The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards today announced that it has imposed interim suspensions on two professionals, one of whom is charged with killing his girlfriend in Bogota, Colombia.
John Poulos of Colleyville, Texas, was charged by authorities in the South American country with femicide and obstruction of justice on January 26, the board said. Colombia is one of the Latin American countries that has adopted femicide laws to help curb the killing of a woman or girl by a man.
Published reports, including the Daily Mail of London, said Poulos, 35, had traveled to Colombia on January 19 to meet Valentina Trespalacios, a popular 23-year-old DJ from Bogota who he had been having a long-distance relationship with for eight months and planned to marry.
The Daily Mail said they stayed in a rented apartment on the north side of Bogotá, where he allegedly beat and choked her to death in the early morning of January 22. The reports said video surveillance showed Poulos pushing a supermarket cart with luggage bags near the apartment. One of the luggage “had Trespalacios' body stuffed into it and covered it with a blanket because her head was sticking out,” the report said. It also said Poulos was seen on camera “placing the cart next to his rental Volkswagen Voyage and struggling to pick up the luggage back before he was able to place it in the trunk.”
Poulos abandoned the suitcase in a dumpster on the south side of Bogota and headed to El Dorado International Airport for a flight to Panamá City, Panamá, published reports said. He was detained at Panama City’s international airport and transferred back to Colombian. Police reportedly said he had planned to fly from Panama to Istanbul, Turkey.
Poulos works for Vanguard Marketing Corporation. Prior to that, he had with Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC.
In response to a request for a comment, a Vanguard spokesperson said in an email, "While we are limited in what we can share regarding personnel matters, we can confirm that this individual is no longer employed with the company."
The board said the sanction against Poulos, which is effective as of February 17, was issued after a hearing panel reviewed the matter and determined that the “CFP Board demonstrated by a preponderance of the evidence that Mr. Poulos’ conduct poses a significant threat to the public or that his conduct significantly impinges upon the reputation of the profession and upon the CFP® certification marks.”
Also facing an interim suspension, effective Feb.1, is Kenwyn J. Belkot of Wexford, Pa. The board said it suspended Belkot’s use of the CFP certification marks after learning that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority permanently barred him on January 17. Finra initially suspended Belkot on November 7 for unspecified reasons, and later barred him for “failing to request termination of the suspension within three months of the date of the Notice of Suspension.”
Belkot could not be reached for comment.
Under the orders, both Poulos’ and Belkot’s right to use the CFP certification marks are suspended pending the CFP Board’s complete investigation and possible further disciplinary proceedings.