His oldest Lauren is back in Calgary, with a vengeance ;)   
      
      
   On Wednesday, January 22, 2003 10:58:01 PM UTC-7, Lab Rat wrote:   
   > Yes, this is the same Larry Ryckman as described in the book "Banksters and   
   > Prairie boys, who palled up with former minister responsible for lotteries,   
   > now Legislature Speaker  Ken Kowalski and ATB banker William Tough and   
   > together orchestrated an ATB loan (fraud) of 8.5 million (among others) that   
   > went unpaid and covered up by Ralph Klein, Peter Elzinga and auditor general   
   > Peter Valentine and others after Ryckman contributed to Klein's and   
   > Kowalski's 1993 campaign.   
   > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------   
   > -------   
   > Ryckman faces fraud charges   
   >    
   > Scott Haggett   
   > Calgary Herald; with files from The Canadian Press   
   >    
   > The Royal Canadian Mounted Police issued an arrest warrant for Larry Ryckman   
   > on Tuesday after charging the former Calgary Stampeders owner and failed   
   > penny-stock promoter with two counts of fraud.   
   >    
   > The charges were laid after a six-year investigation into Ryckman's dealings   
   > with the now-defunct Aabbax International Financial Inc., a company formed   
   > to drill for oil under the Athabasca tarsands.   
   >    
   > The Mounties allege Ryckman defrauded Aabbax's shareholders in 1994 by   
   > exercising options to have 600,000 common shares of the company issued to   
   > two employees without paying Aabbax for those shares. The options at the   
   > time were worth $1.15 each.   
   >    
   > "The allegations are that Mr. Ryckman exercised some options that were in   
   > the names of other employees and in doing so did not put the monies back   
   > into the treasury of Aabbax," said Staff Sgt. George Prouse, an investigator   
   > with the RCMP's Calgary commercial crime section.   
   >    
   > The investigation was launched in 1996 after the Vancouver Stock Exchange   
   > asked RCMP to look into Ryckman's dealings with Aabbax. The VSE, now folded   
   > into Calgary's TSX Venture Exchange, delisted Aabbax in 1995, alleging the   
   > Ryckman-controlled company not only issued the options without approval, but   
   > also failed to disclose a too-cosy relationship with the privately held   
   > Ryckman Financial Corp.   
   >    
   > Prouse said the delay in laying the charges came from the complexity of the   
   > case, despite having up to three investigators on the case at times.   
   >    
   > "There was a lot more involved in the investigation than just these two   
   > allegations," he said. "We had jurisdictional issues and a lot of evidence   
   > had to be gathered outside Alberta."   
   >    
   > Reached in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he now resides, Ryckman, 47, wouldn't   
   > comment on the charges, which carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail.   
   > He referred callers to his Calgary lawyer.   
   >    
   > "He's asked me not to say anything," Ryckman said.   
   >    
   > Ryckman's lawyer, Earl Wilson, also declined to discuss the RCMP   
   > allegations.   
   >    
   > "I have no comment with respect to the charges," Wilson said. "These are   
   > only allegations and there are always two sides to the story."   
   >    
   > Ryckman moved to Arizona after the Alberta Securities Commission found he'd   
   > manipulated shares in Westgroup Corp., a public company he headed.   
   >    
   > The ASC fined him nearly half a million dollars -- still owing -- banned him   
   > from trading stocks for 18 years and forced him to step down as president of   
   > the Stampeders.   
   >    
   > David Linder, the ASC's executive director, said Ryckman is still on the   
   > hook for $495,000 plus interest. The commission took Ryckman to court in   
   > Arizona to recover the money and won, but still hasn't managed to collect.   
   >    
   > "With us, he's yesterday's news," Linder said. "But we'd be thrilled if we   
   > got paid."   
   >    
   > Ryckman first gained notoriety in the 1980s when his Archer Communications   
   > Inc. owned the patent to a three-dimensional sound system called QSound.   
   >    
   > Despite few sales, hype surrounding the product pushed Archer shares as high   
   > as $17, making the company worth some $300 million. Ryckman said he made   
   > millions trading Archer stock, money he used to buy the ailing Stampeders in   
   > 1991.   
   >    
   > Under his ownership, the team became a powerhouse in the Canadian Football   
   > League, winning a Grey Cup in 1992 and signing star quarterback Doug Flutie   
   > to a rich contract.   
   >    
   > Ryckman has been mostly absent from Calgary since moving to Arizona, however   
   > Wilson said his client will return to face the charges.   
   >    
   > "I can guarantee he'll be here," Wilson said.   
   >    
   > haggetts@theherald.southam.ca   
   >    
   > © Copyright 2003 Calgary Herald   
   > http://www.canada.com/search/story.aspx?id=b3238e2f-cc5b-45f4-8d9f-2bc04ddf0   
   > d77   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)