The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards has revoked deported Russian spy Cynthia Murphys right to use the CFP credential.
Murphy, whose real name was Lydia Guryev, worked as a CFP for the New York accounting firm Morea Financial Services before her identity was exposed earlier this year by the Justice Department after a seven-year investigation. The 39-year-old was flown back to Russia in July along with nine other spies whom the Justice Department had been investigating for years.
They included her husband Richard, 43, also known as Vladimir Guryev. The two had lived quietly in the New York suburb of Montclair, N.J., with their two young daughters prior to their deportation in July during a spy swap in exchange for spies held by Russian authorities.
The CFP Board issued an order in August permanently revoking Murphys right to use the CFP mark, but only revealed the disciplinary action on Monday. The disciplinary action followed the CFP Boards investigation of allegations that Murphy was living in the United States under a pseudonym and that she was a foreign agent for the Russian Federation. In its complaint, the CFP Board alleged that Murphy pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government in the United States, and misrepresented herself as a United States citizen.
Murphy also failed to file an answer to the CFP Board's complaint within 20 calendar days of the date of service, as required by the CFP Board's disciplinary rules, which do not make any exceptions for deported Russian spies.
Accordingly, the allegations set forth in the complaint were deemed admitted, and the CFP Board issued an Administrative Order of Revocation.
