‘He wreaked havoc': Serial romance fraudster labelled dangerous offender
An Edmonton man has been labelled a dangerous offender – a designation given to Canada's most violent criminals and sexual offenders – after a string of romance frauds dating back nearly a decade.
Jeffrey Paul Kent was given an indeterminate sentence on June 27 by Court of King's Bench Justice Melanie Hayes-Richards, who said it was the only way to prevent the 55-year-old from acting again.
'Kent is a serial fraudster. He targets vulnerable women, convincing them he is in love with them,' wrote Hayes-Richards in her decision. 'He then manipulates them with lies and false promises to gain access to their finances and other assets.
'He has destroyed the lives of his victims, leaving them financially and emotionally destitute.'
In 2022, Kent pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud involving five women who he scammed over $175,000 out of between 2016 and 2017.
Hayes-Richards said every one of his victims suffered long-lasting, and in some cases, permanent psychological damage.
'He is a predator who targeted vulnerable single women,' said the decision. 'Using lie upon lie, he inserted himself into his victims' lives, promising a bright and secure future. Instead, he wreaked havoc.'
Kent was convicted for other frauds and thefts under similar circumstances dating back to 1990.
While going through various psychological evaluations over the years, he was determined to have a significant psychiatric disorder and a gambling addiction.
Although he participated in various treatments and programs while incarcerated, he has shown no remorse for his crimes, according to the decision.
Romance, deception, gaslighting
All five victims met Kent through an online dating app where he used fake names and personas. Some of the women he dated at the same time.
Kent would mirror the victims' experiences by creating fake stories where he shared similar experiences. He would often move the relationships along quickly, sometimes moving in with a woman within two to four weeks.
The decision said he used 'love-bombing' tactics to convince the women he was deeply in love and committed to them.
After imposing himself into their lives, he would ask the women for money related to a business opportunity, falsely promising a quick profit or repayment. When he never paid the women back and ran out of excuses, he would tell them he had brain cancer or a seizure disorder to swindle more money out of his victims.
He mostly spent their money gambling or on personal purchases, according to the decision.
Kent defrauded one woman of $117,750 by convincing her to invest in a fake hotel reservation business.
Another woman lost $21,403 after being coerced into investing in a phony real estate venture.
One woman had a child with Kent after being on-and-off with him several times. She became so distressed that she stopped eating and was underweight during her pregnancy. The child was born prematurely and spent 26 days in the NICU. The woman had to return to work just a month after her child was discharged from hospital so she could pay her bills.
Not only were the women's finances ruined, their relationships with friends, family and intimate partners were severely impacted by Kent's actions.
All of the women experienced severe psychological damage from the gaslighting and manipulation they incurred, said the decision. One victim had suicidal thoughts while others have no interest in dating anymore.
Scamming women for two decades
Prior to the recent decision, Kent scammed nine other women in his romance schemes.
Between 2005 and 2007, Kent defrauded a woman who he had a romantic relationship with of $150,000 by convincing her to invest in a fake hotel reservation business.
He defrauded another woman and her family of over an estimated $500,000 while they were in a relationship between 2006 and 2008.
Kent and the woman got married in 2007 and had a child. While she was pregnant, the woman found out about the fraudulent activity Kent had been orchestrating.
In a victim impact statement, the woman described Kent as a 'monster' and said she dreaded having his child.
In 2009, another woman was defrauded of $150,000 and was left with more than $300,000 in debt. During their relationship, he went by Dr. Keenan O'Malley and spoke with an Irish accent.
The woman, who worked as a recreational therapist and had two children, was finding it hard to juggle full-time work while raising her children.
Kent convinced the woman to invest in another fake hotel reservation business and to list her home for something more affordable.
He took $110,000 out of the $200,000 profit from the home to 'piggyback' on his investments.
After giving up possession of her house, the woman attempted suicide, the decision read.
Following the offence, the woman had no money, job, home or vehicle and was unable to provide basic necessities for her children. As a result, she felt she had to give up custody of her children to their father.
After getting back on her feet, her ex-husband refused to allow her access to her children. Today, both children are on medication and anxiety and neither have finished high school.
'Master manipulator'
Justice Hayes-Richard said that while Kent has appeared to be committed to treatment while in custody and the community, much of his professed and believed progress was a deception to those trying to help him.
'Kent is an accomplished liar and master manipulator,' said Hayes-Richard in her decision.
'He manipulated each victim into giving him their money, which he used to support his lavish lifestyle and gambling addiction,' said the decision. 'Once his deception was discovered by one victim, he simply moved on to the next, leaving behind a wake of life-altering consequences for each victim.'
While Kent has been given an indeterminate sentence, it does not mean that he will never be released from prison. Kent could be released on parole when the Parole Board of Canada is satisfied that parole conditions will be sufficient to control him in the community.
Kent is eligible for parole review in seven years from the day he was taken into custody which was on Sept. 24, 2018, making his review date Sept. 24, 2025.
If he is not paroled after his September review, the parole board is required to review his case every two years.
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