Franklin Lentz: Why Did JW Cole Advisor Resign?

Gainesville, Florida financial advisor Franklin Lentz (CRD# 1517542) recently resigned from his former member firm in connection with alleged rule violations. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and Securities and Exchange Commission records show that the former JW Cole Financial broker is registered as an investment advisor with Lentz Advisors.

Mr. Lentz’s BrokerCheck report discloses his resignation from JW Cole Financial. Filed in February 2025, the disclosure states that he voluntarily resigned in connection with allegations that he “failed to disclose outside business activities, failed to follow an agreed-upon heightened supervision plan, potentially solicited a private securities transaction, and used non-approved communication platforms.”

A second disclosure on his BrokerCheck report concerns his firing from Raymond James Financial Services. Filed in April 2024, it states that the firm terminated him in connection with allegations that he “engaged in check fraud by withdrawing funds from firm personal account following deposit of checks drawn upon accounts with insufficient funds.”

In a statement included with the disclosure, Mr. Lentz “vehemently” denied the allegations that he participated in check fraud or wrongful taking of property, describing these allegations as defamatory. “I am unaware of any situation in which any checks written from my personal account and then deposited into my Raymond James account did not clear,” he wrote. “Moreover, I have no knowledge of Raymond James ever disbursing funds without first having received credit for the deposits that I made into my Raymond James account.”

According to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the Securities and Exchange Commission, Franklin Lentz holds 38 years of securities industry experience. Based in Gainesville, Florida, he has been registered as an investment advisor with Lentz Advisors since March 2025. His past registrations include JW Cole Financial, Raymond James Financial Services, AXA Advisors, and the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. His credentials include the passage of five securities industry qualifying exams: the Securities Industry Essentials Examination, or SIE; the General Securities Representative Examination, or Series 7; the Investment Company Products/Variable Contracts Representative Examination, or Series 6; the Uniform Investment Adviser Law Examination, or Series 65; and the Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination, or Series 63. He is licensed as an advisor in Texas. (Information current as of April 12, 2025.)

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