Man who promised B.C. hockey team $7.5M fined for fraud
Mike Gould used bad cheques to pay for a party thrown to celebrate his big donation pledge
A B.C. man who promised to donate millions to a junior hockey team in Kimberley, B.C., but never delivered the money was convicted of fraud for a separate issue on Thursday.
Mike Gould, who claimed to be a European lottery winner and pledged $7.5 million to the local team, was sentenced for using two cheques in someone else's name last October and forging the signatures on them.
He attempted to use the cheques to pay $8,000 for a dinner banquet he threw at a Cranbrook restaurant to celebrate his donation announcement.
There were insufficient funds in the accounts and the fraudulent cheques bounced.
Gould later paid most of the bill in cash, but has been ordered to pay a $4,000 fine and complete 60 hours of community service for the fraud.
"Once you do this, once you commit the fraud, it can't be undone," said Crown Counsel Kristian DeJong. "It's a fit sentencing."
The second charge of forgery was stayed.
With files from Bob Keating.