Fraud is a huge crime issue facing many communities. They take immense resources from law enforcement and the legal system, yet here in Cornwall many are not even investigated.
The standard line of recent vintage cases from the CCPS is that investigations can take five months.
Now many in the public that might not have any knowledge of the process might swallow that, but frankly that duck doesn’t fly.
You have two areas to prove in any crime, motive, and action. There are latin terms for them, but that’s not really relevant here.
It’s also one consideration for the community to consider switching to the OPP as the CCPS clearly hasn’t put resources into fraud investigations.
Recently there were two large cases, the Caskenette case involving minor league hockey, and the Gilles Latour case which included him allegedly defrauding his own mother.
The amount of officers locally working on fraud is frighteningly small in Cornwall. Some annecdotal reports suggest as few as one officer has worked in fraud at one point. There are expertise needed to investigate fraud properly.
Not only that, once a decision to lay a charge is made there is even more expertise in delivering a case that a crown can get a conviction on.
Could a lack of resources spent on fraud by the CCPS jeopardize getting convictions in these two high profile cases and others?
Locally reports have come into CFN of many cases of fraud not being prosecuted. Sometimes the fraudsters have allegedly even been tipped off during those five month delays. All one has to do is look at how many leaks alone have been reported in media like the Seaway News.
While Cornwall is a city of nearly 50,000 people it behaves in many ways like a village of 5,000 so when you have officers related to journalists, or whose kids play hockey together, or go to the same service clubs things can get hinky.
It was reported that one fraud investigator was shunned at their kids hockey games because people like Caskenette, while not yet convicted, clearly had more support from hockey parents than the poor officer charged with doing their job.
Of course Cornwall is also a town that just had parents tossed from girls hockey games for tossing racial slurs.
We’re seen a recent spate of police blotter entries for Ontario Works fraud. In those cases generally the evidence is fairly clear and the police do not have to do much more than confirm allegations and records.
Are poor people being penalized when it comes to fraud investigations because they aren’t friends with Gilles Latour’s friends?
Head of the police board, Andre Rivette, apparently flashed his police board card to an officer during a road stop a few years ago. Did he get a free pass because he was “connected”? Likewise, a historical allegation against Rivette came in suggesting that during the Ice Storm he was engaged in back door selling of fire wood that he was commissioned, at great compensation, to clear for government agencies. City Councilor Rivette did not respond to questions from CFN regarding the allegations that allegedly included him transferring his home to his son’s name out of fear of a fraud conviction.
Do the poor or those “unconnected” simply get charged and convicted more than those in the loop? This is a scary and slippery slope for any community.
Fraud and white collar crime cost a community far more dollars than people that throw grass clippings or call each other names while making drunken threats. Shouldn’t local law enforcement be balancing the load a bit better instead of racking up stats to defend rising budgets?
Ultimately if outside pressures and possible corruption impact actual investigations it creates a situation where bad guys and girls feel more brazen to abuse the system which ultimately costs the community.
Clearly there needs to be a dialog regarding policing for Cornwall Ontario, especially since Chief Dan Parkinson and his staff don’t seem able to reign in rising costs.
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What do you think dear CFN viewers? Are connected fraudsters getting away with crimes while the poor don’t? Is it time to dialog about farming out fraud investigations if the CCPS do not have or choose not to allocate enough resources to this burgeoning area of crime in our community? Or ultimately is it time to seriously look at bringing the OPP to Cornwall?
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Former Cornwall Ontario City Councilor Robert Brock Frost appears to have copped a plea Monday regarding his forgery and fraud charges in Levis Quebec that were related to the security he put up for his brief ownership of the Cornwall River Kings hockey club of the LNAH.
Sources said that the typical bond for a LNAH team was a minimum of $25,000.00
Frost was exposed by CFN regarding his real estate capers in Nicaragua where he made nearly $700K USD of Al Hatset dissipate!
After returning to Cornwall and becoming a real estate agent with Storm Realty he purchased the struggling hockey team using it as a fulcrum to get over 4,000 really naive ignorant people to vote for him.
On hearing his candidacy I wrote:
Brock Frost is to politics what Syphilis is to dating.
Guylaine Laflamme of the Levis Quebec police confirmed to CFN via phone that Frost will have to do 200 hours of community service and pay a $200 surcharge to the courts. He will be on probation for one year.
Sources tell CFN that Frost was given such an easy treatment because he allegedly made restitution.
He pled guilty to a single charge under the Canadian Criminal Code section 380.
Fraud
380(1) Every one who, by deceit, falsehood or other fraudulent means, whether or not it is a false pretence within the meaning of this Act, defrauds the public or any person, whether ascertained or not, of any property, money or valuable security or any service,
(a) is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to a term of imprisonment not exceeding fourteen years, where the subject-matter of the offence is a testamentary instrument or the value of the subject-matter of the offence exceeds five thousand dollars; or
(b) is guilty
(i) of an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or
(ii) of an offence punishable on summary conviction,
where the value of the subject-matter of the offence does not exceed five thousand dollars.
Marginal note:Minimum punishment
(1.1) When a person is prosecuted on indictment and convicted of one or more offences referred to in subsection (1), the court that imposes the sentence shall impose a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of two years if the total value of the subject-matter of the offences exceeds one million dollars.
Frost fled Cornwall after getting barraged by the community and media. Not one of his confreres on council ever called him out or suggested in council that he step aside until he resolved his legal issues. He also stated he’d donate his council earnings to to two local charities but neither would confirm that those monies were paid in full as stated.
He still has several court cases pending including several with this very newspaper after making allegations of sexual advances made upon him at a sales meeting. In his press release he neglected to mention that he in fact purchased an ad and communicated regularly after said meeting including being a sponsor for our 5th Anniversary promotion.
He also declared that he’d filed a lawsuit against this writer and CFN which was confirmed, but never served.
He first went to Keller Williams Real Estate and now is with Remax in Ottawa.
He posted the image below yesterday after getting a break from the courts.
Apparently the real estate guru also likes to smack animals.
Darren Madden did not respond to email from CFN. He issued suit against Frost as well over the attempt to sign over the River Kings to him that led to the exposure of Mr. Frost’s antics.
Cornwall Lawyer Milena Cardinal was involved in that transaction and has not responded to questions either.
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What do you think dear CFN viewers? You can post your comments below.
Disgraced, now former City Councilor, Robert Brock Frost, has switched Ottawa Real Estate Firms and is now billing himself as RB Frost or Rob Frost.
The big question is why the name flipping? Frost recently pled guilty to fraud over the forged security for his purchase of the Cornwall River Kings of the LNAH. He was let off with a wrist slap of only 200 hours of community service and a one year suspended sentence that he essentially gloated about online.
Only Quebec Judge Carol St-Cyr, and Crown François Godin can answer why they left Mr. Frost off so easily for charges that could have resulted in up to fourteen years jail time, especially with Mr. Frost’s similar pattern of dodgy deals.
Frost himself issued a press release in which he writes about himself in the 3rd person.
On March 7th, 2016, a Provincial Court judge in Quebec City granted Brock Frost a one-year conditional discharge in the above-mentioned matter.
Frost, who was charged in April 2015 with uttering a forged document and fraud over $5000 in relation to his ownership of the Cornwall River Kings says he “couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”
By definition, a conditional discharge is a sentence passed in criminal court with no punishment and for which an individual technically pleads guilty to an offence but is deemed not to have been convicted. It is often used by the courts when the offences are considered minor in nature, a lack of criminal intent exists and the accused has no previous criminal history. InFrost’s case, there will be no jail time, no fines, no penalties, no conviction and no permanent criminal record whatsoever.Frost will be required to complete 200 hours of community service over a one-year period after which he will receive an absolute discharge.
Upon a review of the facts, the charge of uttering a forged document was completely withdrawn and the fraud over $5000 charge was further reduced to fraud under $5000.
The facts of the case, read out loud in court by Crown Attorney Francois Godin, are summarized as follows:
– Frost purchased a franchise from the LNAH in 2014
– In addition to the purchase price, a security of $35,000 was required
– Frost provided 2 cheques to the LNAH – one that was cashed immediately and the other that was post-dated
– The 2nd cheque was not honoured
– The LNAH confirmed that they have not suffered any financial loss in this matter and no monies are owed by Frost
– Forgery charge to be withdrawn and fraud over $5000 reduced to fraud under $5000
Frost stated that there were essentially only two options for him to consider:
A) proceed to trial which would cost upwards of $80,000 and take 2 years to complete, not to mention the time away from home and work.
B) submit evidence to the Crown in an attempt to have the charges withdrawn/reduced and/or obtain a conditional discharge.
“Given the circumstances and carefully considering all of the potential outcomes, I am more than happy with the way things turned out. My choice to accept the conditional discharge was frankly the least expensive, most efficient and most pragmatic option I could make. This entire case was nothing more than a misunderstanding that was drastically blown out of proportion. I am simply glad it is over and I can now finally move on.”
In true sincerity,
Brock Frost
He states that he took the deal rather than spend $80K. The question is what did the Quebec Crown gain by obliging him? While sources have stated that Mr. Frost made restitution to the league isn’t that like allowing a bank robber to not really be punished if they gave the money back? If the second cheque bounced then there definitely was fraud over $5K?
Frost still is facing a court date with Darren Madden who Frost tried to sell the team to before folding his tent.
Madden stated to CFN:
It is a shame that things have come to this.
As a fan of hockey and the LNAH I find this whole criminal proceeding dismaying.
Contacted at his office, Broker of Record at Remax Core Realty, Winston Penny spoke anxiously and stated “No Comment” regarding Mr. Frost.
RECO the agency governing Real Estate Professionals in Ontario also cited privacy concerns, but stated that they review cases individually.
A viewer however sent in a complaint sent to RECO, and stated they never received a reply from the agency.
What do you think dear CFN viewers? You can post your comments below.
Former Cornwall Ontario City Councilor Robert Brock Frost, or Brock Frost, or Rob Frost, or RB Frost or whatever alias he’s using is excitedly pitching for Real Estate investment in his new website.
However it appears that Mr. Frost himself has some money issues even though he’s claimed to have invested in Real Estate himself?
A search of the Government database shows that he’s now had esteemed Ottawa Bankruptcy and Insolvency expert Jeffrey Webb appointed for what is known as a Commercial Proposal. That means asking creditors to take pennies on the dollar or possibly face bankruptcy.
Frost claims that he owes $2,094, 870 with just $1,660,406 in assets.
Frost has several court issues pending as well.
He most recently copped a plea in Quebec court that saw him not have to do jail time after allegedly reimbursing the LNAH after charges of forged documents and fraud related to his Cornwall River Kings ownership were laid against him by Quebec Police in Levis Quebec.
And of course he still hasn’t resolved his Nicaraguan Real Estate venture where he publicly denied knowledge of it in media even though he had a criminal attorney reach out to the victim on his behalf long before his statement.
Sources tell CFN that Mr. Frost has several prominent local businesses on the hook for thousands of dollars including Emard’s Lumber and Perkins Rona. Neither business would confirm if they are in fact on the list.
He was quoted as stating the reason he fled moved to Ottawa was for better business opportunities. He also wrote that he was still considering a future run for politics even though he resigned from his council seat during the first year of his term. He recorded over four thousand votes from the people of Cornwall.
According to the government document above a first meeting with creditors was held April 21, 2016.
He’s currently listed on the RECO website as a broker for REMAX Core Agency in Ottawa.
Does Brock Frost owe you money? You can post your comment below or contact is at info@cornwallfreenews.com
A former Cornwall River Queen who allegedly was dumped by the former Owner claims that disgraced fraudster Robert Brock Frost, or Rob Frost, or RB Frost, offered her cocaine and used some in her presence.
No I never dated him, I went out to eat with him a few times .. To talk about the river kings and queens… And like he would just try to get me to stay with him and .. I only ended up having one photo shoot with the girls and he was always leaving me in the dark about everything so I was confused …
The young woman, who stated she was only 18 at the time and no longer lives in Cornwall further stated to CFN:
and then when we got there he went to his room and gave me a beer and I sat down and he laid down and he tried to get me to cuddle with him and like stuff but I was creeped out because I’m only 18. And I asked him if we can just go back for a drive and then he ended up driving me straight home and on the way he said he doesent think he could have me working on his team.. And that it wasn’t personal
CFN
Where there any drugs present?
FORMER RIVER QUEEN
Yea he always did a lot of cocaine.
CFN
Did you see any at his home? Did he offer you any?
And how did you know it was cocaine?
FORMER RIVER QUEEN
Because he bought it from someone I’m really good friends with..
CFN
Did he offer you drugs?
FORMER RIVER QUEEN
Yes, I don’t so drugs tho
CFN
No crime in that.
FORMER RIVER QUEEN
But there is if he’s doing drugs in the back room (of a bar)
Frost resigned from council amidst his forgery and fraud pleading over the River Kings sale. He did not respond for this story.
CFN is in the process of researching claims that Mr. Frost indulged in similar actions with other River Queen including a few that were under age.
None of these allegations have been proven to be true at this time.
Fraudster Robert Brock Frost, RB Frost, Rob Frost, or who knows what other aliases, has stung the local Your Credit Union in Cornwall Ontario for thousands.
CFN obtained documents from Mr. Frost’s statement to his Bankruptcy Trustee Jeff Webb that outline over $2M in debt that the “Investment Real Estate Broker” has declared. That amount does not include the near $700K from the Al Hatset Real Estate deal from Nicaragua.
The amount the local Credit Union is listed for in total is $301,750.00.
Mr. Frost’s father, Keith Frost, in a letter to the trustee has offered to advance $80K cash if creditors agree to conditions to settle proposed by Mr. Frost. That’s an offer essentially of $8K for over $2M in secured and unsecured debt.
In the meanwhile RB Frost is busy trying to get people to invest their monies with him with come ons like winning $10K if they buy or sell with him, or purchasing revenue generating property with no or low money down.
The bigger question is if RECO sanctions brokers who claim debt of over $2M pitching people to invest in real estate rather than it simply be their primary residences. Frost also has been pitching zero down buys.
When you view a listing on he’s pitching on his facebook page it takes you to a link on his real estate selling site. LINK which oddly enough doesn’t list a rep or broker but has a generic form to contact for more information.
Realtor.ca listings have the sales rep and broker normally listed.
What do you think dear CFN viewers? Do you think Brock Frost will be able to swindle his creditors and keep selling Real Estate? How do you feel about RECO and the industry as they are aware of Mr. Frost’s plea deal for fraud in Quebec recently as well?
Would you deal with an “Investment Real Estate Broker” who’s going bust,and has his dad offer to pay a slim portion of his debt to settle?
It takes a certain type of brazenness to post what Robert Brock Frost, Rob Frost, RB Frost has during his attempt to settle over $2 million dollars of debt for about $80K.
That is exactly what the former Cornwall Ontario City Councilor has done after posting his RBC image on facebook recently.
RBC is one of the largest creditors on his list and has engaged the firm of Gowlings. Gowlings and RBC have not responded for this story, but other creditors have shown anger at how Frost went on lengthy world vacations while clearly burning through cash. Many will be left with nothing or very little to show for the monies owed.
According to documents submitted by Frost to Ottawa Bankruptcy Trustee Jeff Webb, the fraudster, who plead guilty in Quebec courts after being nailed with forgery and fraud charges over his Cornwall River King fiasco, owes RBC $182, 950.00 for various loans.
An industry expert shared that if proven guilty of fraud, a party may not be protected in Bankruptcy or settlement proceedings.
Frost in the meanwhile is flogging cash draws if you buy or sell with his Greater Ottawa selling group which has properties listed with no broker or agent denoted on their web listing pages.
Likewise, Frost is pitching no money down properties. Frost is listed as a licensed broker on the RECO website.
He is pitching himself as an investment real estate broker, yet oddly enough his own portfolio now has him working with a Bankruptcy trustee.
He recently has given seminars on investing in Real Estate as well.
He still is pitching himself as owner of a multi million dollar investment portfolio when by his own admission to his trustee his assets are in the negative.
He is being repped by bad actor and paralegal John Robinson who’s moved from Toronto to Cornwall.
What do you think dear CFN viewers? You can post your comments below.
(ORILLIA, ON) – Officers from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Anti-Rackets Branch, Health Fraud Investigation Unit have charged a physician in relation to billings that were submitted to the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) for services that were either not provided or billed inappropriately.
Dr. Ranjit Kumar CHANDRA, aged 78, of Etobicoke, Ontario has been charged with one count of Fraud Over $5,000 contrary to Section 380(1)(a) of the Criminal Code of Canada. An arrest warrant has been issued as the accused is believed to be out of country. The case remains under investigation and police are unable to provide a specific fraud loss to OHIP at this time.
The Health Fraud Investigation Unit of the Anti-Rackets Branch is comprised of OPP investigators who investigate allegations of fraud relating to the Ontario Health Care System on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.
Former Team Cornwall President Gilles Latour is not having a good year. The former head of Latour Wealth management, Team Cornwall President, and former Mayor Bob Kilger’s bag man, has been said by sources to CFN, to now be living in his mother’s basement with his hidden sports memorabilia collection in Cornwall Ontario after Sheriffs seized his Long Sault property at
According to bankruptcy documents filed by Latour he’s reported assets of $530,803 on liabilities of $1,329,162 which is less than reported by another Cornwall Ontario area fraudster and former City Councilor, Robert Brock Frost.
Mr. Latour is also awaiting punishment from the MFDA who have found him guilty of being a bad boy and of course criminal proceedings from his antics which include allegations of fraud against his own mother.
Oddly enough Mr. Latour’s profile and pic are still on the Team Cornwall website as of press time.
Were you a victim of Mr. Latour’s? Do you have info to share? Email info@cornwallfreenews.com.
Mr. Latour was accused of not providing documents or attending an interview in his own defense of the investigation by the MFDA.
Taking a move from the Brock Frost playbook Mr. Latour has changed his user profile on facebook, which is a violation of the terms of the social media site; using “Robert Gilles” and omitting his actual last name.
Mr. Latour has not responded to any attempts by CFN to interview him for this or previous stories.
What do you think dear CFN viewers? Will Mr. Latour actually get convicted by our local Crown and Justices? Do you think he deserves jail time? You can post your comments below.
Seven Assistive Devices Authorizers to Appear in Court
(ORILLIA, ON) – Members with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Anti-Rackets Branch Health Fraud Investigation Unit have charged seven people in connection with a lengthy investigation involving owners of mobility aid businesses and their employees.
Since March 2014, the Health Fraud Investigation Unit has been investigating a complaint from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) Assistive Devices Program (ADP) regarding a registered ADP vendor of mobility aids and several registered authorizers. It is alleged that the vendor and authorizers were colluding to prescribe and supply mobility aids to clients who did not meet ADP eligibility criteria. As a result of the investigation, charges of Fraud Over $5,000 and Uttering a Forged Document contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada have been laid against six people:
Darlene ROBINSON, aged 56 years, of Barrie;
Tetyana SADOVA, aged 45 years, of Toronto;
Inna DAINOV, aged 43 years, of Thornhill;
Anand SANTHAGUNAM, aged 46 years, of Toronto;
Arvind GUPTA, aged 43 years, of Mississauga; and,
Inderneet ARORA, aged 40 years, of Toronto.
A seventh individual, Mehran REDJVANI, aged 35 years of Richmond Hill, is charged with Fraud Over $5,000 contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada. The accused have all been arrested and released. They have or will make their first appearances in Ontario Courts of Justice, Scarborough on various dates based on the date of their arrest. Police are still working to determine the extent of the dollar losses to the government.
The Anti-Rackets Branch Health Fraud Investigation Unit is comprised of OPP members who investigate allegations of fraud relating to Ontario’s health care system on behalf of the MOHLTC.
Ontario Provincial Police News Portal OPP Media Release STORMONT DUNDAS and GLENGARRY OPP CHARGE FORMER CORNWALL FINANCIAL ADVISOR FOLLOWING A 13 MONTH INVESTIGATION 2016-10-28
DATE: October 28, 2016
OPP CHARGE FORMER CORNWALL FINANCIAL ADVISOR FOLLOWING A 13 MONTH INVESTIGATION
(OTTAWA, ON) – As a result of a 13 month investigation, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Anti-Rackets Branch, Economical Crime and Corruption, Ottawa Unit, has charged a former financial advisor, operating Gilden Financial Solutions Corporation; Harris Wealth Group Inc.; and Protector Management Inc.
The fraud investigation was referred to the OPP by the Cornwall Community Police Service (CCPS) in September 2015, due to the multi-jurisdictional nature of the complaint.
Gilles Remy SAUCIER, 60 years of age, of Brampton, Ontario (formerly of Cornwall), is charged with the following offenses:
• 7 counts of Fraud Over $5000 contrary to Section 380(1)(a) of the Criminal Code;
• 7 counts of Misappropriation of Money Held Under Direction contrary to Section 332 of the Criminal Code;
• 1 count of Obtaining by False Pretense contrary to Section 362(1)(a) of the Criminal Code; and
• 2 counts of Failure to Comply with Condition of Undertaking contrary to Section 145(3) of the Criminal Code
The accused was arrested on October 27, 2016 and was subsequently released on a Recognizance by a Justice of the Peace following a Show Cause hearing. The accused is scheduled to appear in the Cornwall Ontario Court of Justice, on November 17, 2016.
Fraud Prevention
•If you receive an investment opportunity, get a second opinion from your registered financial adviser, lawyer or accountant.
•Anyone selling securities or offering investment advice in Ontario must be registered with the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), unless they are exempt from this requirement. To check whether someone is registered, call the OSC Contact Centre at 1-877-785-1555.
•Ask for proof of the guarantee in writing and remember, a guarantee is only as good as the person or company offering it.
•If you don’t understand the investment, don’t invest.
•Always remember, if an offer sounds suspicious or seems “too good to be true”, it probably is. If you suspect that you may be a target of fraud, or if you have already sent funds, don’t be embarrassed – you’re not alone.
•If you suspect you or someone you know has been a victim of fraud, contact your local police service or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or online at https://www.tipsubmit.com/ or the official entity that it appears to be from.
QUOTES
“Whether it is vulnerable citizens cheated out of their life savings or young people stripped of their assets and forced to start over, the harm caused by all types of fraud is staggering. The money taken is used to fuel other illegal activities, causing further harm to society as a whole.” – J.V.N. (Vince) HAWKES, OPP Commissioner
Cornwall Ontario – Disgraced former Cornwall City Councilor Robert Brock Frost is alleged to have shared that he lied through his proposal to his creditors via Ottawa Bankruptcy Trustee Jeff Webb.
Frost’s declaration stated that he owed over $2 million dollars. He currently claims that he now owns 23 investment properties.
His statement to creditors had far less than twenty properties listed.
The documents showed an offer to settle of only $80,000 paid via Mr. Frost’s father, Keith, and a small amount of future earnings.
The allegations stated that Mr. Frost has settled with his creditors and Mr. Frost, who pled guilty to charges over his forgery and fraud during his time as owner of the Cornwall River Kings hockey team of the LNAH is now trying to raise money for Haitian storm victims.
Mr. Frost was also sanctioned by RECO, the agency the governs Real Estate professionals in Ontario, and fined $2,000.00.
We will be updating this story as more information becomes available. If you have any information regarding Mr. Frost please email info@cornwallfreenews.com or dial 1 855 444 1133. He also goes under the alias of RB Frost and Rob Frost.
Cornwall Ontario – CFN has learned from a viewer that disgraced former City Councilor Robert Brock Frost’s gofundme page for his new “Charity” to raise cash for Brock’s love of travelling Haiti storm recovery is no more.
Frost had previously pled guilty after being charged with fraud and forgery over his exploits as owner of the Cornwall River Kings hockey club of the LNAH.
Going to the gofundme page now simply goes to the site’s main page.
Frost was well on his way to raising his goal of $10,000.00.
Gofundme is a crowd sourcing site of good repute that raises funds for many good causes.
Frost is now under investigation regarding his recent proposal to settle with his $2 million + in liabilities he reported via Ottawa trustee Jeff Webb.
Frost is alleged to have told at least one party that he lied to his trustee and creditors in the settlement process.
We will be updating this story as more information becomes available. If you have any info about Brock Frost or his cronies please email info@cornwallfreenews.com as this party did.
ORILLIA ONTARIO – In January 2015, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Anti-Rackets Branch (ARB) received a complaint involving a former Director at the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services of Ontario (MGCS) that involved an allegation of Fraud and Breach of Trust.
As a result of a thorough and detailed investigation, two persons are now facing criminal charges in regards to this matter.
Shabbir EVERSHINE (MANDVIWALA), a 37-year old former Director with the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services and Director of LocaWoka Inc. has been charged with:
Breach of Trust, contrary to section 122 of the Criminal Code of Canada
Fraud Over $5000, contrary to section 380 (1) (a) of the Criminal Code of Canada,
Conspiracy to Commit, contrary to section 465 (1) (c) of the Criminal Code of Canada.
Rashida EVERSHINE, 36 years of age, spouse of Shabbir Evershine (Mandviwala) and Director of B52 Global Inc. has been charged with:
Fraud over $5000, contrary to section 380 (1) (a) of the Criminal Code of Canada
Conspiracy to Commit, contrary to section 465 (1) (c) of the Criminal Code of Canada.
CORNWALL ONTARIO – I left Team Cornwall after a sampling of its former President Gilles Latour, who’s now waiting his court dates from charges of fraud, including of his mother.
I also am no longer a member of the Cornwall & Area Chamber of Commerce. When I first ran for a seat on its board I was informed I didn’t win. When asked for vote totals they stated they don’t release those.
Ironically enough of the eight people than ran for six seats, two of those elected actually died in the term and I was begrudgingly put on the board.
After a bit it was clear that it’s director was a big factor for the failures of the chamber, but as one clique member and long time Cornwall business person shared when referring to Lezlie Strasser.
Lezlie Strasser – Director Cornwall & Area Chamber of Commerce
It’s too expensive to fire her.
Other board members at the time echoed that sentiment, especially as the building the chamber owns needed repairs, and essentially the chamber was losing money and being kept afloat by the Driver’s permit office which the late Joe Gunn was chief in bringing to the chamber. An example is the gross lobby carpet that the chamber solution was to put rugs over the stains in front of the clerks instead of simply replacing the carpet.
There’s also a great tale about the chamber feeding private driver info to a certain local political riding association mailing list, which in my opinion believe. When I first moved here I’d get mail addressed to me in the exact spelling of my driver’s license from our MP.
That practice stopped after the province brought in a new system that logs when users sign in and tracks what they do.
The next chamber election the clique flooded the amount of people running, and I and many others left.
When the South Stormont Chamber was to close, Reg Coffey and myself essentially saved it. Sadly some of the wannebee cliquesters from the townships jumped to the fray and essentially illegally did some very odd things.
People like Donna Primeau, who is now on a township council that ran essentially to shut down a locally owned and developed print and online newspaper (also owned by myself and Reg Coffey) and resulted in the township stiffing us for the balance of our contracts to the point of spending as much as 3 times the value of the contract on legal bills to make their point.
Taxes have jumped in South Stormont since Ms Primeau and her council started, with less services, a failed Marina project, and other negatives for a community that can’t afford negatives.
The message of course is that you really can’t do business in the Cornwall region unless you’ve gone to the right Catholic school and hung out with the same cliques and essentially conformed to the powers that be. That might work in small villages, but in 2016 the result is that schools are now being closed and karmically, those in the townships will endure more suffering than those in the city of Cornwall.
When I started CFN in 2009 I was warned to not do it in Cornwall because of the low literacy rate and ugly clique politics.
When CFN started that was a hunger for local news. There was a lot of stuff covered up. There still is, but not as much. The three main local media essentially didn’t do real journalism, but were more PR shills. Say nice things about the same nice people, and then cash the cheques. Even more ironic is that the media with the most actual ads pretty much has the least eyeballs.
CFN, an upstart, local, near one man shop, was first in market share in less than two years of its existence which upset a lot of the cliquesters.
So Bob Peters at City Hall started his mission to derail our growth and with some of the politicos the process to attack the paper and run me out of town started. That was 2011. Since then CFN has had over 100,000,000 human page views. The City actually spent more cash paying its Ottawa lawyers to monitor CFN than it had paid us in advertising before the boycott. The city never made an actual complaint to us for any issue related to our service.
The loss to the local economy has been in the millions of dollars, and continues to grow. Lost revenue for our advertisers who essentially were bullied by the City Hall led boycott, which saw CFN send more traffic to the city website in the first year of the boycott when they weren’t advertising with us (traffic just was delivered from archived material) than those that they spent thousands and thousands of tax dollars on, amounts to even more of a loss.
A review of local news websites show that only two allow anonymous posts: the Standard-Freeholder and the Cornwall Free News. Both sites have some moderation of comments, but a review of activity over the past several months have led staff to concur with the generalized assessment of the practice by the American Journalism Review: “Comment sections are often packed with profanity, and vicious personal attacks.”
That quote was never verified or confirmed. The statement of both CFN and the Freeholder was false as neither was packed with profanity or vicious personal attacks. Three CAO’s refused to give me my ten minutes in council to present information which is a right of any resident of Cornwall to do. The Freeholder buckled and simply does not allow viewer comments any longer thus getting to keep their ad $$.
I have had clients who have been told straight out that if they didn’t pull their ads they’d lose support of City Hall or not get permits. I’ve had a at least three board members of our now defunct public art gallery see their day jobs threatened and one lost a contract that was connected to City Hall.
I’ve watched multiple cliquesters leave town because of exposing of their shizzle. We’ve reported on it. We documented it.
But we still have a disturbing culture with an even scarier police and justice system. In a city where people are charged for throwing grass clippings and shaking fists, and even of seniors waiting for open heart surgery being wrongfully incarcerated none of the near dozen factually documented complaints I’ve made have seen anyone be charged.
Of course when you have a police chief that was in need of a new contract, and a police board with a corrupt mayor on it and his campaign manager its chair, would those results be surprising?
In my own case, even after it was categorically proven that I never made a single call that I was arrested for, threatening or otherwise, I was kept under conditions by corrupt crown attorneys through the election and for nearly another year.
When my charges were dropped the police refused to charge Mike Bedard for mischief or spreading false news.
When Kevin Dockery, leader of a facebook hate group against myself and CFN stole one of our videos and had it taken down by You Tube for copyright infringement, he basically lost any possible defense by loading the same video to Facebook. After it too was taken down, copyright infringement being a Federal crime, a call was put into the RCMP where an officer told me the crown refused to pursue a charge.
Traci Trottier not once, but twice, made utterly false statement to police saying I was at her house threatening her.
Luckily on both occasions I was in public places or I would have been charged. The police on both occasions refused to charge her with mischief.
There are more cases and examples, but if you’re still reading we should get to the grist of what’s going on now in Cornwall and the area.
School Closings. This is scary and will be devastating for the counties. (The SD&G County government also boycotts CFN) Communities like South Glengarry will feel it the hardest as their kids will have to travel further and deal with bigger schools in Cornwall. That is going to have a dramatic effect.
If a community doesn’t truly embrace and welcome growth it’s doomed in Ontario in 2016. The province is already suffering under the brutal economic result of its Hydro policies where essentially delivery charges are leaving people homeless and destroying the fabric of rural life.
Only in this messed up province could any government behind such an energy program get a majority mandate as happened in the last election.
Only in this messed up province will the same crooked government essentially get elected again.
In this part of Eastern Ontario we simply are seeing too many mobile younger people heading out of our region and being replaced by Seniors. There simply is no way to fund the infrastructure costs.
Teachers in Ontario are some of the highest paid in Ontario. (Those teachers are chiefly responsible for keeping the Wynne government in office) That cost of living increase to a top heavy salary really ads up, and now we are in an age where we simply, because of our corrupt economics, are over paying our teachers who seem to do less work and get less results, being a priority over actual schools and quality of education.
That’s scary.
In Cornwall we’ve lost festivals which attract people. We seen our local public art gallery close after thirty six years for no other reason that the dirty politics of people like Bernadette Clement and illegal activities of Councilor Elaine MacDonald and Carilyne Hebert while they were on the board of the Art Gallery. (They were paying Bingo workers above the legal honorariums they could pay.)
We’ve seen businesses leave who followed the clique lines. The latest is Bryan Merkely who like many of the clique live outside of Cornwall to pay less taxes, but love the benefits gained from the city.
He abruptly and with very little warning sold his building (congrats to new buyers Stephen and Traci Lynn Davies) and is shutting down the Cornwall Career College leaving over a dozen students scrambling. Bryan is in the thick of the Clique and good buds with Councilor Denis Carr (one of the cliques chieftains) who get this, gets a full salary running Heart of the City, which essentially an arms length office for the city. Bryan’s school also suffered from boycotting this newspaper. It’s boggling. It truly is.
So the woman that does a great job of mopping City Hall can’t run for council, but Denis can and votes on issues that some have suggested are an utter conflict of interest.
Bryan will probably get some plumb from the clique to soothe his failure. Most in Cornwall of course, do not get such a cushion.
Is it any wonder why Cornwall finishes consistently near the bottom of the Moneysense or CFIB polls on communities across Canada?
The only bright sliver is that CFN still has a growing audience that is the largest in our market even under these brutal conditions.
The good news is that the very tendencies that brought Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump to power are starting to trickle into local politics. IE Social media and outlets like CFN do have an impact and more younger people and those that haven’t voted are doing so.
The next municipal election is in less than two years. It should be interesting to see if the hunger to clean house at City Hall including certain managers is enough to cause change?
What do you think dear CFN viewers? You can post your comments below.
Cornwall Ontario – I live in a very odd community. It’s as though the bottle is upside down and nothing spills.
Former Team Cornwall President Gilles Latour, who is still facing 43 criminal charges, was fined $900,000.00 by the MFDA for all sorts of icky things against his investment clients including stiffing his own mother allegedly.
Ironically, previous reports stated he was back living in his mom’s basement with his sports memorabilia collection which says a lot more about his mom than himself. The former Liberal bagman for former Mayor Bob Kilger has certainly taken a swan dive since his scandal broke.
In the latest MFDA release:
The permanent prohibition at least means he shouldn’t be pull a Brock Frost and slither away to another town to continue his mayhem.
Oddly enough, in this community people like Mr. Latour and Brock Frost are still socially acceptable. Latour was actually mentioned at a Team Cornwall event from its current President.
It’s embarrassing, but this after all that is a community that instead of celebrating the success of Hollywood Star Ryan Gosling, cheers on those that bullied him as a kid.
Latour may have his fine reduced based on compensation to his victims, but that ship most likely has sailed as it’s been reported that his building has been foreclosed on and the family home in South Stormont (because that’s where you live when you’re the President of Team Cornwall) was seized by Sheriff’s along with its contents.
What do you think dear CFN viewers? Does Mr. Latour deserve some hard jail time? Will he get a cookie from his “friends” in low places at City Hall and its tentacles?
Cornwall Ontario – Holy Gilles Latour! The former Liberal bag man spoke to Bill Kingston, and reading his words you almost want to pat him on the back and put a few coins in his cup.
However the evidence that has been displayed so far paints a different picture.
Latour has yet to explain the more than $650,000 that was failed to be repaid from clients, including his own mother. He’s also facing 43 criminal charges. And probably would have a few more if the CCPS had more than one officer working in Fraud and crimes of the nature connected to Mr. Latour which can lead to lengthy delays.
Here are a few of the gems that Mr. Latour spouted:
“They’ve decided to go ahead and do what they’ve done yesterday which is kind of ridiculous. I am at a point right now, what’s the most important part, other than my family, is the criminal case. And the way they’ve (MFDA) been sharing information with pretty much everyone…they’ve written a total of 22 stories. It’s not a way to be dealing with these important issues…through the media,” Latour said.
“They’ve decided that, hey, we’re the MFDA and we’re going to do what we do best.”
Latour is adamant he has cooperated with the Mutual Fund Dealers Association and “all that they’ve recommended.”
Perhaps Mr. Latour thought that a friendly police force and police board might not pursue his case as hard as would be the norm, or that some sporting buddies that sit on the bench might give him some “Cornwall Justice” which would impact licensing decisions? So far, at least at the MFDA level, this has been a clearly documented and visible process that is showing a clear desire to protect investors from the exact type of actions alleged against Mr. Latour.
Of course, the educationally handicapped Mr. Latour might not realize that in agreeing to the terms and conditions of being licensed by the MFDA and other associations he agreed to terms and conditions as well as processes.
“My name is pretty much mud in the city and as far as the financial industry. But I plan on making sure that everyone knows the truth about what actually went on. But it has to take its time. Unfortunately it’s two-and-a-half years. I will definitely clear my name.”
The MFDA responded:
The MFDA conducted a disciplinary proceeding which found that Mr. Latour solicited and failed to repay more than $650,000 from clients, and then failed to cooperate with the MFDA’s investigation into his conduct. The Hearing Panel issued Reasons for Decision (Misconduct) dated June 7, 2016 which are available on the MFDA’s website. The Reasons for Decision address why Mr. Latour’s request to adjourn the MFDA’s disciplinary proceeding until the criminal charges against him were resolved was denied (see paragraph 21) and speaks for itself with respect to the extent of Mr. Latour’s misconduct. Mr. Latour attended the disciplinary proceeding (including the penalty hearing) against him by teleconference. The MFDA has continuously acted in accordance with all regulatory requirements and to ensure Mr. Latour received the opportunity to fully respond to the case against him.
Regards.
Charles A. Toth Director, Litigation
Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada
At the end of the day most of the victims monies most likely will be lost.
“My name is pretty much mud in the city and as far as the financial industry. But I plan on making sure that everyone knows the truth about what actually went on. But it has to take its time. Unfortunately it’s two-and-a-half years. I will definitely clear my name.”
“Everything will get cleared up hopefully in a matter of months because I would like to get on with my life.”
Oddly enough CFN asked Mr. Latour for comment multiple times because we fight for freedom of speech and always will clear space for all sides in any issue. He has never responded in spite of this newspaper reaching more of “everyone” in the region than any other local media outlet.
CFN spoke with multiple experienced legal professionals who estimated that just reviewing the information disclosed to date that Mr. Latour is facing at least six months in jail to as long as five years depending on the bent of his judge, and if it was felt that this was more purposely done than simply “Latoured”.
What do you think dear CFN viewers? You can post your comments below.
Cornwall Ontario – When I heard about the case of one of Canada’s most decorated soldiers, Collin Fitzgerald, being utterly screwed over by our court system right here at the Cornwall court house I rushed over.
Because of this newspaper a requested gag order by the crown might have been allowed which means we might not ever have heard of his story to the degree that we have and his legal bills might be even higher or even worse, he may have simply copped to a lesser plea deal.
The thing is that there are thousands of Collin Fitzgerald’s out there who can’t get the help to get through their crisis. Many lawyers love a high profile case and will help out. Politicians too. MPP Randy Hillier is championing Collin, but is staying mum on my own case of abuse at the hands of the AGM, crowns, and police over utterly false charges that I made threatening phone calls.
In the crown disclosure it was said that I made certain phone calls from my cell phone at certain times and dates for specified duration where it was alleged I made threats including one item on the disclosure that stated I said “You’re dead” for a call with a 17 second duration.
Crown Jennifer Burke refused at first to get a production order from Bell which would show my phone records. Only after it was requested that she state her refusal in writing that we received what most people knew. That I had not made a single phone call. Nothing. Nada. The person who laid that complaint, Michael Bedard, was a deadbeat client who I’d been in small claims court in the day he issued the first complaint. He eventually had to pay CFN, and left a bunch of people in the lurch when he shut down his second pool company.
The evidence the police based their charge on was essentially phone spoofing. Sgt. Chad Maxwell accepted a caller id from Mr. Bedard and Mr. Bedard’s word as presented by Cst Casey Macregor of the CCPS. The police refused any clear explanation.
A reasonable person would have immediately dropped the charges after the production order came through, but I was kept under brutal conditions, especially as I was running for mayor. They even had brought in another crown from Ottawa.
So what we have are a police service that failed to do their job properly and lodged a clearly false claim without legitimate proof or motive.
Not one, but two crowns who abusively pressed a charge that was not in the public’s interest and one crown that maintained the charges even when provided with categorically clear proof of my innocence.
And even more darkly, Hilary McCormack of the Ottawa AG’s office who lied to members of the public who contacted her offices on my behalf. Ms McCormack subsequently was given a patronage position.
While someone like Collin Fitzgerald is a higher profile case and most Canadians love to support our soldiers there are thousands of people whose lives are being impacted because of this abuse.
The system is broken, from the recent cuts to legal aid, to no real recourse against abuse by police, crowns, or even justices.
I have sat in front of about a dozen judges in the last few years here in Cornwall. I honestly can’t say that I’ve seen more than two or three that I remotely felt I’d get a fair chance from and they were not local, but brought in from Ottawa.
The system now allows people to use paralegals for a lot of services for those that can’t afford lawyers, but a bad judge or decision can lead to appeal, and paralegals can’t work appeals in Ontario.
The time to get through the legal system is also abusive. With less legal aid dollars that will mean more self represented people which will mean lengthier court cases with more innocent people suffering.
We have failed. A court case can be brutally and prohibitively expensive. Petty criminals know this and work the system. In fact I recently joked that our disgraced former City Councilor Brock Frost should write about about gaming the system instead of working Real Estate as he’s clearly failed at that by his own bankruptcy settlement documents. Ironically Mr. Frost stated in a document presented to CFN that his procedure was a lie and that he had 23 properties. RBC and his other creditors, who had already settled with Frost let it slide because of our court system’s high cost and potential for Frost to wiggle what he may have meant.
How many of those types of fraud cases do banks eat that the public ends up paying for?
It truly is time to take the politics out of our justice system which also includes who is appointed to as Justice of the Peace or Judge.
Because right now the people of Ontario would probably be better served by television justices like Judge Judy rather than the status quo.
In my case the police have refused to charge Mike Bedard who made the false claims against myself. None of the police or crowns involved in my case have been sanctioned. At least one has been promoted.
It’s not money that’s needed to fix our system, but accountability. Accountability of those that earn their living in the system, and those that abuse it.
To date I still have not been able to find a lawyer to take my own case, just like thousands of others in Ontario.
And we need to start allowing media to video or record hearings so that the public can see the work of our justice system in action.
Justice should be blind and available to all. Otherwise it simply isn’t justice.
It’s great that Collin Fitzgerald is seeing some justice and maybe, just maybe, might find some justice in the legal costs, but all victims of the Justice system in Ontario need that same resolution or we really don’t have a justice system. He’s come a long way since the day outside the Cornwall Court House when he hugged me when he was finally released after the abuse he went through at the Ottawa Detention Centre, and now gives back to his community of fellow soldiers.
Everyone that is in front of a justice in Ontario should feel assured that they will be treated fairly and a decision be based on the merits of the case. In other words be treated fairly.
What do you think dear CFN viewers? You can post your comments below.
Ottawa woman facing charges for over $33,000 of defrauding
(Ottawa) – (Ottawa) –The Ottawa Police Service Organized Fraud Unit has charged an Ottawa woman with Fraud offences.
Sarah CUNNINGHAM, 45 years old, of Ottawa, has defrauded a landscaping company for over $33,000 while handling it’s bookkeeping between October 2015 and October 2016.
She is facing charges of Fraud Over $5,000 and Uttering a Forged Document.
CUNNINGHAM was charged on January 13th and released with a Promise to Appear and an Undertaking. She will appear in court on February 13, 2017.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call Ottawa Police’s Organized Fraud section at 613-236-1222, ext.5433.
Cornwall Ontario – CFN has confirmed that the Cornwall Legion’s 1st VP, Arthur Murray, has resigned. They will be resolving the position at their next meeting on March 8th.
President Linda Fisher stated that the Legion only learned of Mr. Murray’s situation after the story broke in the media. She also stated that he had served in the reserves, but that has not been confirmed.
Mr. Murray has not responded to CFN via email.
Ms Fisher also confirmed that the Legion has not filed a section 419 criminal complaint against Mr. Murray and seemed bewildered as to who would.
Mr. Murray allegedly was never an active service soldier and wore medals that he allegedly never earned.
It is against the law in Canada to wear the uniform or impersonate a soldier. Franck Gervais of Ottawa was given community service for attending Remembrance Day activities in Ottawa in uniform as opposed to Mr. Murray who participated in uniform at local events.
The CCPS would not confirm if a charge had been laid yet. We will update this story as more information becomes available.
What do you think dear CFN viewers? You can post your comments below.