Enforcement Notice - IN THE MATTER OF Craig Hodge - Discipline Hearing

TORONTO, April 9, 2013 /CNW/ - A hearing has been scheduled before a Hearing Panel of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC), in the matter of Craig Hodge.

The hearing concerns allegations that Mr. Hodge engaged in outside business activities without the knowledge of his firm and that he offered compensation to a client.

The hearing is open to the public, unless the Panel orders otherwise. The decision of the Hearing Panel will be made available at www.iiroc.ca.

Specifically, the allegations are that:

COUNT 1:  From January 2003 to November 2009, while a Registered Representative and Branch Manager at Assante Capital Management Ltd., Mr. Hodge engaged in outside business activities without the prior knowledge or consent of his Member firm, thereby engaging in conduct unbecoming or detrimental to the public interest, contrary to IIROC Dealer Member Rule 29.1 (IDA By law 29.1 prior to June 1, 2008.)

COUNT 2: From December 2009 to April 2011, while a Registered Representative and Supervisor at IPC Securities Corporation, Mr. Hodge engaged in outside business activities without the prior knowledge or consent of his Member firm, thereby engaging in conduct unbecoming or detrimental to the public interest, contrary to IIROC Dealer Member Rule 29.1.

COUNT 3: In 2008, Mr. Hodge offered compensation to his client, thereby engaging in conduct unbecoming or detrimental to the public interest, contrary to IIROC Dealer Member Rule 29.1 (IDA By law 29.1 prior to June 1, 2008.)

IIROC formally initiated the investigation into Mr. Hodge's conduct in February 2012. The alleged violations occurred when he was a Registered Representative and Branch Manager with Assante Capital Management Ltd. and IPC Securities Corporation, both IIROC-regulated firms. Mr. Hodge is no longer a Registered Representative with an IIROC-regulated firm.

The Notice of Hearing which sets out the allegations is available at:

http://docs.iiroc.ca/DisplayDocument.aspx?DocumentID=01B4C86CA4F046EDBB24BD40E1CFF7DC&Language=en.

Documents related to ongoing IIROC enforcement proceedings - including Reasons and Decisions of Hearing Panels - are posted on the IIROC website as they become available. Click here to search and access all IIROC enforcement documents.

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IIROC is the national self-regulatory organization which oversees all investment dealers and trading activity on debt and equity marketplaces in Canada. Created in 2008 through the consolidation of the Investment Dealers Association of Canada and Market Regulation Services Inc., IIROC sets high quality regulatory and investment industry standards, protects investors and strengthens market integrity while maintaining efficient and competitive capital markets.

IIROC carries out its regulatory responsibilities through setting and enforcing rules regarding the proficiency, business and financial conduct of dealer firms and their registered employees and through setting and enforcing market integrity rules regarding trading activity on Canadian equity marketplaces.

IIROC investigates possible misconduct by its member firms and/or individual registrants. It can bring disciplinary proceedings which may result in penalties including fines, suspensions, permanent bars, expulsion from membership, or termination of rights and privileges for individuals and firms.

All information about disciplinary proceedings relating to current and former member firms is available in the Enforcement section of the IIROC website. Background information regarding the qualifications and disciplinary history, if any, of advisors currently employed by IIROC-regulated firms is available free of charge through the IIROC AdvisorReport service. Information on how to make investment dealer, advisor or marketplace-related complaints is available by calling 1.877.442.4322.

SOURCE: Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) - General News