MFDA Hearing Panel issues Reasons for Decision in the matter of Laurie Rose Lewis
TORONTO, March 27, 2018 /CNW/ - A Hearing Panel of the Prairie Regional Council of the Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada ("MFDA") has issued its Reasons for Decision dated March 26, 2018 in connection with a settlement hearing held in Calgary, Alberta on February 23, 2018 in the matter of Laurie Rose Lewis ("Respondent").
In its Reasons for Decision, the Hearing Panel confirmed the sanctions imposed on the Respondent. In particular, the Respondent:
- shall pay a fine in the amount of $20,000 ("Fine");
- shall pay costs in the amount of $2,500 ("Costs");
- payment of the Fine and Costs shall be made to and received by MFDA in certified funds as follows:
- $5,000 (Fine) upon acceptance of the Settlement Agreement;
- $2,500 (Costs) upon acceptance of the Settlement Agreement;
- $7,500 on or before the last business day of the 3rd month following the date of the acceptance of the Settlement Agreement;
- $7,500 on or before the last business day of the 6th month following the date of the acceptance of the Settlement Agreement;
- if she fails to make any of the installment payments described above:
- any outstanding balance of the Fine and Costs owed shall become immediately due and payable to the MFDA; and
- she shall be prohibited from conducting securities related business while in the employ of or associated with a Member of the MFDA until such time as the total amount outstanding of the Fine and Costs owed is paid to the MFDA; and
- shall in the future comply with MFDA Rule 2.1.1.
In the Settlement Agreement dated December 7, 2017, the Respondent admitted that:
| a) |
between November 2012 and April 2014, she altered and used to process transactions, three account forms in respect of three clients by altering information on the account forms without having the clients initial the alterations, contrary to MFDA Rule 2.1.1; |
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between August 2012 and January 2016, she altered information on 17 account forms that had been previously signed by ten clients and used in previous transactions in order to process new transactions in the clients' accounts, contrary to MFDA Rule 2.1.1; and |
| c) |
between February 2013 and February 2016, she obtained, possessed, and in some instances, used to process transactions, 51 pre-signed account forms in respect of 24 clients, contrary to MFDA Rule 2.1.1. |
Copies of the Reasons for Decision and the Settlement Agreement are available on the MFDA website at www.mfda.ca. During the period described in the Reasons for Decision, the Respondent carried on business in the Eckville, Alberta area.
The MFDA is the self-regulatory organization for Canadian mutual fund dealers, regulating the operations, standards of practice and business conduct of its Members and their approximately 82,000 Approved Persons with a mandate to protect investors and the public interest. For more information about the MFDA's complaint and enforcement processes, as well as links to 'Check an Advisor' and other Investor Tools, visit the For Investors page on the MFDA website.
SOURCE Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada
Charles Toth, Director, Litigation, 416-943-4619, [email protected]; Mark Stott, Vice-President, Prairie Region, 403-215-8329, [email protected]
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