A registered representative from Vinton, Va., was fined $5,000 by FINRA for sharing nearly $8,000 in his commissions with an unregistered person.

John Carson Brake Sr. was also barred from associating with any FINRA member for 15 business days, ending Nov. 6, 2009, according to FINRA records.

Brake was found to have shared commissions with a former employee of his member firm, who was unregistered. That person, who was not identified, asked him to submit variable annuity purchase applications on his behalf for execution through the firm.

Brake, without meeting or speaking with the prospective customer purchasers, signed the applications, which caused them to reflect that he was the representative for the purchases, and then submitted the applications to the firm, FINRA records show.

From those purchases, Brake received commissions totaling about $9,000 and paid about $7,850 of the commission to the unregistered person.

Brake neither admitted nor denied the FINRA findings.