Latest news with #GarethWest
CTV News
7 hours ago
- CTV News
St. Thomas apartment dwellers with no utilities, landlord wanted in U.S. for grandparent scam
Dozens of tenants at a St. Thomas apartment building are without hydro and water, apparently caught in the middle of an international manhunt for their landlord – an alleged conman indicted in the United States. 'I'm turning on the light, which does not work, and now I'm turning it off. And the water, right here, there we go, nothing,' said senior citizen Wendy Nichols. The 70-year-old retiree lives at 14 Holland St., a three-storey walk-up. She said the hydro and water were turned off Tuesday morning due to unpaid bills by the landlord, Gareth West. Now begins the painstaking process of attempting to jump the legal hurdles to get the utilities back on. 'And this is the notice telling us what to do when the water and the power go out. And so, I made the phone call, and now I have to call the tenant board also, and residential housing enforcement unit,' explained Nichols. 14 Holland St., St. Thomas Tenant Wendy Nichols checks her kitchen faucet on June 10, 2025. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London) The building is said to have 18 units, with 12 occupied. In all, some 30 to 40 tenants have been left high and dry and in the dark. For tenant Kim Doxtator, 62, it's a matter health. She suffers from sleep apnea and uses a machine to help her breathe during the night. 'Like me, I'm on a breathing machine. This is down to my health issues. My machine is on electricity, and I'm dependent for it. So yeah, it is taking a toll on everybody in different manners,' Doxtator exclaimed. And on top of everything else, tenants say the garbage has been piling up since before Easter. 14 Holland St., St. Thomas A notice posted in door of 14 Holland St. on June 10, 2025. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London) 'It's a private contract,' explained tenant Audrey Knight. 'The owner, the landlord, should have been paying it. He hasn't been. The city can't take the bin because it's not their property.' So, who is Gareth West? His website says he's the founder of West Developments. A self-described real estate builder offering himself up for investment coaching. CTV News tried to reach him, but the phone number is no longer in service, and emails went unanswered. In the meantime, the U.S. Attorney's office in Vermont says the 38-year-old is one of 25 Canadian nationals indicted in a grandparent scam that defrauded elderly people in more than 40 states. According to a March 4 news release from the U.S. Attorney's office, Gareth West remains at large. 14 Holland St., St. Thomas (Source: Wendy Nichols said she is not surprised in the least, 'I really didn't like the guy from the first day I met him. Like you could tell, he thought he was 'the man.'' The tenants have been back and forth with the city, which says it's working on getting the utilities back on. But it's going to be at least a couple days before services are restored. 'Oh, there's a drip,' said Nichols, as she checked her kitchen faucet. 'There's probably a bit of water in the line. And I think I'll save it 'cause I might have to rinse a dish.'
The Hill
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hill
‘Coyote vs. Acme' finds a new home after being shelved by Warner Bros.
NEW YORK (AP) — For once, things are working out for Wile E. Coyote. After being shelved by Warner Bros. in 2023, the Looney Tunes film 'Coyote vs. Acme' has found a new home. Ketchup Entertainment announced Monday that it acquired worldwide distribution rights to the film for an undisclosed sum. The deal gives new life to one of the three fully completed films that Warner Bros. elected to take a tax write-off on rather than release. The tactic, which followed a change in leadership at Warner Bros. coming out of the pandemic, was widely disparaged by creatives and fans, alike. The other two shelved movies — the $90 million DC Studios production 'Batgirl' and the animated 'Scoob! Holiday Haunt' — remain unreleased. But 'Coyote vs. Acme' will be salvaged from the dustbin. Ketchup Entertainment plans a theatrical release at an unspecified future date. 'We're thrilled to have made a deal with Warner Bros. Pictures to bring this film to audiences worldwide,' Gareth West, chief executive of Ketchup Entertainment, said in a statement. ''Coyote vs Acme' is a perfect blend of nostalgia and modern storytelling, capturing the essence of the beloved Looney Tunes characters while introducing them to a new generation.' Directed by Dave Green and based on a New Yorker article by Ian Frazier, 'Coyote vs. Acme' follows Wile E. Coyote in a lawsuit against Acme Corporation for the many faulty products that failed to catch him the Road Runner. The live-action animated hybrid stars John Cena and Will Forte. Deadline earlier reported that Ketchup paid about $50 million for the film, which cost $70 million to produce. Ketchup, a distribution company launched in 2012, also recently released another Looney Tunes film jettisoned by Warner Bros.: 'The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie.' In three weeks of release, it's grossed $8.2 million in domestic ticket sales.
The Independent
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
'Coyote vs. Acme' finds a new home after being shelved by Warner Bros.
For once, things are working out for Wile E. Coyote. After being shelved by Warner Bros. in 2023, the Looney Tunes film 'Coyote vs. Acme' has found a new home. Ketchup Entertainment announced Monday that it acquired worldwide distribution rights to the film for an undisclosed sum. The deal gives new life to one of the three fully completed films that Warner Bros. elected to take a tax write-off on rather than release. The tactic, which followed a change in leadership at Warner Bros. coming out of the pandemic, was widely disparaged by creatives and fans, alike. The other two shelved movies — the $90 million DC Studios production 'Batgirl' and the animated 'Scoob! Holiday Haunt' — remain unreleased. But 'Coyote vs. Acme' will be salvaged from the dustbin. Ketchup Entertainment plans a theatrical release at an unspecified future date. 'We're thrilled to have made a deal with Warner Bros. Pictures to bring this film to audiences worldwide,' Gareth West, chief executive of Ketchup Entertainment, said in a statement. ''Coyote vs Acme' is a perfect blend of nostalgia and modern storytelling, capturing the essence of the beloved Looney Tunes characters while introducing them to a new generation.' Directed by Dave Green and based on a New Yorker article by Ian Frazier, 'Coyote vs. Acme' follows Wile E. Coyote in a lawsuit against Acme Corporation for the many faulty products that failed to catch him the Road Runner. The live-action animated hybrid stars John Cena and Will Forte. Deadline earlier reported that Ketchup paid about $50 million for the film, which cost $70 million to produce. Ketchup, a distribution company launched in 2012, also recently released another Looney Tunes film jettisoned by Warner Bros.: 'The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie.' In three weeks of release, it's grossed $8.2 million in domestic ticket sales.
Associated Press
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
‘Coyote vs. Acme' finds a new home after being shelved by Warner Bros.
NEW YORK (AP) — For once, things are working out for Wile E. Coyote. After being shelved by Warner Bros. in 2023, the Looney Tunes film 'Coyote vs. Acme' has found a new home. Ketchup Entertainment announced Monday that it acquired worldwide distribution rights to the film for an undisclosed sum. The deal gives new life to one of the three fully completed films that Warner Bros. elected to take a tax write-off on rather than release. The tactic, which followed a change in leadership at Warner Bros. coming out of the pandemic, was widely disparaged by creatives and fans, alike. The other two shelved movies — the $90 million DC Studios production 'Batgirl' and the animated 'Scoob! Holiday Haunt' — remain unreleased. But 'Coyote vs. Acme' will be salvaged from the dustbin. Ketchup Entertainment plans a theatrical release at an unspecified future date. 'We're thrilled to have made a deal with Warner Bros. Pictures to bring this film to audiences worldwide,' Gareth West, chief executive of Ketchup Entertainment, said in a statement. ''Coyote vs Acme' is a perfect blend of nostalgia and modern storytelling, capturing the essence of the beloved Looney Tunes characters while introducing them to a new generation.' Directed by Dave Green and based on a New Yorker article by Ian Frazier, 'Coyote vs. Acme' follows Wile E. Coyote in a lawsuit against Acme Corporation for the many faulty products that failed to catch him the Road Runner. The live-action animated hybrid stars John Cena and Will Forte. Deadline earlier reported that Ketchup paid about $50 million for the film, which cost $70 million to produce. Ketchup, a distribution company launched in 2012, also recently released another Looney Tunes film jettisoned by Warner Bros.: 'The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie.' In three weeks of release, it's grossed $8.2 million in domestic ticket sales.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
25 Canadians charged in multimillion-dollar American 'grandparent scam'
The Brief A federal grand jury charged 25 Canadian nationals with running a "grandparent scam" targeting elderly victims across 46 U.S. states and defrauding them of over $21 million. The scam involved fraudulent calls from Montréal-based call centers, where suspects impersonated relatives or lawyers to convince the victims to send money for fake bail. On June 4, 2024, Canadian law enforcement said they executed search warrants at the call centers, catching many of the suspects in the act. The indictment names several individuals, including Gareth West and Jimmy Ylimaki, who remain at large, while the rest have been arrested in Canada. The accused face charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Dozens of Canadians are facing charges for scamming millions of dollars out of elders in the U.S., according to the office of the acting state attorney for Vermont. The victims span from almost every state in the country. The backstory On Feb. 20, a federal grand jury charged 25 Canadian nationals with participating in a "grandparent scam" between the summer of 2021 and June 4, 2024. According to the unsealed indictment, those individuals made fraudulent calls from call centers in and around Montréal. During those calls, the suspects claimed to be related to the elderly victims, usually claiming to be a grandchild. They would say they had been arrested after a car crash and desperately needed money to post bail. Some of the suspects would pretend to be a lawyer representing a loved one. They would tell the victim there was a "gag order" that prevented the victim from telling anyone about the supposed arrest. In most cases, the elderly victims were convinced to send money to a fake bail bondsman. On June 4, 2024, Canadian law enforcement executed search warrants at several call centers. That's how they said they caught many of the defendants in the act of making calls to victims in Virginia. In total, victims were targeted in 46 states for more than $21 million. On June 4, 2024, when law enforcement in Canada executed search warrants at several call centers, many of the defendants were found in the act of placing phone calls to elderly victims in Virginia. The indictment alleges the call centers were managed by West, Khalid, Tatto, Moskwyn, and Ricky Ylimaki, and also charges these five defendants with conspiring to commit money laundering. The conspiracy defrauded elderly Americans out of more than $21 million. What we know Michael P. Drescher, the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Vermont, named the individuals accused of scamming elders across most of the U.S.: Gareth West, also known as Buddy and Muscles, 38, of Burlington, Ontario Usman Khalid, also known as Paul and Pauly, 36, of Les Coteaux, Québec Andrew Tatto, also known as Chevy and Truck, 43, of Pierrefonds, Québec Stephan Moskwyn, also known as HK, 42, of Pierrefonds Ricky Ylimaki, also known as Ruffles, 31, of Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot, Québec Richard Frischman, also known as Styx, 31, of Montréal Adam Lawrence, also known as Carter, 41, of Lasalle, Québec Michael Filion, also known as Elvis, 45, of Pierrefonds Jimmy Ylimaki, also known as Coop, 35, of Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot Nicolas Gonzalez, also known as Brady, 27, of Kirkland, Québec Ryan Melanson, also known as Parker, 27, of Montréal Joy Kalafatidis, also known as Blondie, 31, of Pointe-Claire, Québec David Arcobelli, also known as Phil, 36, of Pierrefonds Jonathan Massouras, also known as Borze, 35, of Dollard-Des Ormeaux, Québec Nicholas Shiomi, also known as Keanu, 42, of Montréal Antonio Iannacci, also known as DJ 33, of Pierrefonds Jonathan Ouellet, also known as Sunny, 29, of Saint-Eustache, Québec Kassey-Lee Lankford, also known as Lex, 28, of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Québec Sara Burns, also known as Ginger 31, of Dollard-Des Ormeaux Justin Polenz, also known as Happy, 34, of Montréal Ryan Thibert, also known as Toast, 37, of Vaudreuil-Dorion Michael Farella, also known as Honda, 29, of Sainte-Geneviève, Québec Sebastian Guenole, also known as Tweeter, 30, of Pierrefonds Ryan Bridgman, also known as Clint, 37, of Deux-Montagnes, Québec Stephanie-Marie Samaras, also known as North, 29, of Laval, Québec What's next All but two of the accused were arrested in Canada on Tuesday. Gareth West and Jimmy Ylimaki are still on the run. The Source This information was provided by Michael P. Drescher, the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Vermont.
