Theft/Fraud Recent Cases Cases

Ms. L. retained our office when she was charged with the offence of Fraud. Finances had become tight for Ms. L. and in a desperate act, she forged her parents’ signature on one of their checks and deposited it into her own bank account. The bank identified it was fraudulent immediately and she found herself before the justice system. The client was in her thirties and had no prior criminal record. While jail was a possibility, the ultimate goal was to ensure that no criminal conviction resulted as Ms. L. was a teacher. Our office was able to sit down with experienced Crown Counsel in order to negotiate a creative resolution whereby the money was paid back, a charitable donation was made, as well as a budgeting course was completed. Following the completion of all of the above, the charges against her were withdrawn. A great win indeed.

Our client, a mother of two had been charged with 2 counts of shoplifting. The incidents were mirror images and took place within weeks of one another. It was clear that psychologically Ms. V. was in need of assistance. Mr. Wyman recognized this and was able to coordinate counselling with mental help professionals. After successfully participating in the counselling program Mr. Wyman was able to persuade the Crown to withdraw the charges.

Mr. D. was a successful Calgary business owner that owned a number of taxi cabs here in the city. Over the years, he had developed a strong friendship with one of his employees who eventually assumed some management responsibilities. Mr. D. purchased a camping trailer one summer and elected registered it under the employee’s name for convenience sake. That said, a fall out ensued with the employee and the police became involved. Ultimately, the client was charged with Fraud over $5000. While the transaction was negligent it was far from criminal. Further, it was evident that the ill-willed former employee wasn’t telling the truth. After setting the matter down for trial, Mr. Wyman was able to provide Crown Counsel with documentation demonstrating that the client was the legitimate owner of the trailer and that no fraud had been perpetrated. The client’s charges were subsequently withdrawn without the need for a trial.

Our client and her husband came to our office after being charged with a high-end fraud. The investigation led to involvement from the FBI as well as their Canadian counterpart. It was alleged that the couple along with his father had perpetrated charity fraud in excess of 8 million dollars. It became evident that a conflict of interest might present itself and the couple elected to have Mr. Wyman assume conduct of his wife’s defence. The file was document intensive and was set down for a lengthy preliminary inquiry. After reviewing all the material, it became evident that the Crown had no proof concerning any wrongdoing by our client. The prosecutor agreed with Mr. Wyman’s assessment and discontinued the prosecution in relation to Ms. F.

Mr. H was a landlord here in Calgary. One of the tenants he rented to ran a trucking company. When the lease was up the tenant signed on for another year. Shortly thereafter, the tenant changed their mind and left without notice. When Mr. H. went to the home it had been extensively damaged. Such that H. and his family had to put tens of thousands of dollars to bring it up to code. Furthermore, the tenants continued to not honor the lease agreement. Sometime thereafter, a check arrived for the former tenants. Rather than forward it on, Mr. H. made the unfortunate decision to endorse the check to himself and deposit it into his account. To make matters worse, L. then contacted the former tenants and attempted to use the cheques as leverage to prompt payment. The plan backfired and L. was charged with Fraud over $5000, Forgery and Extortion. L. was a permanent resident and at the outset failed to appreciate the severity of the allegations. That said, his case was a sympathetic one. The sentencing Judge agreed and granted the client an absolute discharge. Given this outcome, the client was able to avoid a conviction on his record.

Our client was charged with theft under $5000 because of an incident that took place at Market Mall here in Calgary. M. was a young mother who had attended a Hudson’s Bay store and walked out without paying for 2 shirts. When confronted by security she immediately apologized and offered to pay for the items. This request was refused and the police were contacted. After retaining our office Mr. Wyman was able to meet with an experienced Crown in order to explain the misunderstanding. Consequently, the charges were withdrawn after 3 court appearances.