Two Acquitted of Forgery Plot at Shearson : Securities: A New York jury decides neither man is guilty. Authenticity of a client’s signature was disputed in the case.

A former Shearson Lehman Bros. broker and a former compliance officer for the firm have been acquitted of federal criminal charges involving alleged forgery of a client’s signature.

Charles M. Lewis, 63, a longtime broker in Manhattan often quoted as an authority on the stock market, and Edward Coyle, 36, former compliance officer in Lewis’ branch office, were found not guilty on all counts by a jury here late Tuesday.

The two men were accused of conspiracy, mail fraud and keeping false books and records. The indictment alleged that they conspired to forge a customer’s signature on a document later introduced as evidence in an arbitration case.

“We’re pleased by what we consider a complete vindication,” said Ronald P. Fischetti, Lewis’ lawyer. Fischetti said he believes the jury was convinced that Shearson was responsible for any wrongdoing.

Shearson is now part of Smith Barney Shearson.

According to Fischetti, a Shearson lawyer testified that he allowed the letter to be used as evidence in the arbitration case even though a handwriting expert hired by Shearson had said the signature did not appear to be authentic.

“We argued to the jury that he (Coyle) did not know, when he found the document, that it was a forgery, and did not know, when he gave it to (Shearson’s) lawyers, that it was a forgery. And the jury agreed,” said John Sand Siffert, Coyle’s lawyer.