Ontario woman arrested in $800K Toronto fraud scheme

A woman from Vaughan, Ont. is facing dozens of charges in connection with an alleged fraud scheme in Toronto that saw one victim lose more than $800,000.

The accused and victim allegedly began discussing business opportunities within the city in September 2022.

The Toronto Police Service (TPS) said that between September 2022 and December 2022, the victim placed nine orders for goods to be shipped to various retail stores in Toronto.

The victim lost $800,000 worth of goods that were never received, police said.

On Sept. 23, 2024, Jodi-Ann Bonnick, 33, of Kleinburg, Ont., was arrested and charged with 10 counts of fraud over $5,000, eight counts of making false statements to procure money and 10 counts of possession of proceeds obtained by crime exceeding $5,000.

The accused is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 3, 2024.

Bonnick formerly operated a West Indian grocery store on Weston Road near Jane Street and faced similar charges in Jamaica where she is accused of defrauding a local businesswoman out of JMD$3.2 million worth of goods (roughly $27,000 CAD), according to reporting by the Jamaica Observer.

With files from Denio Lourenco of CityNews