Latest news with #mailfraud
CTV News
21-05-2025
- CTV News
2 men accused of impersonating Canada Post carriers to break into Toronto buildings and steal mail, packages
The suspects, Joshua Virah (left) and James Paul, are pictured in this composite image as well as the Canada Post jacket they allegedly used during the thefts. (Toronto Police Service) A man is facing nearly 80 charges, and a second suspect remains wanted after they allegedly impersonated Canada Post mail carriers and stole mail and packages from at least eight buildings in downtown Toronto. Police said Canada Post notified them about the break-and-enters at the beginning of March. During the theft, the suspects would allegedly wear a Canada Post jacket and baseball cap and then enter the buildings, where they would open mailboxes and mailrooms using a Canada Post master key. Police said the suspect also opened Canada Post street mailboxes using the key. They allegedly took an unknown quantity of mail, parcels, packages and personal identifications. As a result of their investigation, which was conducted with Canada Post's security and investigation services, police executed two search warrants on Tuesday in the areas of Sherbourne Street and Dundas Street East and Dufferin Street and Davenport Road. Police said 'items of evidentiary value,' including Canada Post master keys, a jacket, mail, identity documents, and credit cards, were recovered during the search. They arrested one suspect identified as 36-year-old Joshua Virag. He has been charged with 79 offences, including 19 counts of possessing or using a credit card obtained by offence, 13 counts of break and enter, 13 counts of theft of mail and 13 counts of possessing a key for the purpose of committing. Police said 27-year-old James Paul is wanted for 20 charges, including break and enter, personation to gain advantage, eight counts of possession of an identity documents and six counts of property obtained by crime. Investigators believe there may be more victims. They are asking anyone with information to contact them at 416-808-5200 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or
CTV News
14-05-2025
- CTV News
Canadian man sentenced to 2 1/2 years in U.S. Social Security fraud
The flags of Canada and the United States fly outside a hotel in downtown Ottawa, on Feb. 1, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang FAIRBANKS — The United States Attorney's Office in Alaska says a Canadian man has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison and ordered to repay $420,000 he stole in social security benefits from the U.S. government over a 30-year period. It says 77-year-old Ellis Kingsep was legally living in the United States and had devised 'an elaborate scheme' where he collected benefits payments that were sent by the Social Security Administration intended for his mother. It says the scheme included 'an intricate web of mail forwarding requests for his mother's mail by using private postal mailbox accounts' in California, Vancouver and Alaska to conceal that he was receiving his mother's mail and sending correspondence in her name. The attorney's office says Kingsep's mother would now be 103 years old and though there has never been a death certificate filed, she is presumed to be dead as there has been no record of her since 1993. It says the scam began around 1995 and continued until 2023 when an investigator uncovered the scheme, and Kingsep was arrested in July 2024. The attorney's office says Kingsep pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud in December 2024, and the court has also ordered him to pay a $50,000 criminal fine and serve three years on supervised release after his prison sentence concludes. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2025. The Canadian Press
CTV News
14-05-2025
- CTV News
Canadian man sentenced to 2 1/2 years in U.S. Social Security fraud
The flags of Canada and the United States fly outside a hotel in downtown Ottawa, on Feb. 1, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang FAIRBANKS — The United States Attorney's Office in Alaska says a Canadian man has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison and ordered to repay $420,000 he stole in social security benefits from the U.S. government over a 30-year period. It says 77-year-old Ellis Kingsep was legally living in the United States and had devised 'an elaborate scheme' where he collected benefits payments that were sent by the Social Security Administration intended for his mother. It says the scheme included 'an intricate web of mail forwarding requests for his mother's mail by using private postal mailbox accounts' in California, Vancouver and Alaska to conceal that he was receiving his mother's mail and sending correspondence in her name. The attorney's office says Kingsep's mother would now be 103 years old and though there has never been a death certificate filed, she is presumed to be dead as there has been no record of her since 1993. It says the scam began around 1995 and continued until 2023 when an investigator uncovered the scheme, and Kingsep was arrested in July 2024. The attorney's office says Kingsep pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud in December 2024, and the court has also ordered him to pay a $50,000 criminal fine and serve three years on supervised release after his prison sentence concludes. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2025. The Canadian Press
