BCSC panel finds B.C. resident committed fraud on one investor

VANCOUVER, July 6, 2016 /CNW/ - A British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) panel has found Larry Keith Davis committed a fraud on one investor.

The panel found that Davis, a B.C. resident, committed fraud when he purported to sell an investor shares in a company that he did not own and instead used the investor's money on personal expenses.

In June 2011, Davis led the investor to believe that he owned shares in a U.S.-based company and that she could purchase the shares through him. The investor paid Davis $4,000 in exchange for 40,000 shares, which he instead deposited into his personal bank account and used on personal expenses. In April 2012, Davis convinced the investor to make a second investment of $3,000 in exchange for 30,000 shares. The second investment was made in cash.

The panel found that Davis did not own any shares in the company at the time of either investment or at any subsequent time.

In its decision, the panel wrote that Davis "knew at the time of each investment of the prohibited act and that the prohibited act could have as a consequence the deprivation of [the investor] by putting the monies she had invested with him at risk."

When the investor began asking for her money back in April 2013, Davis repeatedly refused her requests, claiming that her investments were in shares tied to the stock market. The investor never received any shares from Davis, but succeeded in getting the return of her funds from him in Small Claims Court.

The panel directed the parties to make submissions on sanctions according to the schedule set out in the findings. 

You may view the findings on our website www.bcsc.bc.ca by typing Larry Keith Davis or 2016 BCSECCOM 214 in the search box. Information regarding disciplinary proceedings can be found in the Enforcement section of the BCSC website.

Please visit the Canadian Securities Administrators' Disciplined List for information relating to persons and companies disciplined by provincial securities regulators, the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and the Mutual Fund Dealers Association (MFDA).

About the British Columbia Securities Commission (www.bcsc.bc.ca)

The British Columbia Securities Commission is the independent provincial government agency responsible for regulating capital markets in British Columbia through the administration of the Securities Act. Our mission is to protect and promote the public interest by fostering:

• A securities market that is fair and warrants public confidence
• A dynamic and competitive securities industry that provides investment opportunities and access to capital

Learn how to protect yourself and become a more informed investor at www.investright.org

SOURCE British Columbia Securities Commission

Media Contact: Alison Walker, Media Relations, 604-899-6713; Public inquiries: 604-899-6854 or 1-800-373-6393 (toll free)