RCMP charges former CEO with fraud over alleged assay data manipulation

Canadian authorities charged former RPX Gold (formerly Red Pine Exploration) CEO Quentin Yarie with fraud and forgery after federal investigators allege he manipulated assay results at the Wawa gold project, inflating the company’s 2023 reported resource by roughly 62,000–87,000 ounces (about a ~12% uplift). The RCMP’s market-enforcement team alleges 532 of 98,000 assays were altered; charges include fraud affecting public markets and forgery. A court appearance is scheduled for June 5, 2026. The affair has already hammered RPX’s stock (it plunged to C$0.08 in May 2024 and was trading C$0.17 at the time of reporting), and the allegations undermine confidence in junior mining disclosures—risking reputational damage across small-cap explorers and potential scrutiny from investors and regulators. While not a systemic market event, the case could pressure junior gold equities and related investors in the near term.