Bridging Finance Executives Face Penalties for Fraudulent Activities

The husband-and-wife team behind private lender Bridging Finance Inc. have been fined and banned by Ontario's top securities regulator for committing fraud. David Sharpe, the CEO, was permanently banned from trading, while Natasha Sharpe will be allowed to trade in personal accounts if she meets repayment obligations. The Sharpes must repay over C$20 million, with Natasha Sharpe also paying an administrative penalty of nearly C$2 million. The firm's collapse resulted in investors recovering less than half of its C$2 billion in assets.

Ontario's top securities regulator has fined and banned the husband-and-wife team behind private lender Bridging Finance Inc. for committing fraud. David Sharpe, the CEO, was permanently banned from trading in the capital markets in Ontario, while Natasha Sharpe will be allowed to trade in personal accounts if she meets the penalties and repayment obligations outlined in the decision by Ontario’s Capital Markets Tribunal [1].

The Sharpes were ordered to repay more than C$20 million ($14.6 million) in total. Natasha Sharpe was also ordered to pay an administrative penalty of nearly C$2 million, while David Sharpe, who did not participate in the hearings, was ordered to pay C$3.6 million. Andrew Mushore, Bridging’s former chief compliance officer, received a lesser penalty of C$50,000 due to his indirect involvement in one aspect of the fraud [2].

The collapse of Bridging Finance Inc. resulted in investors recovering less than half of its C$2 billion in assets. Bridging, a private lender based in Toronto, was ordered into receivership in 2021 amid a wide-ranging investigation into the firm’s activities. The Ontario Securities Commission called the Bridging collapse “one of the most grievous cases to ever come before the Capital Markets Tribunal,” citing the large amount of money lost and the Sharpes’ efforts to mislead investigators [1].

References:
[1] https://news.bloomberglaw.com/securities-law/ex-ceo-of-private-lender-bridging-banned-after-firms-collapse
[2] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-18/bridging-finance-executives-receive-fines-bans-in-ontario-fraud-case