The Citizen, 1999-10-27, Page 13THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27,1999. PAGE 13.
Bly th man given probation, $750 fine for fraud
A former Goderich man, now of
Blyth pled guilty to a lesser charge
of fraud when he appeared in
Wingham's Ontario court, Oct. 21.
Steven Pilon was originally
charged with theft under $5,000.
However, after hearing Crown
Attorney Bob Morris’s evidence
Judge Garry Hunter argued that the
defendent had not taken anything,
therefore the crime was fraud.
Pilon, who pled guilty to the
charge of theft, had purchased a
chainsaw from his employer, later
asking him to buy it back. The
cheque for $800 was written and
cashed but the chainsaw was never
returned to the plaintiff, said Mor
ris.
Pilon later placed an ad to sell the
chainsaw and was arrested by an
undercover police officer after it
was determined that the chainsaw
was the one the employer had pur
chased.
Defense Counsel Phil Cornish
agreed that the facts confused the
issue of whether the crime was one
of theft or fraud. Pilon's original
plea was struck and he pled guilty
to fraud.
Pilon’s record, which contained
several theft-related charges was
submitted.
Cornish said that the saw has
been returned and that his client
was cognizant of the past record,
but blamed this incident on finan
cial circumstances.
Pilon was fined $750 and placed
on 12 months probation. Looking
at his record, Hunter admonished,
“If you’re back here again on one
of these you’re going to jail.”
OVER 80
An RR3, Goderich man is with
out a license for a year after plead
ing guilty to driving drunk.
Larry Vallieres was arrested Aug.
24, after officers noticed his car
weaving across the road. When
stopped Vallieres admitted con
suming alcohol.
Both breathalizer readings were
150.
He has no previous record.
In addition to the 12-month driv
ing prohibition, Vallieres was fined
$750.
THEFT
A Listowel man was given a sus
pended sentence, but must make
restitution in the amount of $2,000
to a local bank.
James Yeoman pled guilty to a
charge of theft. Morris said the
accused had taken his mother’s
debit card from her wallet and used
it to take $1,000 from her account.
The bank, when contacted, can
celled the wrong card, Morris said,
and Yeoman managed to withdraw
another $2,000 before the error was
caught.
Morris said that the money had
been paid back to Yeoman’s moth
er but the bank was still out the
$2,000.
Defense Counsel Alan Mill told
Hunter that the 42-year-old man is
on medication for paranoid
schizophrenia, who lives on money
from Canadian Pension and disabil
ity and is unemployable. The
money, he said, was for a trip out
west.
Saying that if the bank had can
celled the right card they wouldn’t
have been out the money, Hunter
ordered restitution at a minimum
rate of $50 per month. Yeoman was
also placed on probation for two
years.
UNSAFE STORAGE OF
FIREARM
Haste definitely made waste for a
Howick Twp. man, Aug. 11 after
the car he had left in neutral struck
a hydro pole in Wroxeter. Police
were called and found a rifle inside
the car.
Defense Counsel said Rodger
Crandall, 55, had been making a
hurried trip to the bank, and having
planned to go hunting on his way
home, completely “forgot safety
issues.”
“He acknowledges that he acted
out of sheer stupidity.”
The gun was unloaded, but the
ammunition was in the car.
He was fined $300.
Watch credit cards, officer warns
Guard your credit cards, an OPP
officer told members of the Blyth
Business Association last week,
because there are growing rings of
thieves wanting to get their hands
on them.
Sr. Const. Don Shropshall, com
munity relations officer with the
Huron Detachment, said London
based operators had promised a
group of county youth a fee of $50
for every credit card they could
steal.
Credit card theft is one of the
fastest-growing forms of theft,
Shropshall said. In 1988 it amount
ed to $5 million for the entire year.
In 1999 it amounted to $900 mil
lion in the first nine months.
Eighty per cent of credit cards
are stolen from unlocked vehicles,
the officer said, while 14 per cent
are stolen from homes and six per
CFFO reports
Uncertainty about the future of
farm markets and marketing boards
is the biggest obstacle for farmers
who plan to transfer their farming
operations to a family member.
Farmers identified that obstacle
through a survey conducted by the
Christian Farmers Federation of
Ontario at Canada’s Outdoor Farm
Show in Woodstock. The survey,
filled out by 196 show attendees,
was aimed at gauging how much
preparation farmers have put into
succession plans for transferring
the family farm to the next
generation.
“Demographic studies show that
a large number of families will
soon be transferring farming
operations to family members,”
said John Clement, the CFFO’s
general manager. “Our survey was
designed to help us understand
which challenges farmers view as
most important in making that
transfer.”
Having adequate financing for
the family member receiving the
farm was also identified as an
obstacle by farmers filling out the
survey. In addition, most farmers
said they have not put together a
documented plan for conducting a
farm transfer.
Another CFFO survey was
conducted at the International
Plowing Match. Filled out by 434
cent from places like purses left in
unattended shopping carts.
On average thieves are able to
charge up to $1,500 worth of goods
to credit cards before they are
reported stolen and are frozen.
Merchants, Shropshall told the
business leaders, should be asking
for two pieces of identification
before accepting credit cards from
strangers.
Shropshall also gave those pre
sent tips on how to spot counterfeit
bills. This too is a growing area of
crime due to the proliferation of
colour photocopiers, and computers
with scanners and colour printers,
he said. There are more counterfeit
bills found in Huron County in a
year now than in the first 20 years
of his career, he said. Lakeshore
areas like Grand Bend, Goderich
and Kincardine have the highest
frequency of bad bills being passed,
survey results
show attendees, the survey was
designed to identify the most
important reasons for keeping and
encouraging family farms.
The majority of those surveyed
said that family farms help
maintain strong rural communities
across the province. There was also
a strong believe that it is better to
have the provinces food produced
by family farms than multi-national
corporations, and that those family
farms will prove to be better
stewards of the provinces land,
water, air and other natural
resources.
“There is clearly a strong bias
towards the family farm concept of
agriculture,” said Clement. “It is
reflected in how people view
community development,
environmental stewardship and
food security.”
When asked the best way to
ensure a future for family farms,
the majority of those filling out the
survey picked the creation of closer
connections between family farms
and the consumer. It was selected
over predictable financing, the co
operative marketing of farm
products, government support for
marketing legislation and
comprehensive government
programs to cut production and
marketing risks.
Blyth and Brussels among the low
est.
Suspect strangers using large
bills for small purchases, Shrop
shall said. Counterfeiters will sel
dom mix fake bills with real bills
because it will point out the differ
ences.
Shropshall advised trying to qui
etly call police if someone is sus
pected of passing a bad bill. If the
suspect escapes, try to write down
details that would help police iden
tify them, he said.
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by calling 1-800-250-3030.
Videos can be borrowed
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a cost-recovery price.
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