Canadian accused of mail fraud extradited to United States
The U.S. Department of Justice logo is seen on a podium before a press conference, May 6, 2025, at the Justice Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
A Canadian man has been extradited to the United States over alleged schemes involving what U.S. officials call fake prize notices and victims described as 'elderly and vulnerable.'
In a notice published Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice and Postal Inspection Service announced that Albertan Patrick Fraser, 44, was transferred to American law enforcement earlier this month, following his arrest roughly two years earlier by Canadian officials.
Fraser is accused of having 'conspired with others to operate fraud schemes through which he mailed fraudulent prize notifications to individuals in the United States and in other countries.'
The letters, the release says, told recipients they were entitled to a large cash prize, sometimes of more than US$1 million, which they could receive if they first paid a small fee.
'The (U.S.) Justice Department is committed to prosecuting and pursuing those who perpetrate fraud schemes targeting America's seniors,' said U.S. Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate in the release. 'I thank Canada for assisting in extraditing this individual to face charges here in the United States.'
The U.S. release identifies Canada's Department of Justice and the Vancouver Police Department as contributing to the investigation.
Fraser faces charges of conspiracy and mail fraud and a nine-count indictment, with each count carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, upon conviction.
None of the charges have been tested in court, and the release acknowledges that 'all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.'
Fraser is now in U.S. detention, awaiting trial in an American federal court in Las Vegas.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
‘Repeat offender' arrested in Abbotsford stabbing case
An Abbotsford police cruiser is seen in this undated file image. Police in Abbotsford say they have apprehended a man with a lengthy criminal history after a seemingly random stabbing at a bus stop earlier this week. Around 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, a 20-year-old man waiting for the bus in the 32700 block of South Fraser Way was stabbed from behind by an unknown person, according to police. The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital. On Thursday, police arrested 46-year-old Robert Matthews and charged him with aggravated assault and failing to comply with a probation order. The department described the accused as a 'repeat offender with a significant criminal record.' Online court records suggest Matthews has been committing crimes in Abbotsford for at least 20 years. 'This is a very serious crime that not only impacted the victim, but the community at large. Our major crime detectives worked diligently to identify, locate, and apprehend this repeat violent offender. We have recommended that Mr. Matthews be held in custody,' said Sgt. Derek Baker of the Abbotsford Police Department in a Friday news release. 'This senseless act of violence is both shocking and deeply troubling—it has no place in our community. We must not allow such incidents to become normalized on our streets,' added Chief Const. Colin Watson.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Prosecutors press Chau Lam on her mother's killing
Crown prosecutors spent the better part of two days this week pressing Chau Lam about the 2022 killing of her 88-year-old mother. Chau Lam, 59, and her sister Hue Lam, 62, each pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the October 2022 death of their mother, Kieu Lam. The jury trial began earlier this month in the Superior Court of Justice in Ottawa. Testifying in Vietnamese through a translator, Chau Lam began her testimony earlier this week by telling the court she loved her mother — and that she killed her. "I was scared my mother would hit my sister to death, she would hit me to death," she said. "Sometimes she just used a stick to hit us in the head. We had to protect ourselves." Since their arrest, the sisters have said they endured years of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of their mother. During Chau Lam's testimony, the court heard about her mother's history of medical issues, including a fractured hip and shoulder, and repeated visits to doctors and hospitals in the years leading up to her death. Chau Lam told the jury her mother never directly threatened to kill them, but said the violence had been escalating before the killing. Under cross-examination, Chau Lam could not point to any specific serious assaults or injuries inflicted by her mother. She also agreed there were no defensive wounds on her body when she was arrested. Prosecutors challenged the defence's argument the sisters were under their mother's control, noting that one held a job, they attended temple and both had taken English classes. The Crown has argued Kieu Lam gave life to her daughters, only to have hers taken. Prosecutors previously told the jury the woman was "sleeping defenceless" in bed when the sisters smashed her head with a hammer and strangled her. Chau Lam acknowledged that she was "angry" at the time of the killing — as she told police following her arrest. Difficult testimony The court recessed several times Thursday and Friday as Chau Lam became emotional under questioning. At one point, she broke down while describing how the abuse worsened after her sister was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. "I'm a human being. I know what is right and what is wrong," she said. "It's not that my mom just scolded us a few times and then we would get upset and kill our mom," she added, saying if her mom had given them "a little bit of love" they would be content. As testimony continued, Chau at one point Thursday said she could no longer go on. "No matter how many times, you will not understand," she told the court. "I will now stop talking. The more I talk, the more it looks like I tried to blame my mom, so I [will] stop talking." Court was adjourned for the day. It resumed Friday with further cross-examination focused on the condition of the victim, who was 88 years old and used a walker. After 16 minutes of questioning, Chau again became emotional and another break was required. She told the jury: "The more people talk, people say that I try to blame my mom. My mom's already dead. If my mom was still alive, then I am not sitting here."
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Impaired driving charges dropped against former Halifax Mooseheads star
Charges against the Halifax Mooseheads' career points leader were dropped Friday after the Crown offered no evidence at trial. Jordan Dumais, who last suited up for the team a year ago, was charged after being pulled over by police in downtown Halifax at 2:20 a.m. AT on March 1, 2024. But on Friday, the Crown received word shortly before they were due in court that the investigating officer would not be attending. "As a result, the Crown determined that he could not proceed without the officer's testimony and offered no evidence," said Public Prosecution Service spokesperson Melissa Noonan in a statement. Dumais, now 21, is from the Montreal area. He was suspended from the Mooseheads for five games at the time the charge was filed. Defence lawyer Stan MacDonald entered a not-guilty plea on Dumais' behalf last July. He could not be reached for an interview. Dumais was a third-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022. He played for Team Canada at the 2024 world juniors in Sweden, but then underwent abdominal surgery in Columbus, Ohio, following the tournament. This season, Dumais played for the Cleveland Monsters in the American Hockey League, scoring four goals and seven assists in 21 games for the Blue Jackets' farm team. In November 2023, Dumais broke the Mooseheads' franchise point record. He ended his four seasons with the Mooseheads with 325 points.
