CALGARY,
AB, Aug. 12, 2024 /CNW/ – The Alberta
Securities Commission (ASC) has announced the arrest of
Ronald James Aitkens and his return
to Canada to face sentencing. On November 6,
2023, Aitkens failed to appear for sentencing before the
Alberta Court of Justice, after
having previously been found guilty of fraud and
making false or misleading statements in an offering memorandum,
contrary to the Alberta
Securities Act. A Canada-wide warrant was then issued for
his arrest.
On August 8, 2024, Aitkens was
arrested in the United States and
returned to Canada. He appeared in court in British Columbia on August 9, 2024, and was remanded into
custody.
Aitkens is expected to be transported to Calgary early this week and is scheduled to
appear before the Alberta Court of
Justice on August 15, 2024.
"Our investigators, in collaboration with law enforcement
agencies in Canada and the U.S.,
worked diligently to locate this offender and secure his return to
Alberta. Aitkens is a convicted
fraudster and the ASC was determined to ensure he did not escape
the consequences of his actions. I commend the efforts of our
staff, our partner agencies and the public in bringing this
fugitive to justice," said Cynthia
Campbell, Director of Enforcement at the ASC.
The ASC gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the many
agencies involved leading to the return of Aitkens to Alberta, including: the U.S. Marshals Service,
the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Border Patrol
(Spokane Sector, Whitefish, MT),
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Homeland Security
Investigations, Calgary),
Department of Justice (Canada), the
Canada Border Services Agency, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP) (Elk Valley Detachment, BC), the British Columbia Sheriff Service, the
Alberta RCMP Federal Policing
Integrated Market Enforcement Team, the Alberta Sheriffs, and Crime
Stoppers – Alberta. The ASC also
gratefully acknowledges those members of the public who came
forward in response to the ASC's request for information about
Aitkens' whereabouts while he was at large.
The ASC is the regulatory agency responsible for administering
the province's securities laws. It is entrusted with fostering a
fair and efficient capital market in Alberta and with protecting investors. As a
member of the Canadian Securities Administrators, the ASC works to
improve, coordinate and harmonize the regulation of Canada's
capital markets.
SOURCE Alberta Securities Commission