THEFT/FRAUD OFFENCES
R v. N.P.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record
Our client was charged with shoplifting after being observed placing certain items under his jacket and attempting to leave the store. After attempting to run, store security pinned N.P. to the ground and police were called.
N.P. is a teacher and it would cause significant issues if he was convicted of a criminal offence. Cory Wilson approached the Crown Prosecutor and negotiated a resolution in which N.P. would make a small charitable donation and the criminal charge would be withdrawn.
This was a fantastic outcome for our client that allowed him to move forward without a criminal record.
R v. A.R.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record
A.R. was charged with multiple counts of theft after it was alleged he stole multiple items from a storage unit where he worked. The customer came to gather her belongings and noticed many of her very expensive Christmas decoration were missing. She claimed that the cost of these decorations was over $25,000, but somehow had not a single receipt to demonstrate this incredible cost.
After reviewing video, it was clear that A.R. had entered the storage unit and removed boxes. Many of the items were walked directly to a garbage bin and thrown out. Video also showed the client taking some of the boxes around the corner towards the parking lot, but video did not show where the boxes ended-up.
The Crown Prosecutor thought they had a very strong case until Cory Wilson pointed out that the customer had missed multiple storage unit payments and the contract specified the items could be removed and sold. Though there was no documentation to show that the owner of the items had been made aware that the items would be removed, it opened-up a line of defence for the client. After lengthy discussions with the prosecutor, it was agreed that if the client made a restitution payment of $1,500, the charges would be withdrawn.
The client made this small payment and his charges were withdrawn. This was the best outcome for the client and saved the cost of proceeding to trial.
R v. N.M.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record
N.M. was accused of stealing razors from a grocery store by concealing them under other items in his cart. He paid for some items and then walked out of the store without paying for the razors. He was arrested by store security and police were called.
Cory Wilson was able to have the criminal charges withdrawn by having N.M. enter the Alternative Measures Program in which she made a charitable donation.
As a result of this resolution, N.M. was left with no criminal record for this incident.
R v. S.O
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record
S.O. was accused of stealing electronics from Superstore. Security observed the client removing electronics from the boxes and placing them under his jacket. Cory Wilson reviewed the disclosure and saw a significant issue with the video surveillance that purported to show the client stealing the items. Cory brought the issue to the prosecutor’s attention and argued that there was no likelihood of conviction.
As a result of Cory Wilson finding an issue with the stores video, the charges were withdrawn and S.O. was left with no criminal record.
R v. A.P.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record
A.P. was accused of stealing multiple items from Superstore. He was observed placing items into his backpack and then walked out the front door. He was arrested by store security and police were called.
Cory Wilson was able to have the criminal charges withdrawn by having A.P. enter the Alternative Measures Program in which he made a charitable donation.
As a result of this resolution, A.P. was left with no criminal record for this incident.
R v. G.T.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record
G.P. was accused of stealing items and then trying to return them for store credit as he didn’t have a receipt. Security had been on the lookout for G.T. because he had been observed stealing several times in the past several weeks but always ran away before security could stop him.
Cory Wilson was able to have the criminal charges withdrawn by having G.T. enter the Alternative Measures Program in which he made a charitable donation.
As a result of this resolution, G.T. was left with no criminal record for this incident.
R v. A.K.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record
A.K. was charged with theft under $5,000 after he was observed by security switching price tags before paying for the now lower priced item. After paying, security detained him and contacted police.
When A.K. contacted Cory Wilson, he was incredibly scared as he required a clean background clearance for his job. After viewing the disclosure, the video did not clearly show S.K. switching price tags. Cory Wilson spoke with the prosecutor about this issue. As a result, the criminal charge was withdrawn on the first appearance.
A.K. was left with no criminal record for the incident and he had a clean background check for his employment. This was the best possible outcome.
R v. C.T.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record
C.T. was accused of stealing cosmetics from a grocery store by concealing them under her jacket. She paid for some items and then walked out of the store without paying for the cosmetics under her jacket. She was arrested by store security and police were called.
Cory Wilson was able to have the criminal charges withdrawn by having C.T. enter the Alternative Measures Program in which she made a charitable donation.
As a result of this resolution, C.T. was left with no criminal record for this incident.
R v. K.T.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record
The client was observed swapping price tags on merchandise at a Sunglass Hut. After trying to pay based on the lower price, she was stopped and subsequently arrested by police. K.T. was a university student and was scared that a criminal conviction was going to ruin her life.
Cory Wilson was able to have the charges withdrawn after K.T. did 10 hours of community service. As a result of this positive outcome, K.T. continued with her studies and didn’t have to worry about a criminal record affecting her life. This was the best possible outcome for K.T.
R v. A.A.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record
A.A. was observed at Superstore placing electronics on the bottom of her cart and then proceeding to fill the cart with groceries. After paying for the groceries, A.A. failed to pay for the electronics, worth several thousand dollars, and walked out of the store. Superstore security caught her loading the electronics in her car and confronted her. Upon confrontation, A.A. left her trunk open and ran away. Police attended her house and placed her under arrest.
After resolution discussions with the prosecutor, Cory Wilson was able to have the charges withdrawn by entering A.A. into the Alternative Measures Program. After making a charitable donation, the charges were withdrawn and A.A. was left with no criminal record.
R v. G.P.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record.
G.P. was charged with theft under $5,000 as a result of a “grab and dash” from Home Depot. After selecting a power drill, G.P. ran out the door to a waiting vehicle. There was heavy traffic in the parking lot and a loss prevention officer was able to stop the vehicle and detain G.P. while awaiting police.
Cory Wilson was able to get the charges withdrawn after G.P. made a small charitable donation. As a result, G.P. was left with no criminal record. This was the best outcome for G.P.
R v. L.D.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record.
L.D. was charged with shoplifting and assault as a result of an incident that occurred when she attempted to steal make-up from Shoppers Drug Mart. When the loss prevention officer tried to stop her from leaving the store, she assaulted him in her attempt to escape. As a result of resolution discussions with the Crown Prosecutor, Cory Wilson was able to have his client’s charges diverted into the Alternative Measures Program. After making a charitable donation, the two criminal charges were withdrawn which was the best possible outcome for the client.
R v. S.P.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record.
S.P. was charged with shoplifting after removing shaving blades from the secure rack and placing them in her pocket. After paying for lessor priced items, she attempted to walk out the doors of the grocery store. When she arrived in the parking lot, she was stopped by a loss prevention officer and subsequently admitted to stealing the blades when police arrived.
After meeting with a prosecutor, Cory Wilson was able to have the theft charge withdrawn after our client made a small charitable donation and wrote a letter of apology. As a result of this great resolution, S.P. was left with no criminal record.
R v. J.Y.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record.
Our client was charged with theft as a result that occurred in her workplace. While on break, she noticed an open purse that was left unattended. J.Y. went through the purse and stole money from the wallet. After the owner of the purse noticed money was missing, management viewed CCTV footage and observed our client stealing the money. Police were called and our client confessed to stealing the money.
At first, the prosecutor was seeking a criminal record as this was an employee theft. However, Cory Wilson was able to convince the prosecutor that the theft was a matter of impulse and had the matter diverted into Alternative Measures. As a result, J.Y. had her charge withdrawn and was left with no criminal record. This was the best possible outcome.
R v. A.T.
Result: Probation. No Jail Time.
A.T. was charged with 37 counts of theft and various breach and failure to appear in court charges. The charges spanned a period of several months and the thefts were all of low dollar amounts. During the period of time when the charges occurred, A.T. was addicted to opioids and primarily living on the street. He was stealing items simply to purchase drugs to fuel his addiction. The Crown Prosecutor’s initial sentencing position was jail. Cory met with the prosecutor and provided documentation of the significant steps A.T. took including residential treatment. After lengthy resolution discussions, the Crown agreed to withdrawn the majority of the charges and enter into a joint submission for a suspended sentence and period of probation in which A.T. was to continue his ongoing treatment.
This was an incredible outcome for A.T. who was able to avoid jail time.
R v. S.Z.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record
After being observed changing price tags on fishing accessories at a Canadian Tire, S.Z. was arrested and charged with theft under $5,000. He had no previous criminal record and was incredibly scared that a conviction would cause issues with his citizenship application.
After reviewing the disclosure, Cory met with the Crown Prosecutor and negotiated to have S.Z. enter the Alternative Measures Program. After he successfully completed the program, the criminal charge was withdrawn.
This was the best outcome for S.Z. as he was left with no criminal record. Importantly, this incident didn’t affect his citizenship application.
R v. M.M.
Result: Conditional Sentence Order. No jail time.
M.M. was the treasurer for a local non-profit club and had full autonomy over the club’s finances. After several vendors complained that they were not being paid, the president of the club asked M.M. why the bills were not being paid. At that point, M.M. confessed that she had taken over $40,000 from the club and resigned. Police conducted a brief investigation but failed to try to make any meaningful steps to arrest M.M. for eight years.
Between the time of the offence and arrest, M.M. had taken incredible rehabilitative steps to overcome her serious gambling addiction that was the reason the funds were stolen. Despite having a strong argument for a stay of charges based on the police failing to execute the warrant for eight years, M.M. took full responsibility for her offence and pled guilty. The Alberta Court of Appeal has made it very clear that but for exceptional circumstances, those who commit these sorts of offences in relation to their position of trust should be sentenced to jail. The Crown Prosecutor was seeking a period of one year jail and restitution. Cory successfully argued that the appropriate sentence was one served in the community. M.M. was sentence to a Conditional Sentence Order, otherwise known as house arrest, with exceptions for such things as work, community service, grocery shopping and to attend church.
This was the best outcome for M.M. after having pled guilty as she avoided a lengthy jail sentence that would have no doubt destroyed her life.
R v. S.V.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record.
S.V. was charged with theft under $5,000 after being caught shoplifting several pairs of sunglasses. She was caught red-handed and gave a full confession when confronted. She was a mother of two children and her employment required a clean criminal background.
Cory was able to have S.V. entered into the Alternative Measures Program on her first court appearance. After she successfully completed a small amount of community service, the charges were withdrawn. This was the best possible outcome as it allowed S.V. to continue her employment as a result of having no criminal record.
R v. B. Y.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record.
After being observed switching price tags on merchandise at a major department store, B.Y. was arrested and charged with theft under $5,000. Cory obtained disclosure and immediately began resolution discussions with the Crown Prosecutor. As a result, B.Y. was diverted into the Alternative Measures Program.
After successfully making a very small charitable donation, Cory had the criminal charge withdrawn. This was the best possible outcome in the circumstances.
R v. T.S.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record
T.S. was shopping at Superstore when he was observed concealing a number of high-priced electronics in a bag in his shopping cart. He went through a self-checkout and paid for everything but the concealed items. A loss prevention officer was waiting for T.S. as he exited the store. Due to the price of stolen items, T.S. was charged with theft over $5,000.
T.S. originally hired another lawyer who was unable to have the charge withdrawn. T.S. then hired Cory who immediately met with a Crown Prosecutor. Cory was able to convince the Crown to amend the charge to theft under $5,000 and have it diverted into Alternative Measures.
After T.S. made a charitable donation, Cory had his charge withdrawn. This was the best outcome as it left the client with no criminal record.
R. v. Y.N.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record.
The client was charged with theft under $5,000 after he was observed placing clothes into the basket under his walker. After walking around the store for some time, the client walked out of the store without paying for the items.
Cory was retained and ordered disclosure. After reviewing the CCTV, it was clear that Y.N. honestly forgot about the items. The video captured him leaving the store, looking in his basket and then walking back into the store when he was apprehended. As a result of bringing this to the Crown’s attention, the charge was withdrawn. This was the best outcome for the client because it saved him a considerable amount of stress and legal fees.
R v. S.M.
S.M. was alleged to be part of an organized shoplifting group that would steal thousands of dollars of merchandise in a very brief period of time. It was alleged that S.M.’s role was to distract the employees while the rest of the group would quickly steal as much as they could.
After reviewing disclosure, Cory found that other than S.M. being in the same store as the shoplifting group, there was no evidence tying her to the group. The Crown Prosecutor offered to resolve the matter by way of Alternative Measures. Cory pushed back and said the Crown had no likelihood of conviction and therefore the diversion program was inappropriate. The prosecutor agreed and withdrew all of the theft under $5,000 charges. This was the best outcome as it left the client with no criminal record.
R v. R.D.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record.
R.D. was charged with 9 counts of theft and 3 counts of fraud after police found a number of stolen items being sold in Kijiji. Police contacted the seller and arranged to purchase a number of items – that seller was the client. After an undercover officer attended R.D.s house, he observed many items that looked to be stolen. The undercover asked about the items and based on the answers, determined the items were all stolen. Shortly thereafter, R.D. was arrested by police.
After reviewing disclosure, it was clear to Cory that the Crown could not prove a number of the charges. After lengthy negotiations with the prosecutor, it was agreed that the client would be diverted into Alternative Measures. After completing community service, all 12 criminal charges were withdrawn.
R v. A.L.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record.
The client was charged with theft under $5,000 after being caught shoplifting a jacket at a major department store. A.L. entered the store with no jacket, selected a new jacket, tore the tags off and attempted to leave the store wearing the jacket. After being detained by a loss prevention officer, police attended and charged the client with theft under $5,000.
A.L. was employed at the airport with security clearance requiring a clear criminal record. Cory was able to have the client diverted into Alternative Measures. After making a small charitable donation, the charge was withdrawn. This left the client with no criminal record and he was able to keep his employment.
R v. T.G.
Result: Charges Withdrawn. No Criminal Record.
The client was charged with theft under $5,000 for shoplifting a number of small items from am electronics store. T.G. was caught by a loss prevention officer and handed back the multiple stolen items.
After reviewing disclosure and getting a detailed client background, Cory was able to have his client’s matter diverted into Alternative Measures. After completing community service, the charge was withdrawn. This was the best possible outcome as T.G. was left with no criminal record.
R v R.B.
Result: Charge Withdrawn. No Criminal Record.
R.B. was charged with theft and fraud under $5,000 after it was discovered she was stealing from her employer. The client was a cashier at a sporting goods store and was doing false returns to her credit card. After her employer became suspicious of missing money, R.B. confessed to the scheme. In total, the client stole just under $5,000.
After lengthy negotiations with the prosecutor, Cory was able to have the charges diverted to Alternative Measures. After writing a letter of apology and competing community service, the criminal charges were withdrawn. This was the best possible outcome as the client was left with no criminal record.
R v. C.Y.
Result: Conditional Discharge. No Criminal Record
C.Y. was caught with over $40,000 of stolen property after a police raid on his property. The stolen property was tied to a number of break-ins across the city. The client was detained for several days before Cory was retained and had the client released on bail the same day. The client was charged with a number of charges including multiple counts of theft and possession of stolen property.
After reviewing the voluminous disclosure, it was evident the police failed to conduct a thorough investigation. There were a number of issues with the search warrant that resulted in the Crown having to withdraw a number of charges. Cory was able to convince the Crown to roll the remaining charges into two counts and successfully obtained a conditional discharge. This was a very favourable result in which the client was left with no criminal record.