Skip to content

Sharp-eyed detective leads to arrest in seven-year-old fraud case

Toronto male allegedly defrauded a Guelph bank of over $60,000 in 2014
20190614 Guelph Police Service KA
Kenneth Armstrong/GuelphToday file photo

A Toronto male who allegedly defrauded a Guelph bank of more than $60,000 seven years ago is back behind bars.

Guelph police report that in August, 2014, a male attended a bank in the south end of Guelph and opened a business account using a fake name with a fraudulent driver’s licence and birth certificate. He deposited a cheque for more than $61,000 payable to the business, then over the next two weeks withdrew almost all the funds. The cheque was later determined to be fraudulent.

Guelph Police Service investigators sent out images in an attempt to identify the suspect. In January, 2018, a Toronto police detective going through old photos recognized the male and notified Guelph police.

The male was arrested in Toronto in January, 2020, and charged with fraud over $5,000 and two counts each of uttering forged documents and possessing identity documents. He was released with a court date in February, 2020, but did not appear on that date.

On Monday the male was arrested again in Toronto and returned to Guelph.

A 56-year-old Toronto male is further charged with failing to appear in court. He was held for a bail hearing Wednesday.