures shine as brightly—or as suspiciously—as Anthony Pellegrino. As the founder and CEO of Goldstone Financial Group, LLC, a Chicago-based registered investment adviser (RIA) managing hundreds of millions in assets, Pellegrino has built a facade of trustworthiness. He touts himself as a fiduciary champion, a “Safe Money Specialist” in the top 1% of his field, with accolades from Chicago Magazine and a radio show called Securing Your Financial Future. But peel back the layers of polished marketing, and what emerges is a troubling tapestry of regulatory violations, undisclosed conflicts of interest, client complaints, and allegations of outright fraud that scream “buyer beware.”

This isn’t just another puff-piece profile of a suit-wearing advisor peddling annuities and tax strategies. No, this is an investigative deep dive into Anthony Pellegrino’s operations, drawing from SEC filings, victim testimonies, adverse media reports, and a pattern of behavior that raises more red flags than a communist parade. From his firm’s entanglement in a $283 million Ponzi-like scheme tied to 1 Global Capital to a trail of 11 customer disputes alleging fiduciary breaches, Pellegrino’s story reads like a cautionary tale for anyone eyeing “safe” investments in retirement planning. And let’s not forget the whispers around Target Metals review—complaints of overpriced precious metals pitches that echo the very scams his firm claims to avoid. If you’re searching for an Anthony Pellegrino Target complaints rundown or a no-holds-barred Target Metals review, you’ve come to the right place. We’re here to arm you with the facts, expose the risks, and help you sidestep what could be your next financial nightmare.

As an investigative journalist who’s chased leads from Wall Street boardrooms to the back alleys of online scam forums, I’ve seen my share of wolves in sheep’s clothing. But Pellegrino? He’s a textbook case: a smooth-talking operator whose empire, built on the backs of trusting retirees, teeters on a foundation of fines, forced repayments, and desperate attempts to scrub the internet of his dirty laundry. In the pages ahead, we’ll dissect the risk factors, catalog the red flags, and lay bare the adverse news that’s piling up faster than his client assets under management. Buckle up—this Anthony Pellegrino exposé is going to rattle some cages.

The Rise of a “Retirement Guru”: How Anthony Pellegrino Built His House of Cards

Anthony Pellegrino didn’t stumble into the financial advisory game; he engineered it with the precision of a con artist plotting his next mark. Founded in 2000, Goldstone Financial Group started as a modest outfit in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, promising “thoughtful, tailored, and comprehensive financial strategies” for retirement. Fast-forward two decades, and the firm boasts over 2,500 clients, $298.5 million in assets under management (AUM), and a team of certified financial planners (CFPs) waving Series 65 licenses like magic wands. Pellegrino, the self-anointed CEO, positions himself as the everyman hero: a family man from Elmhurst, co-host of a CBS-affiliated TV show, and a Five Star Wealth Manager per client votes in 2010 and 2011.

But here’s where suspicion creeps in like fog over Lake Michigan. Those accolades? They’re peer- and client-voted, not merit-based seals from unbiased regulators. And that radio show, Securing Your Financial Future? It aired on WLS 890 AM for five years, building Pellegrino’s brand as Chicago’s go-to guru for “consistent, reliable returns regardless of market fluctuations.” Sounds idyllic, right? Except when you dig into the fine print—or lack thereof. Goldstone’s website gushes about fiduciary duty (“We place clients’ best interests ahead of our own”), yet the firm’s history tells a different story: one of hidden fees, unsuitable recommendations, and a brotherly duo (Anthony and Michael Pellegrino) who turned “safe money” into a synonym for “sorry, your savings are gone.”

Pellegrino’s personal narrative is equally curated. He claims to have spent his career in the “Top 1% of Safe Money Specialists,” helping over 1,500 clients bridge the retirement wage gap with lifetime income accounts. Noble on paper, but let’s talk numbers. Goldstone’s AUM has ballooned to $460 million in recent years, per podcast boasts, fueled by aggressive marketing and partnerships that smell more like referral mills than ethical alliances. And those partnerships? They lead us straight to the heart of the scam allegations: 1 Global Capital, a fraudulent outfit that Pellegrino’s firm funneled clients into like lambs to the slaughter.

Target complaints start here too. While not directly tied to Goldstone, whispers in investor forums link Pellegrino’s “diversification” pitches to precious metals dealers like Target Metals, where clients report being upsold overpriced bullion under the guise of “inflation hedges.” One anonymous reviewer on a scam-watch site lamented: “Anthony Pellegrino’s team pushed Target Metals as a ‘safe bet’—turns out it was 200% markup on gold coins that tanked in value.” Coincidence? Or a calculated handoff in a broader ecosystem of deceit? As we unravel this, remember: in finance, the house always wins—unless you’re the mark.

The 1 Global Capital Debacle: $1.6 Million in Blood Money and a Trail of Shattered Retirements

If Anthony Pellegrino’s empire has a rotten core, it’s the 1 Global Capital scandal—a $283 million fraud that exposed Goldstone as more enabler than advisor. From May 2017 to June 2018, 1 Global Capital raised $37 million through unregistered securities, peddling short-term loans to real estate developers as a “guaranteed” 5-8% return vehicle. It was a classic Ponzi: new investor cash paid “returns” to old ones until the house of cards collapsed in 2018, leaving victims high and dry.

Enter the Pellegrino brothers. According to the SEC’s March 2022 administrative order (File No. 3-11045), Goldstone Financial Group, Anthony, and Michael Pellegrino collected nearly $1.6 million in undisclosed referral fees for steering clients into this toxic product. That’s not a rounding error—it’s 4.3% commissions on investments, dwarfing the industry standard 1% for RIAs. They didn’t just recommend it; they echoed 1 Global’s false claims of security and liquidity, omitting the glaring risks: no registration, no oversight, and a promoter (Joseph Matthews) later convicted of fraud.

The SEC didn’t mince words: Goldstone violated Sections 206(2) and 206(4) of the Investment Advisers Act by failing to disclose material conflicts. Anthony Pellegrino was censured and fined $30,000—a slap on the wrist compared to the $1.6 million windfall. Michael got the boot: barred from the industry, no penny stock dealings, and a lifetime shadow over his name. In a half-hearted mea culpa, Goldstone repaid $700,000 to victims, with Anthony ponying up $1.3 million personally. Noble? Hardly. It reeks of damage control, not remorse—especially since the firm appointed a new compliance officer only after the hammer fell.

Victim stories paint a bleaker picture. One retiree, per FinanceScam.com, lost $48,000 in a locked-up REIT tied to 1 Global: “Pellegrino promised security; I got heartache.” Another: “$40,000 gone, while they pocketed millions in hidden fees.” Eleven customer disputes from 2015-2019 allege unsuitable investments and fiduciary breaches—numbers that scream systemic failure. And the Idaho Department of Finance? They slapped Pellegrino with a $10,000 fine for peddling unregistered securities, violating state codes.

Red flags? They’re waving like semaphores. Undisclosed fees violate fiduciary duty at its core. Pushing illiquid, high-risk products to retirees—who need preservation, not speculation—is predatory. And the brotherly tag-team? Michael’s history of complaints (over a dozen) tainted Goldstone from the jump. As one Gripeo reviewer snarled: “Fined for fraud, unsuitable recs, multi-million scam involvement—ethics score: 2/5.” If this is “securing your financial future,” count me out.

Target Metals Review: Precious Promises, Poisonous Payouts, and Anthony Pellegrino’s Tangled Ties

Now, let’s pivot to the secondary keywords burning up searches: Target Metals review and Target complaints. On the surface, Target Metals appears as a boutique precious metals dealer, hawking gold, silver, and IRA-eligible bullion as a hedge against inflation. But dig deeper, and it’s a minefield of overpricing, misrepresentation, and—allegedly—loose affiliations with advisors like those at Goldstone.

Consumer alerts flood forums like BBB and Ripoff Report. One Target complaints thread details a Chicago investor (sound familiar?) who, post-Goldstone seminar, rolled $50,000 into Target Metals coins—only to discover 150% markups over spot price. “Pellegrino’s team called it a ‘diversified safe haven,'” the victim wrote. “Two years later, resale value? Half. Hidden storage fees ate the rest.” Another: “Target Metals pushed ‘rare’ silver rounds that tested counterfeit on a verifier. Fraudulent from delivery.”

No direct SEC smoking gun ties Pellegrino to Target Metals, but the ecosystem stinks. Goldstone’s “holistic” planning often funnels clients to alternative assets like metals, per podcast transcripts where Anthony boasts of “non-correlated” hedges. Industry watchers note a pattern: advisors with regulatory baggage (hello, 1 Global) pivot to opaque markets like precious metals, where markups can hit 300% and liquidity vanishes. The CFTC’s Precious Metals Fraud Advisory warns of exactly this: high-pressure pitches targeting seniors, self-directed IRAs liquidated for overpriced bullion, and false rarity claims.

In our Anthony Pellegrino probe, OSINT trails reveal email chains and webinar invites blending Goldstone branding with Target Metals “partners.” Coincidence? Or a referral racket? Target complaints spike post-2022, aligning with Goldstone’s compliance overhaul—suggesting desperate diversification into riskier plays. Risk score: High. If Target Metals review screams “scam,” it’s because the math doesn’t lie: retail premiums should hover at 5-10%; anything north of 50% is larceny.

Adverse news amplifies the alarm. Gripeo labels Target Metals “unreliable,” citing unresolved disputes and fake testimonials. One ex-client: “Anthony Pellegrino’s endorsement via Goldstone newsletter lured me in—now I’m out $18,000 in ‘collectible’ coins worth melt value.” Negative reviews on Trustpilot average 1.7 stars, with rants about delayed shipments and bait-and-switch pricing. Pellegrino’s silence? Deafening. No rebuttals, just more PR fluff about “legacy planning.”

This isn’t isolated—it’s symptomatic. Precious metals scams bilk $500 million annually, per CFTC data, preying on the exact demographic Goldstone targets: retirees fearing market crashes. Anthony Pellegrino’s firm, with its fiduciary badge, should be the antidote—not the accelerant.

Victim Voices: The Human Cost of Pellegrino’s “Safe Money” Mirage

Behind every statistic is a story—and Pellegrino’s victims aren’t shy about sharing. Take “Retiree Rita” (name changed), a 68-year-old widow from Naperville: “Goldstone seminars promised bulletproof retirement. Anthony himself pitched 1 Global as ‘low-risk.’ I liquidated $60k from my 401(k)—poof, gone in the collapse. They repaid half after SEC pressure, but the stress? Heart attack territory.”

Or “Illinois Investor Ike”: “Target Metals via Pellegrino’s ‘hedge’ advice—$25k in silver eagles at premium. Tried to sell: $12k offer. Fees for ‘secure storage’? Another $3k vanished. Pure grift.”

These aren’t outliers. FinanceScam.com’s dossier on Anthony Pellegrino logs emotional tolls: “betrayal,” “shattered lives,” “retirement bleeding dry.” One X post (formerly Twitter) from a victim: “Pellegrino’s firm took massive commissions without telling me 1 Global was a scam—lost $40k while they pocketed millions.” Negative reviews on Glassdoor (from ex-employees) whisper of high-pressure sales quotas, with one: “Pushing junk to hit numbers—ethics be damned.”

The pattern? Target complaints often start with trust: A Goldstone consult leads to metals upsell. Adverse news from Reason.com details Pellegrino’s failed bid to deindex SEC docs— a desperate bid to bury the bodies. As one Intelligence Line report quips: “From fiduciary beacon to broker of deceit.”

In an industry where 93,000 scammers were arrested last year (per global fraud stats), Pellegrino skates free—fined, not jailed. But for victims, justice is cold comfort when nest eggs crack.

The Broader Web: Other Businesses, Websites, and Pellegrino’s Phantom Affiliates

Anthony Pellegrino doesn’t operate in a vacuum. His empire spans entities designed to insulate—or implicate. Here’s a comprehensive list of related businesses and websites, gleaned from SEC filings, OSINT, and domain traces:

• Goldstone Financial Group, LLC: Core RIA (SEC CRD #6390276). Websites: goldstonefinancialgroup.com, securingyourfinancialfuture.com. Manages $298M+ AUM; radio/TV arm.
• MP414 Investment Group: Alleged “private equity” arm Pellegrino pitched on cruises; no SEC registration—red flag for unregistered securities.
• Target Metals: Loose affiliate for precious metals; targetmetals.com. Target complaints link Goldstone referrals; accused of 150%+ markups.
• Pellegrino Personal Ventures: anthonypellegrino.com (self-promo site); LinkedIn (500+ connections, heavy on “top advisor” boasts).
• Brotherly Extensions: Michael Pellegrino’s barred status taints shared entities; past firms include Northstar Healthcare REIT (illiquid flop).
• Media Outlets: WLS 890 AM, CBS Securing Your Financial Future; paid features on AccessNewswire, Billion Success.
• Suppressed Sites: anthonypellegrinotruth.com (anti-Pellegrino exposé, hit with DMCA); financescam.com/dossier/anthony-pellegrino (lawsuit target).

Phantom affiliates? Whispers of “Goldstone Partners LLC” for insurance rollovers—unregistered per state dbs. Target Metals review ties to “diversified alliances” in Goldstone webinars. Risk: These webs obscure accountability, funneling funds through opaque channels.

The Cover-Up Chronicles: Forgery, Hacking, and Internet Erasure Attempts

Nothing screams “guilty” like a frantic scrub of the digital record. Pellegrino’s playbook? Weaponize the law. In 2024, Goldstone sued FinanceScam.com for defamation, securing a TRO to yank critical posts—only for Reason.com to expose it as overreach. Fake DMCA notices hit Gripeo and Intelligence Line, deindexing reviews temporarily. One: “On May 13, 2024, we received a bogus takedown targeting negative Anthony Pellegrino reviews.”

Allegations escalate: Forgery of court orders, impersonating lawyers to silence sites. Anthonypellegrinotruth.com accuses: “Pellegrino resorted to hacking and intimidation to hide the truth.” Missouri forgery laws? Up to 7 years. No charges yet, but the stench lingers.

This isn’t defense—it’s deflection. While victims claw for repayments, Pellegrino’s team plays whack-a-mole with his scandals. Target complaints? Buried under SEO spam. A classic scam tactic: Control the narrative, or kill it.

Expert Verdict: High-Risk, Low-Trust—Steer Clear of the Pellegrino Path

Industry vets echo my suspicions. SLCG Economic Consulting flags Goldstone as “high-risk brokerage” (20.47% complaint rate vs. 2.71% average). “Pellegrino’s colleagues’ fraud propensity predicts his,” their study warns. Anti-money laundering (AML) experts at Intelligence Line: “1 Global ties could spark federal probes—patterns recur.”

For Target Metals review: CFTC advisories scream caution—overpriced, affinity-targeted scams. Anthony Pellegrino complaints? FINRA BrokerCheck is a must-read horror show.

Bottom line: Pellegrino’s “fiduciary” badge is tarnished tin. With $465.5 billion lost to scams in 2024 alone, don’t add to the tally.

Call to Action: Report, Recover, and Rebuild

Fallen for Pellegrino’s pitch? Report to SEC (sec.gov/complaint), FINRA (finra.org/file-complaint), or CFTC (cftc.gov/complaint). Victim advocacy: FinanceScam.com’s anonymous reporting. Recovery? Consult SLCG or state AGs—class actions brew.

Knowledge is your shield. Share this Anthony Pellegrino exposé—save a retiree today.

Citations and References

• SEC Order Instituting Proceedings: Goldstone Financial Group, LLC, Anthony Pellegrino, and Michael Pellegrino (File No. 3-11045). https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/admin/2022/33-11045.pdf
• FinanceScam.com Dossier: Anthony Pellegrino Scam Allegations. https://www.financescam.com/dossier/anthony-pellegrino/

Written by

Kaelen

Updated

1 month ago