In October of 2024, the Winnipeg Police Service’s Financial Crimes Unit started an investigation after receiving a report from a local building product supplier regarding fraudulent activity at the hands of a former sales employee. The investigation related to a rebate program that was set up by the supplier for participating business clients.
Between April 2016 and April 2024, a male employee registered four fictitious home building companies, including fictitious employees. During this time, using forged cheques, the employee submitted approximately 5,500 fraudulent rebate applications through the supplier’s rebate program and collected almost $4,200,000 in rebates. The man continued to submit rebate applications after being let go by his employer for unrelated reasons in June of 2023. The supplier subsequently discovered the fictitious accounts/claims and notified police.
The Financial Crimes Unit assumed the investigation and linked the former employee to the above-mentioned fraudulent activity.
On October 8, 2025, the 50-year-old former salesman turned himself to investigators.
He faces charges of Fraud Over $5,000, Forgery, and Use of a Forged Document. He was released on an Undertaking to appear in court at a later date.