SUMMARY: an individual who participated in a pyramid scheme was charged with fraud

OFFENCE: Proceeds of crime

RESULT: Charges Withdrawn

LAWYER: Sean Fagan

REGINA v. X.X. – September 2018

CHARGES: Section 380(1)(b) of the Criminal Code of Canada

X.X. was involved in a business venture that can best be characterized as a pyramid scheme. The idea behind the venture was the usual: “the more people you recruited, the more money you stood to make”. Unfortunately for X.X., shortly after he became involved in the venture, he was charged with fraud.

People who have had no involvement with the criminal justice system often do not realize how suddenly a seemingly innocuous situation can result in criminal charges. The government does not need fingerprints, blood spatter analysis, stacks of banking documents, a photo lineup, or any other form of traditional physical evidence often seen on television crime dramas in order to lay criminal charges. Often, all it takes is one person to pick up the phone, call the police, and make an allegation against another person, and the seed of a criminal prosecution is planted.

X.X. was an upstanding contributing member of society who found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Fortunately, X.X. retained Calgary criminal lawyer Sean Fagan, who was successful at securing the complete withdrawal of the charge.