An Edward Jones branch administrator has been barred by Finra for liquidating securities from her mother’s account at the firm and wiring the funds, totaling more than $40,000, to a third-party without her mother’s knowledge or consent.

According to Finra’s letter of acceptance, waiver and consent, Tonia Berg of Downers Grove, Ill., became associated with Edward Jones in August 2016 and served as a branch office administrator. She was responsible for, among other things, scheduling appointments for clients, entering buy orders for customers, and opening client accounts.

Berg accepted and consented to the bar without admitting or denying the findings, Finra said.

Finra said that from January 2020 through March 2020, Berg, unbeknownst to her mother, converted $44,200 from her mother’s retirement and brokerage accounts at Edward Jones through three wire transfers. In January, she wired about $9,200 from the brokerage account to a bank account of a third-party individual. And in March, she sold about $35,000 of securities in her mother’s retirement account, transferred the proceeds to her mother’s brokerage account, and wired the proceeds in two separate wire transfers to a bank account of a third-party individual.

Berg also covertly forged her mother’s signature on two client authorization forms to facilitate two additional wire transfers from her mother’s brokerage account, Finra said.

Edward Jones filred Berg in December, Finra said.

Finra said Berg violated Rule 2150(a), which provides that “no person associated with a member firm shall make improper use of a customer’s securities or funds.” Finra further explained that conversion is an intentional and unauthorized taking of and/or exercise of ownership over property by one who neither owns the property nor is entitled to possess it, also a violation of Rules 2150(a) and Rule 2010, which “associated persons, in the conduct of their business, to observe high standards of commercial honor and just and equitable principles of trade.”

Berg also was in violation of Rule 2010 when she signed another person’s name to documents, without authority, which constitutes forgery, Finra said.