A Sudbury man who collected Ontario Works for more than two years while having access to almost $90,000 in cash, was placed on probation Wednesday after court heard he repaid the entire $23,000 he defrauded from the system.
Steven McLennan, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud and was placed on probation for one year by Justice Guy Mahaffy, who agreed no further punishment was needed after McLennan recently repaid the entire amount he'd received from Ontario Works.
Assistant Crown attorney Grace Kurke told the court that McLennan, a single father, received Ontario Works for himself and his child for one year between the fall of 2002 and 2003 and then again for two years between November of 2003 and the fall of 2005.
On numerous occasions, McLennan was asked to sign documentation verifying he didn't have any assets and he was declared eligible to continue receiving Ontario Works benefits, she said.
When an investigation was launched, it was discovered McLennan had almost $80,000 in cash and access to another $9,000 in life insurance money, she said.
Defence counsel Louis Sola said McLennan was in a motor vehicle accident and this is how he received this large amount of money.
As a single father of a developmentally challenged child, his client was trying to put away money to ensure his child's long-term future, he said.
His client was very co-operative with authorities and paid back the amount of money he defrauded, said Sola.
Under all the circumstances, a period of probation would be the appropriate penalty, he said.
Mahaffy said he had no reason not to accept the joint submission presented to him.
