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Printed Nov 05, 2024 • 4 minute learn
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London monetary adviser Robert (Randy) Hawken is charged with fraud over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. He’s additionally dealing with a minimum of 9 civil lawsuits from former shoppers. (LinkedIn picture)
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A court docket order has been issued to freeze the belongings of a former London monetary advisor accused of defrauding greater than a dozen shoppers out of almost $2 million.
London police arrested Robert (Randy) Hawken, 66, on Sept. 12 and charged him with fraud over $5,000 and possessing property obtained by crime valued at greater than $5,000.
Investigators allege 18 folks had been defrauded of $1.99 million by Hawken, who they contend collected cash for investments by no means made, courting again so far as 2003. Courtroom paperwork listing a further six complainants within the case.
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Hawken, who operated Dufferin Monetary Group earlier than retiring within the spring, faces a mounting tally of lawsuits from former shoppers, most of them seniors, who allege he knowingly defrauded them by promoting bogus investments.
Statements of declare include allegations that haven’t been examined in court docket.
Superior Courtroom Justice Kelly Gorman issued an order on Oct. 25 freezing all belongings belonging to Hawken, his spouse Cheryl and an included firm he controls, Amsaral Holdings.
Robert (Randy) Hawken’s firm Dufferin Monetary Group is positioned at 554 Waterloo St. in London. (Derek Ruttan/The )
Property data present the home at 558 Waterloo Avenue is owned by Amsaral Holdings, an included firm managed by Robert (Randy) Hawken. (Derek Ruttan/The )
The order applies to a few properties at 554 Waterloo St. and 558 Waterloo St. in London and 10138 Edmonds Blvd. in Grand Bend.
Each of the Waterloo Avenue homes had been listed on the market in March. The itemizing worth for each properties was slashed a number of occasions earlier than they had been taken off the market in September.
Hawken was given seven days to reveal info associated to all accounts and belongings held with monetary establishments and brokerages together with account numbers, stability statements and an inventory of actual property, shares, securities, investments, insurance coverage insurance policies, annuities and different belongings.
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“If you, the defendant, disobey this order you may be held to be in contempt of court and may be imprisoned, fined or have your assets seized,” the order says.
Industrial litigation lawyer John Brennan of JBrennan Legislation, who’s representing two complainants in a civil go well with towards Hawken however wasn’t concerned within the movement that led to the order, stated such a court docket choice is made to stop belongings from being dissipated or moved out of attain whereas a authorized declare is ongoing.
“It’s not uncommon to be seeing these kinds of motions brought in cases involving (alleged) fraud, breach of trust or when there’s a risk that the defendant may dispose of their assets to avoid satisfying a potential judgment,” Brennan stated.
The order was obtained by a movement introduced ahead by a pair who launched a $580,000 lawsuit towards Hawken on Sept. 27.
The couple declined remark, citing the continued case earlier than the courts.
To acquire such a order, Brennan stated, plaintiffs should present proof supporting their declare that there’s a threat a defendant would possibly conceal belongings.
“So it’s a pretty significant remedy,” he stated.
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The order requires all monetary establishments freeze and “prevent any dealing with any and all of the defendant’s assets” until they’re given court docket permission.
These monetary establishments are additional instructed to supply copies of assertion for all frozen accounts, together with copies of all cheques and transfers issued or deposited by the Hawkens and Amsaral Holdings courting again to Dec. 1, 2023.
Beneath the order, which might be lifted if the Hawkens pay the defendants $625,000, plus 25 per cent for court docket prices, the Hawkens can apply to make use of cash from their accounts for “ordinary living expenses and legal advice and representation.”
Jean Zak stated she feels betrayed by Robert (Randy) Hawken, her former monetary adviser whom she thought-about a good friend. Zak alleges Hawken defrauded her out of greater than $100,000. (Derek Ruttan/The )
Jean Zak, 81, alleges Hawken defrauded her out of greater than $100,000.
“That is good news,” she stated after listening to concerning the latest court docket order.
The Free Press interviewed a number of complainants within the case and reviewed court docket filings that allege Hawken inspired his shoppers, a lot of whom had invested with him for over a decade, to purchase assured funding certificates with annual rates of interest between 4 and 5 per cent.
However the complainants allege their cash was by no means invested, regardless of Hawken sending them monetary assertion that included a certificates quantity, and their principal quantities weren’t returned.
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London police contacted the complainants within the spring and advised them they’d been recognized as victims in a possible fraud.
It was a employees member at Dufferin Monetary Group that tipped off police and supplied an inventory of the alleged victims, in line with one of many lawsuits.
Hawken is now dwelling at his home in Grand Bend, the place he declined an interview request when visited by a reporter final month.
“My lawyer told me not to talk about it,” he stated on the time.
Makes an attempt to achieve Hawken and his spouse by cellphone Tuesday had been unsuccessful.
After his arrest, Hawken was launched on an endeavor – a doc created by both a court docket or police that locations the charged particular person beneath sure situations —and is scheduled to return to court docket Nov. 26.
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