A longtime pastor from Vaughan, Ont., is among 15 individuals facing charges in connection with an alleged fraud operation that police say targeted a program for those dealing with homelessness or at risk of it.
York Regional Police report that the investigation, called Project Great One, was conducted by its financial crimes unit alongside the Regional Municipality of York.
The inquiry began on April 3, 2025, when the region flagged suspected fraud related to its Homelessness Prevention Program, which assists individuals not receiving other social assistance and who are either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
A review by staff in York Region uncovered several applications containing false information. Authorities allege that from January to December 2024, approximately $99,600 was wrongfully claimed.
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Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won’t miss a trending story. Investigators state that the suspects were organized and methodical in executing the alleged frauds. Search warrants were carried out at 12 residences and on 10 vehicles during the investigation. Story continues below Police have identified Isaac Oppong, 38, of Vaughan, as the main suspect. He served as a pastor at Miracle Arena for All Nations from 2018 until 2025 and is accused of leveraging his position to recruit others into participating. “Any time we see someone that’s a person in a position of authority, that’s abusing that authority in order to make financial gains or influence people’s decisions, we take that very seriously,” police said. Authorities claim fraudulent applications were submitted to the homelessness program intended to aid vulnerable members of the community. More on Crime More videos “That’s money that’s in a program to support people that are vulnerable within our community, and unfortunately, this is money that we’re still working to get back,” police said. interviewed Oppong in July 2023 about how the church was working to provide shelter for refugees and asylum seekers. “They came here … with the expectation of the land of the free, land of opportunity. Unfortunately, some of them had a shocking experience,” he stated at that time. Miracle Arena reported being informed in June about concerns regarding Oppong’s behavior linked to separate legal issues and subsequently removed him from his ministerial duties. The church mentioned it was later notified by law enforcement about the ongoing investigation and stated that these actions occurred without their knowledge or involvement. Story continues below Police suggest Oppong exploited his role as pastor to sway others and believe there might be more victims involved. The investigation continues. & copy 2026 , a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.Source link
