LONDON, ONT. -- A 36-year-old St. Thomas man is facing three fraud charges after allegedly bilking three people out of a total of $12,500.
Police say the Talbot Street business owner is accused of leaving a trail of victims.
In one case, a contract employee was allegedly defrauded of over $3,000 when they were paid with a cheque written on a closed account.
An another case, a fellow business owner was allegedly taken for $2,000 in a fake charity ruse.
The victim reportedly provided the cash to purchase a transport truck of discounted food for the local food bank for Christmas, but the suspect cashed the cheque and no food was ever delivered.
In the third case, a private investor allegedly lost $7,500 after the suspect claimed to be buying a transport truck full of coats and boots at a discounted rate to be resold for a profit. The transport truck never showed up, and police say it never existed.
As a result, the accused is facing two counts of fraud under $5,000 and one count of fraud over $5,000.
He was taken into custody Wednesday after turning himself in and later released on an undertaking with a future court date.
