Latest news with #dangerousoffender
CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
‘He wreaked havoc': Serial romance fraudster labelled dangerous offender
Jeffery Paul Kent, seen in a screen grab from the TV show Scammed, was given an indeterminate sentence and deemed a dangerous offender after a string of romance scams going back nearly a decade. 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.
CBC
17-05-2025
- CBC
Dangerous offender gets 10 years instead of indefinite sentence, N.W.T. Supreme Court rules
Social Sharing A Northwest Territories Supreme Court justice has re-sentenced a Nunavut man convicted for a 2012 sexual assault. Noel Avadluk was declared a dangerous offender in 2017 and was handed an indefinite prison sentence. He appealed that sentence and won. Both Avadluk's lawyer and the Crown prosecutor recommended a sentence of 10 years custody followed by 10 years of supervision in the community. On Friday, Justice Louise Charbonneau agreed that was appropriate. Avadluk has been in prison since his original sentencing for what the judge described as a "sudden, brutal and sustained" sexual assault. It happened in Yellowknife and was his second sexual assault conviction. Now 52 years old, Avadluk of Kugluktuk, Nunavut, has a total of 43 criminal convictions. Avadluk attended Friday's sentencing by video from the Bath Institution, a prison near Kingston, Ontario. With time already served on his 10-year sentence, Avadluk will stay in prison for just over two more years. He will then remain under supervision, which is similar to probation, until August 2037. Justice Charbonneau said her decision was partly based on a new psychiatric assessment by Dr. Shabehram Lohrasbe, who concluded Avadluk's risk of harming others is manageable. Lohrasbe said this could be possible with abstinence from alcohol and Avadluk's co-operation. That contradicts a previous assessment that found Avadluk's risk to the public would not decrease with age. Charbonneau called Lohrasbe's report "thorough" and "fair." She said it is the most recent report of Avadluk's assessment and should be given more weight. Avadluk will be in his 60s when the supervision order ends in 2037. Charbonneau warned him any breaches could lead to to another 10 years in prison. Charbonneau said Friday's decision constituted an appropriate sentence, and also referenced to an earlier Court of Appeal decision where the court identified problems with Avadluk's initial sentencing in light of a subsequent decision by the Supreme Court of Canada. During sentencing of dangerous offenders, it emphasized the judge must also take into account other factors, such as the offender's moral blameworthiness, and impose the least restrictive sentence required to protect the public. The judge also recommended the correctional service and parole board use Lohrasbe's report as a resource for managing Avadluk's risk of re-offending and guiding his reintegration in a way that keeps the public safe.
CBC
17-05-2025
- CBC
N.W.T. man declared a dangerous offender resentenced, has just over 2 years left to serve
Noel Avadluk was declared a dangerous offender in 2017 and was given an indefinite prison sentence, he later appealed that sentence and won.
CBC
09-05-2025
- CBC
Crown to seek dangerous offender designation for man who raped 90-year-old
Prosecutors will seek a dangerous offender designation for a Calgary man who raped a 90-year-old woman in her assisted living apartment, court heard Friday. In February, a jury convicted Duran Ross Buffalo, 40, of aggravated sexual assault and breaking and entering to commit sexual assault. The convictions were for a 2021 attack on a victim whose identity is protected by a publication ban. A sentencing hearing has not yet taken place. Instead, Buffalo appeared in court Friday and the Crown confirmed it is awaiting reports so the prosecution can proceed with a dangerous offender hearing. Prosecutor Matt Dalidowicz indicated that once a dangerous offender assessment has been completed, he will seek leave from the attorney general to proceed with a hearing, which has already been scheduled for March 2026. Indefinite sentence possible If Court of King's Bench Justice Michele Hollins declares Buffalo a dangerous offender based on a pattern of violent behaviour, the court can then impose an indeterminate prison sentence. Alternatively, the judge could also impose a fixed sentence with a long-term supervision order of up to 10 years, which would allow court-ordered conditions for monitoring the offender in the community. There have been serious mental health concerns for Buffalo over the years, but he was ultimately found fit to stand trial. Buffalo represented himself and, for the most part, refused to speak, although he did shout several times about "demons." At one point, court had to take a break because Buffalo was sleeping on the floor in the prisoner's box. Seniors complex break-in During the trial, court heard that Buffalo broke into a northwest seniors' complex on Jan. 1, 2021. Police responded to the break-in and spent about 15 minutes looking through the 17-storey building before they left, believing Buffalo had escaped through a different doorway. In fact, he was hiding in the elderly woman's storage closet. Jurors heard a tearful 911 call placed by the woman in the moments after Buffalo fled her apartment. "I don't know what to do," she said, crying. "I was in bed asleep and this guy broke in and had sex with me." The victim was ultimately taken to hospital and examined. A rape kit was conducted. Over the next few days, she developed dark and extensive bruises on her face and wrists. Buffalo was arrested a month later.
