Frauds on the Government (Sentencing Cases)

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Government Services Fraud

Case Name	Pr	Ct	Sentence	Amount	Summary
2011
R v Collins, 2011 ONCA 182 (CanLII), per Rosenberg JA	ON	CA	10 months imprisonment	$96,298.51	social assistance fraud, where offender was party--67 cheques were obtained--2 years probation ; very large welfare fraud ;sophisticated ; aboriginal offender; on bail for a long time prior to sentencing; was separated from her disabled daughter--one co-accused received 26 months Find summaries of case.
2009
R v Isaac, 2009 SKPC 111 (CanLII), per Green J	SK	PC	16 months CSO	$5,720	welfare fraud Find summaries of case.
2008
R v Keuris, 2008 BCSC 480 (CanLII), per Barrow J	BC	SC	6 months CSO	$25k	welfare fraud Find summaries of case.
2003
R v Lougheed, 2003 BCCA 681 (CanLII), per Southin J	BC	CA	45 days	$6,000	Offender had one prior unrelated conviction for which she got 45 days. Find summaries of case.
2002
R v Rizzetto, 2002 NSCA 142 (CanLII), (2002), 210 NSR (2d) 67 (CA), per Saunders JA	NS	CA	2 years less a day CSO	$137k	social service fraud over 20 years, did not declare correct income--convicted by jury--restitution of $71k. Find summaries of case.
R v Yates, 2002 BCCA 583 (CanLII), per Prowse JA	BC	CA	Suspended	$13,124	Find summaries of case.
R v D'Amour, 2002 CanLII 45015 (ON CA), per Doherty JA	ON	CA	90 days + P	$14,636	Defraud over 2 years. Find summaries of case.
R v Medeiros, 2002 CanLII 45037 (ON CA), per curiam	ON	CA	9 month CSO		Find summaries of case.
R v Oliynyk, 2002 SKCA 37 (CanLII), per Lane JA	SK	CA	10 months + Pr	$157,000	husband and wife defrauded welfare over 12 years by not reporting wife's income. Described as one of the largest social assistance frauds. Overturned 6 months CSO and 12 months. Judge gave credit time already spent on CSO Find summaries of case.
2001
R v Jacques, 2001 CanLII 19283 (QC CA)	QC	CA	2 years less a day CSO	Find summaries of case.
2000
R v Francis, 2000 CanLII 22052 (ON CA), per curiam	ON	CA	2 year less a day CSO		Welfare fraud over several years. Find summaries of case.
R v Hunt, 2000 SKQB 89 (CanLII), per Goldenberg J	SK	SC	6 months CSO		Find summaries of case.
R v Anderson-Davis, 2000 BCSC 42 (CanLII), per Boyle J	BC	SC	18 months CSO	$136,000	Offender did not reveal large loan. Offender had no prior record. Family and community supports. Find summaries of case.
1999
R v Lawani, 1999 CanLII 3153 (ON CA), per curiam	ON	CA	suspended	$21,000	Offender plead guilty to 6 counts of fraud under $5,000. Find summaries of case.
R v Cameron, 1999 ABQB 160 (CanLII), per Lee J	AB	SC	30 days + P	$17,000	Offender received welfare and did not disclose income, had also filed false medical reports. Occurred over 5 years. Offender was 61 years old and plead guilty. The judge rejected joint recommendation of 18 months CSO. Find summaries of case.
1998
R v McIsaac, 1998 CanLII 4654 (BC SC), [1998] BCJ No 1946, per Quijano J	BC	SC	discharge	$44,546	both husband and wife on US disability for serious injuries. Received social assistance at same time. Find summaries of case.
R v Marcelino, 1998 CanLII 5530 (BCCA), per Southin JA	BC	CA	3 month CSO	$9,000	Offender received welfare and failed to disclose employment income. Find summaries of case.
1997
R v Russell, 1997 CanLII 977 (ON CA), per curiam	ON	CA	9 months imprisonment	over $28,000	Offender received welfare for over 20 months. He was 26 years old with a prior record for property offences. Find summaries of case.
1996
R v Wolfchild, 1996 ABCA 78 (CanLII), per Hetherington JA	AB	CA	60 days	$3902	Find summaries of case.
R v Carlson, 1996 CanLII 4936 (SK CA), per Wakeling JA	SK	CA	suspended	$17,000	Offender failed to report income to social assistance over several years. Offender was 62 years old and in poor health. But for health issues, jail would have been ordered. Find summaries of case.
1995
R v Reid, 1995 CanLII 4319 (NSCA), per Matthews JA	NS	CA	50 days	$5,545	Offender did not disclose he was receiving benefits from insurer from MV accident. Offender appealed sentence of 9 months which court found to be "clearly excessive". Offender was 41 years old with no prior record. Find summaries of case.
R c Gentilletti, 1995 CanLII 5087 (QC CA), per curiam	QC	CA	10 months imprisonment		Offender cashed 7 social assistance cheques. Find summaries of case.
1994
R v Knowles, 1994 CanLII 1912 (BCCA), per Taylor JA	BC	CA	Fine	$ 4,200	Offender received welfare. He did not disclose assets. Find summaries of case.
R v Tanasichuk, 1994 CanLII 3915 (NB QB, per Riordon J	NB	SC	6 months imprisonment	$37,000	Offender obtained social assistance over 9 months. He did not disclose that he was living with his partner. He was 26 years old. Had a prior record and was serving 3 year sentence on unrelated offence. Find summaries of case.
R v Friesen, 1994 CanLII 2011 (BCCA), per Taylor JA	BC	CA	9 months imprisonment	over $12,000	Offender collected welfare over 5 years. Did not disclose her other income. She had a prior related record and had a history of dishonesty. Find summaries of case.
1991
R v Wilton, (1991), 93 Sask R 184(*no CanLII links)	SK	CA	5 months imprisonment		Offender filed false documents to permit employee to receive unemployment insurance benefits. No prior record.
R v Kiesman, 1991 CanLII 11998 (MB CA), per Huband JA	MB	CA			"the Manitoba Court of Appeal considered a sentence appeal in a social services fraud case involving $35,000.00. There was a joint submission for a three-month jail sentence, served intermittently. The Trial Judge imposed a sentence of one year in incarceration. On appeal, the Court of Appeal substituted a sentence of three months in jail." Find summaries of case.
1990
R v Roche, 1990 CanLII 6483 (NL CA, per Goodridge CJ	NL	CA	1 month + fine	over $10,000	Offender received UIC payments over three weeks. A total of 13 people were involved in similar schemes. Find summaries of case.
R v Pelley, 1990 CanLII 6495 (NL CA), per O'Neill JA	NL	CA	6 months	$100,000	UIC benefits. Offender was mastermind. Appeal from sentence of 1 day + fine. Find summaries of case.
R v Francis, 1990 CanLII 6485 (NL CA, per Mahoney JA	NL	CA	30 days + P		The offender was chief of a native council. Offender issued a false record of employment. The offender did not benefit personally, however, he was in a position of trust. Find summaries of case.
1986
R v Bingham, 1986 ABCA 45 (CanLII), per Forsyth JA	AB	CA	4 months imprisonment	$4,000	Offender defrauded student loan program. Used money to support children. Find summaries of case.
R v Paiero, (1986), 71 N.S.R.(2d) 268(*no CanLII links)	NS	CA	Suspended		Appeal from suspended sentence with 30 months probation. No restitution order.
R v Cahill, 1986 ABCA 7 (CanLII), per McClung JA	AB	CA	3 years imprisonment	$63,000	The offender committed welfare fraud over 3 years. The offender was 40 years old. Plead guilty. Sophisticated scheme. Find summaries of case.
1983
R v McMahon, [1983] BCJ No 769 (CA)(*no CanLII links)	BC	CA	7 months imprisonment	$395	applied for social assistance on fake identity. The offender was aged 24. Was trying to support a partner.
1981
R v Kemp, [1981] BCJ No 446 (CA)(*no CanLII links)	BC	CA	90 days	$2,600	offender collected welfare after getting a job. The offender was supporting 10-year-old daughter. 180 hours community service
1980
R v Kranjc, [1980] OJ No 775 (CA)(*no CanLII links)	ON	CA	5 months imprisonment	$7,344	fraudulently collected benefits for an eye injury already collected upon
1978
R v Kirkwood, [1978] BCJ No 612 (CA)(*no CanLII links)	BC	CA	9 months imprisonment	$7,300	defraud welfare over 3 months--offender was 33 years old with no record

Tax Fraud

Case Name	Pr	Ct	Sentence	Amount	Summary
R v Tennina, 2013 ONSC 4694 (CanLII), per Gilmore J	ON	SC	10 years imprisonment	$17 million	elaborate tax evasion scheme Find summaries of case.
R v Kutum, 2013 ONCJ 241 (CanLII), per Schwarzl J	ON	PC	2 years imprisonment	$1 million	tax evasion Find summaries of case.
R v Stevenson, 2002 ABCA 41 (CanLII), per curiam	AB	CA	3 years imprisonment	$1,307,800	Find summaries of case.

Bankruptcy Fraud

Case Name	Pr	Ct	Sentence	Amount	Summary
R v Yaremkevich, 2002 ABPC 174 (CanLII), per Allen J	AB	PC		$1,000 fine	Charged under BIA. Summary election. Find summaries of case.
R v Levac‑Barton, [2001] OJ No 5200 (Ont. Sup. Crt.)(*no CanLII links)	ON	SC		$2,000 fine
R v Baines, [1989] BCJ No 372 (BCCA)(*no CanLII links)	BC	CA		90 days
R v Sonntag, (1989) 8 WCB (2d) 32 (Ont. Dist. Ct.)(*no CanLII links)	ON	SC		Suspended Sentence
R v Laschuk, [1988] BCJ No 99. (BCCA)(*no CanLII links)	BC	CA		90 days
R v Langille, [1986] 60 C.B.R. (NS) 55 (NSCA)(*no CanLII links)	NS	CA		4 months imprisonment