Vancouver Island man accused of defrauding $1M from investor during hotel sale
The British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) says a Sooke, B.C. man defrauded an investor of $1 million by misleading them about the ownership of the Sooke Harbour House hotel.
The BCSC alleges that Sooke resident Timothy Durkin raised the money while he was working as the director of SHH Holdings Limited between December 2015 and March 2016.
"Durkin told the investor that SHH owned the Sooke Harbour House hotel through a subsidiary, and that by buying 40 per cent of the shares of SHH, the investor would obtain a 40 per cent ownership interest in the hotel," said the BCSC in a release Monday.
However, SHH did not in fact have any ownership rights to the property, and the investor never recovered any of the $1 million they spent on shares, claims the British Columbia Securities Commission.
"The BCSC alleges that by deceiving the investor, Durkin and SHH committed fraud under the Securities Act," said the organization Monday.
The British Columbia Securities Commission is an independent provincial government agency that monitors B.C.'s capital markets.
The commission has scheduled a hearing on the matter for Nov. 10.
None of the BCSC's allegations have been tested in court.
The Sooke Harbour House has been at the centre of a legal dispute between the couple that originally purchased the property decades ago, and prospective buyers, including Durkin.
Civil court documents dating back to March 2020 show that a judge ruled that Durkin, alongside SHH Holdings Limited and other partners, owed the original owners of the hotel more than $760,000.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Teacher shortages see some Ontario high school students awarded perfect grades on midterm exams
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Doctors combine a pig kidney transplant and a heart device in a bid to extend woman's life
Doctors have transplanted a pig kidney into a New Jersey woman who was near death, part of a dramatic pair of surgeries that also stabilized her failing heart.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.