Popular Eastside broker Rhonda Breard under investigation for fraud

Many clients of Rhonda Breard, a popular Eastside broker and financial planner based in Kirkland, can’t find two very important elements of their financial portfolio – their money and Breard.

Breard was last seen on Feb. 10, the day that her Kirkland office was shuttered after she lost her broker agreement with ING Financial and the ability to act as a broker in nine states: Washington, Oregon, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, North Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming.

At least two clients have alleged that their money they invested with Breard was gone, according to KOMO News.

Breard owns three lake-front homes in the area, which are each valued at $5 million. She is also a well known financial planner with ads running on TV.

The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions and the Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna are investigating Breard’s practices. Contrary to some media reports, the Kirkland Police Department is not conducting an investigation. The termination of the agreement with ING is a big deal for Breard’s company, as they are essentially out of business without ING or another company to run their transactions.

ING representatives told the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions they terminated their partnership after they learned that Breard’s company was altering customer statements.

Her company’s Web site has the message “under construction” and Beard’s Facebook page has been removed.

According to KOMO, two separate sources confirmed that Breard attempted suicide twice on Feb. 10 but that she has not been seen since. KOMO is also reporting that Breard has a history of allegations, reprimands and even fines.

Seattle Weekly contacted a man at one of her homes, who said that she was suffering from “medical trauma.”

State officials with the Department of Financial Institutions are urging any of her clients to contact them immediately.