Alessio Donnini · CBC News
Robert “Randy” Hawken, a former London, Ontario financial advisor, is facing 18 new fraud charges, bringing the total number of allegations against him to over a dozen. Hawken, 66, is accused of defrauding clients of nearly $2 million through a series of fraudulent investment schemes while operating Dufferin Financial Group.
Hawken was first arrested on September 12, 2024, when police revealed that he had allegedly collected investments from clients between 2003 and 2024 without ever investing the money. The initial charges against him included fraud over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
On October 3, 2024, Hawken faced an additional 18 charges of fraud over $5,000, each charge tied to an individual victim or couple. Court documents show that many of the new charges correspond to victims already named in civil suits filed against him. Some civil suits also list Hawken’s wife, Cheryl Hawken, and his company, Asmaral Holdings, as co-defendants.
The total number of complainants against Hawken has now increased from 24 to 28, with the allegations spanning a 21-year period. Some of the victims are individuals, while others are couples, and in one case, an organization.
Hawken was arrested again on October 23, 2024, and released on an undertaking. The new charges were formally filed in court on November 1, 2024.
He is due to appear in the London Ontario Court of Justice on November 26, where legal proceedings will continue.
