Fraud artist back in prison after several breaches of conditions

A 45-year-old Nova Scotia man convicted of multiple theft and fraud offences has been hauled back into prison after several breaches of his release conditions.

Scott Lee Gray was on statutory release when he was found at his spouse's home.

Gray had been released from prison in March. He'd been serving a 40-month sentence after pleading guilty in 2016 to 20 charges, including theft and fraud.

The locations of the offences stretched from the Annapolis Valley to Dartmouth. Gray's crimes included selling cars he didn't own, and stealing storage sheds and gas, often using bad cheques.

He even admitted to stealing two Great Pyrenees puppies from a breeder.

Sex offences

But of particular concern to authorities was Gray's previous convictions for sex offences, which is why, when he was released, he was ordered to stay away from his spouse and children. Instead, Gray was to stay in an area motel.

Police were called to his spouse's home on Sept. 15. Someone had called police because Gray was there, pounding on the door. It was that call to police, the parole board noted, that was Gray's undoing.

"This call served to unravel what presents as a scam," the board wrote in a decision following a hearing last Wednesday.

"You were not living at the motel as reported, you did not present financial information as required, you were not working as suggested and all parties in your social circle to include family lied about your whereabouts, employment and residency."

'Admitted to being deceitful'

The board said when Gray was supposed to meet with his parole officer, he rented a motel room to make it look as though he was complying with his conditions.

"At the conclusion of the hearing, you readily admitted to being deceitful and simply messing up," the board wrote. "You were deceitful and violated more than one of your special conditions."

The board said the risk of Gray committing another sexual offence is "well above average." He has also failed to take part in education programs in the prison.

He is next eligible for release in April of next year. His warrant expiry date, the last day he can be held, is in August 2021.