Saskatchewan

RCMP charge man with setting up fraudulent Humboldt Broncos GoFundMe

RCMP say a man has been charged after he allegedly set up a GoFundMe page that fraudulently claimed it was for the Humboldt Broncos.

Man has been charged with 5 charges, including fraud and laundering

RCMP say a man has been charged after he allegedly set up a GoFundMe page that fraudulently claimed it was for the Humboldt Broncos. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)

A 32-year-old man is facing several charges, including fraud, after he allegedly set up a fraudulent GoFundMe page in the aftermath of the Humboldt Broncos bus collision on April 6.

The RCMP said it was contacted by the Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority about an alleged investor fraud operating under the name Aero Capital Inc.

While looking into Aero Capital Inc., police discovered a GoFundMe page titled #PrayForHumboldt that had received nearly $3,800 in donations from 35 donors in the U.S. and Canada.

The page has since been shutdown. 

RCMP made an arrest on Tuesday and the man is facing several charges, including fraud over $5,000, fraud under $5,000 and laundering the proceeds of crime. 

The alleged offences occurred between March 9, 2017 and June 20, 2018, police said in a news release.

The man appeared in provincial court on Wednesday and will be back in court Dec. 12.

Sixteen people died and another 13 were injured when the Humboldt Bronco's team bus collided with a semi-trailer north of Tisdale. A legitimate GoFundMe page raised more than $15 million for the affected families.