Charges laid in multi-million dollar B.C. RV site scam

CALGARY – Calgary police have charged two men in a multi-million dollar fraud investigation linked to the B.C. East Kootenay region.

Detectives say between 2014 and 2017, a 61-year-old man sold fake RV park sites as the owner and operator of Sweetwater Resort, a land development project on the shores of Lake Koocanusa, B.C.

The lake is between Fernie and Cranbrook in southeastern B.C., and attracts many tourists from Calgary which is just a few hours away.

The man also allegedly sold docking spaces for boats at the resort, but the marina is on Crown land and so those spots could not be legally be sold.

The Economic Crimes Unit opened a case when people who’d bought RV slots came forward with suspicions about the legitimacy of their purchases after communication between them and the man died out.

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The investigation revealed that the RV spots were in fact invalid and as a result, the Sweetwater RV Park was ordered to close.

Police believe the man obtained more than $2 million from multiple victims.

He was arrested at his Calgary home and charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000, one count of theft over $5,000, and one count of money laundering.

His associate, a 53-year-old Calgary man who acted as the sales manager, was also charged with one count of theft over $5,000 and three counts of fraud over $5,000.

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