A contractor from London, who swindled clients out of thousands through incomplete work, has been sentenced to nine months in prison and must repay his victims, a judge decided on Tuesday.
Justice Ghazala Zaman ordered Andrew Fraser, 35, to return $64,079 to seven former clients once he starts his two-year probation period.
“Mr. Fraser engaged in a deliberate pattern of dishonesty with all of his victims,” Zaman told the courtroom. “He essentially took their money after leading them to believe he was an honest and knowledgeable contractor, and he never completed the work and did not return their money.”
This situation was first reported in September 2022 when six homeowners who hired Fraser through his company AJF Construction filed a police report stating they lost nearly $70,000 after waiting months for jobs that were never finished.
Some families mentioned they were left with additional damage because Fraser started projects but left them incomplete.
Fraser collected a 50 percent deposit for various tasks including installing new doors, windows or roofs; however, shortly after receiving payment, calls and messages went unanswered according to the families involved.
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One London homeowner CBC previously spoke to shared this image of damage on her roof done by Fraser’s company AJF Construction in 2022. (Submitted by Lisa Davis)
In September 2023, Fraser claimed that he planned to finish the work for clients but cited challenges such as a tough labor market and material shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic as reasons for not completing renovations. He mentioned that his company was filing for bankruptcy and noted he had already repaid several clients.
Last year, Fraser pleaded guilty to eight fraud charges-five counts exceeding $5,000 and three counts under $5,000.
Zaman also discussed at length about the “abuse of trust” inflicted on some victims who were once close friends of Fraser’s. She highlighted the financial strain and emotional toll his actions have taken over time. Zaman believes that his moral responsibility remains significant.
“The victim impact statements were heart-wrenching and it’s clear to me that the victims have all suffered severe financial losses along with emotional distress,” said Zaman.
“The frauds committed here weren’t random acts; they were intentional schemes requiring repeated deception.”
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Londoner Jeremy Mc Call is among seven homeowners who were defrauded out of thousands of dollars in deposits by contractor Andrew Fraser. Outside the courthouse on Tuesday, Mc Call said he feels grateful that justice has been served. (Isha Bhargava/CBC)
Fraser’s lawyer Nick Cake expressed disappointment over the nine-month sentence claiming it would make it harder for Fraser to secure employment and repay those affected.
“Mr. Fraser is going to be incarcerated; he’s going to come out toward the end of this year then he’ll need to find work again so he can rebuild,” said Cake.
“Ultimately what this means is Mr. Fraser loses job opportunities when our goal should be ensuring he can repay those affected.”
Cake indicated they initially sought a two-year conditional sentence which would have allowed house arrest but let him go out for work or important appointments while monitored via an ankle bracelet.
The Crown requested a twelve-month prison term; however, the judge felt nine months was suitable considering Fraser’s guilty plea and remorse shown towards his actions.
Fraser will need to make monthly restitution payments amounting to $1,000 for five years once he’s released on probation.
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‘Justice was served’ says one victim
Jeremy Mc Call, one of those defrauded by Fraser who is owed $1,650, expressed relief at finally having closure on this long ordeal. “We’re all just grateful that the court agreed with our stance that what happened was wrong and that accountability needed to be paid,” he said. “This is a chance for us all to know that justice was served and to start healing moving forward.”Source link
