UK 14:47 Sunday, 20 September 2026
Breaking news and expert analysis on fast-moving AIM and LSE listed shares
I knew about this last week, but yesterday afternoon ex Sefton (SER) boss Brokerman Dan (Dan Levi) outed himself and revealed that he had in a former life spent 16 years in high security prisons for a variety of offences some involving firearms. Essentially as a young man he was a member of drugs gangs in the slums of Manchester. He is now coming clean, I believe, because he got a call from a National Paper asking for comment about a story it was planning to run.
Already a member? Sign in
• All premium articles
• Tom Winnifrith’s Bearcast
• Access to all the entire nearly 13 year archive
• ShareProphets Daily Newsletter
Cancel any time
This area of the ShareProphets.com site is for independent financial commentary. These blogs are provided by independent authors via a common carrier platform and do not represent the opinions of ShareProphets.com. ShareProphets.com does not monitor, approve, endorse or exert editorial control over these articles and does not therefore accept responsibility for or make any warranties in connection with or recommend that you or any third party rely on such information. The information available at ShareProphets.com is for your general information and use and is not intended to address your particular requirements. In particular, the information does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by ShareProphets.com and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making (or refraining from making) any investment decisions.
Comments
MrMoto
Now he hangs around with a guy in a striped suit, from one set of gangsters to another….
Joking aside, fair play for his bravery coming out, whether forced or not it seems like a genuine statement on his new path. As opposed to others who use “born again Christian” as a trick tactic….
A shame you two fell out, let’s hope you can call each other some names but the bond of friendship remains underneath. As he still remains tethered to Chris Oil, this could prove tricky.
wildrides
Personally I think his past convictions should be a barrier to financial and legal type work including directorships . People in such work can on rare occasions come under very very intense pressure due to their employment . One needs to know that such people will not take the wrong path when subject to such very adverse circumstances in the future . This is why we have regulations regarding rehabilitated criminals . However I dont think this will affect his work as a share blogger . The public will simply judge him by his commentary and associations as to wether or not they value his blog content and share commentary .
My views on that are negative simply on the investment case of the shares he chooses to endorse in one way or another . Most of which are complete shite ……….. but then again so is 95% of Aim listed companies . I am equally wary of the association with Oily Chris and the way Oily trades are perceived to be timed in relation to the twatterings of both parties . With his now public background he should steer clear of any such antics or the perception of such antics . Get back to the Dan of ( Blogging ) old with a clean slate is my suggestion ……… take it or leave it . ( and stay away from twattering things that can be mis interpreted as clumsy attempts to move the market one way or another )
AK47
Respect to you Tom. A thoughtful and diplomatic posting / article. Pretty sad the way Dan went about making comments about yourself and others. But that is part of life and lessons we can all learn.
MoseHarper
I totally agree Tom. We are an unforgiving society and as such we create the growth of criminality. Make one mistake and you are stigmatized for a lifetime. Those who realise they made a mistake are effectively banned from meaningful employment the only opportunities are menial at best. There are very few options open to you and whilst it is possible to make a future for yourself, you will be held back.
The problem is with the requirement to disclose your history to prospective employers. If there was a way to give people the chance of a clean slate I believe that we would prevent many people from sliding further into deeper levels of criminality. Of course you have to separate those who have genuinely repented from those that haven’t.
I believe that Dan got where he is today by doing what he had to do. The system allowed him no choice.
Adge
Let’s hope he remains committed to rooting out the fraudsters and crooks that exist. The two of you do a grand job when working in tandem.
GG79
Possibly the first time I’ve agreed with every single point you’ve made. And I didn’t have to stop and wince at any egregious typos!
This (semi)sabbatical is working for you.
DUCK AND DIVE
What a sanctimonious load of twaddle – most of which is seriously off-topic for ShareProphets.
The only relevant issue is whether Levi ‘fessed up to the FCA when he was being vetted for a seat on a PLC board. Since he blocked me when I asked him this question on Twitter, I assume he didn’t. And that being so, the FCA absolutely must take action against him.
As for the nonsense about Levi being given a second chance, he’s already had it. And he re-offended – resulting in a second long prison sentence for armed robbery. No-one deserves a third chance.
I very much hope that ShareProphets, ADVFN, Sefton, NEW, Lenigas et al will have nothing more to do with this habitual thug.
Andrew Kennedy
It is good that you have such a healthy perspective on criminals once they have served their time and the chance to build something of worth and contribute to society.
It is therefore sad that you chose to bash a company for an indirect arrangement with a man who was previously convicted of a crime and had served his time and rather than skulk behind an alias has been open about his past.
Your piece on Insetco, after having previously recommended the company, linking it with a ‘convicted fraudster’ tainted the company and played a direct role in ensuring the company was unable to find a nomad and lost investors a considerable amount of money.
It is a shame that once again it us one rule for your mates and one for everyone else.
Striebs
I don’t condone carrying of shooters on jobs .
The case for the right to bear arms has suffered a setback due to nobody actually using it to rid the world of the nuisance Obama yet .
The real criminals are the people who run the system .
The people who set up the IMF with the express purpose of keeping Africa in poverty and debt peonage have blood on their hands .
The people who continue to bale out the banks and other organisations which are categorised as banks so they can get taxpayer bailout money but really aren’t .
The Conservative and Labour politicians who closed down grammar schools because of the threat of too much social mobility .
Compare the damage done by the brinks mat crew and the damage done by Anthony Blair .
I’m 48 and if I live to be 80 this country will still be Blair’s Britain because the damage he did is irreversible .
Will Anthony Blair see the inside of a prison ?
p j
What amazes me Tom, you were brothers in arms in your Sefton campaign, but you never knew the person you were working so closely with for all that time?
One must question, how good/poor a judge of character you are? You stand on your soap box and slate people on a daily basis, but you fail to see what is staring you in the face. Didn’t you have any suspicions? And you call yourself the Sheriff, you gotta laugh!!
Tom Winnifrith
PJ
The David John Hopkins issue only emerged March this year. Do I do a background check to see if folks have changed their name and then investigate why on everyone I work with? No. I take it on trust. Since I am not sharing my or anyone elses financial details why should I do otherwise?
t
1rule4one
Yet another of a myriad of examples I could cite of the utter hypocrisy of Tom Winnifrith.
I absolutely agree that offenders should be given the chance to reform and that the drugs laws only encourage crime.
You appear to be saying that DL has served his time and we should not constantly use his past indiscretions to hammer him now.
Yet, you didn’t subscribe to that theory when you felt the need to mention in every article you wrote about Frank Timmis that he had a conviction in the past for drug offences nor do you do so with regard to “convicted felon” Charlie Gibson at Edison.
And you have the nerve to call Turney “Flip Flop”?
Look in the mirror Tom for a true example of inconsistency!
turbograndad
Tom, can’t help thinking there’s some serious double standards going on here, with others comments as well.
I know this one is not sitting comfortably with you.
Your first priority is the investing PI’s whom you are the sheriff, they have precious little else.
Ralph
Tom – Wasn’t Levi in trouble with the law again last year after getting into a fight with a builder who over charged him?
dasv
“1. Levi got into crime because of our failed war on drugs. “
Hmm – indirectly the criminalisation of drugs leads to criminals controlling the drug trail but this is not the direct reason he got into crime.
He got into crime because he wanted to make money and he didn’t care if he broke the laws of this country to do so.
“That Levi had to change his name is a sign that we really do not give folks that second chance, that we are, in effect, giving lifetime sentences”
Or it could be that it was the only way for him to break laws regarding disclosure of previous crimes – again to make money – e.g. to become an AIM director?
Brad Whiter
“Levi got into crime because of our failed war on drugs”
Oh, right so not his choice then? On that basis shouldn’t very adult in the UK be involved in crime? A ludicrous statement. He got involved in crime because he is a nasty violent thug, too lazy to earn a living the hard way – you know, up at 6am, 10 hours in a warehouse or factory – and preferred to make lots of money the easier way and if a few people got stabbed, shot or killed. Well, so what?