A Blind River man is being accused of collecting government benefits worth more than $420,000 in the names of deceased relatives.
In a news release Monday, the East Algoma OPP said the investigation began in May.
“Members of the East Algoma Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Crime Unit received information from OPP Anti-Rackets Branch and began an investigation involving two members of a family fraudulently receiving both federal and provincial benefits in the names of deceased family members over a period of 1992 – 2014,” the release said.
“The investigation revealed that a Blind River male made application to Service Canada in 2007 using a deceased family member’s name and social insurance number to collect Old Age Security, Canada Pension Plan and Guaranteed Income Supplement. The total amounts of the frauds are valued by Service Canada at over $420,000.”
The 63-year-old man was arrested Aug. 8 and charged with fraud over $5,000. He's also facing charges of having government identity documents, contrary to section 56.1 of the Criminal Code; identity fraud and using, Deals, Acts on forged documents, also a Criminal Code offence.
He is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Blind River on Oct. 6.
