British Columbia Securities Commission alleges CAD 4.6 million crypto trading bot fraud and false sworn statements by Alberta resident

The British Columbia Securities Commission has alleged that Alberta resident Connor Sinclair Gardiner-Ingram committed fraud under B.C.'s Securities Act by raising CAD 4.6 million from dozens of investors between 2021 and 2024 for purported investments in cryptocurrency trading bots, then using the money for unrelated personal expenses. The regulator also alleges that he made false statements under oath to Commission investigators. According to the allegations, investors were told their money would be placed in bots that would trade for a set period and generate profits at the end of that period. Funds were received both directly from investors and through an Australian resident who gathered money from a group of investors and forwarded it to Gardiner-Ingram. Instead, the Commission alleges the money was spent on travel, jewelry, luxury goods, vehicles, transfers to family members and cash withdrawals. The alleged false statements concerned the movement of investor funds, whether another person told him what to say to investors, whether his cousin coded the bots, and whether he had accounts or a line of credit at Silicon Valley Bank. The allegations have not been proven. The respondent or his counsel must appear at the Commission's offices on September 15, 2026 if he wishes to be heard before a hearing is scheduled.