Corporate communications officer admits to making misrepresentations

VANCOUVER, Dec. 18, 2012 /CNW/ - The British Columbia Securities Commission has settled with Aaron Ross, a corporate communications officer who admitted to making materially misleading statements when engaging in investor relations on behalf of Aguila American Gold Limited. Aguila is a B.C.-based mining company that trades on the TSX Venture Exchange.

In a settlement agreement, Ross, a B.C. resident, admitted that he made statements that he ought to have known were misrepresentations while engaging in investor relations on behalf of Aguila.

The settlement states that on February 18, 2011, Aguila issued a news release disclosing drill results on a property in Peru. The news release included disclaimers regarding the quality and grade of the resource.

Ross, while engaging in investor relations for Aguila, made calls and sent emails to over 130 potential investors identified on a list. A BCSC investigator was listed among the prospective investors, and was contacted by Ross the day before the Aguila news release was issued.

In the settlement, Ross acknowledged that during the course of the conversation with the BCSC investigator, he made promotional statements about Aguila that breached section 50(1)(d) of the Securities Act, and section 2.3(1) of NI 43-101, the national mining disclosure rule.

For his misconduct, Ross has agreed to pay $2,500 to the commission, and is banned from engaging in investor relations activities for two years.

The settlement agreement notes that Ross has no prior regulatory history, and that he has taken the Public Companies: Financing, Government and Compliance course through Simon Fraser University Continuing Studies.

The B.C. Securities Commission is the independent provincial government agency responsible for regulating trading in securities within the province. You may view the settlement agreement on our website, www.bcsc.bc.ca, by typing Aaron Ross, Aguila American Gold Limited or 2012 BC SECCOM 471 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 Persons List for information relating to persons disciplined by provincial securities regulators, the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and the Mutual Fund Dealers Association (MFDA).

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

SOURCE: British Columbia Securities Commission

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