Surrey Man Jailed for Tax Fraud

How would you help the victims of this tax crime? 

On May 24, 2013, Mark Andrew Rosie of Surrey, BC was sentenced to three and a half years in prison and fined $142,049 for eleven counts of falsely claiming and obtaining income tax refunds and credits, three counts of income tax evasion and two counts of stolen property, following his conviction on December 12, 2012.

Rosie falsified personal information that he stole from unsuspecting taxpayers and manipulated the CRA’s records for taxpayer’s addresses so the cheques would be sent directly to him. He also created bank accounts in their names and prepared false returns.

Rosie committed fraud on his friends and acquaintances and also on vulnerable people suffering from drug addiction. He would use other people to obtain the personal information in exchange for drugs. It was one of these third parties, one Mr. Bennett, who was instrumental in turning Rosie in.

The Honourable Justice Kloegman did an incredible job of separating the 24 different offences charged and the evidence pertaining to each one. Most of the witnesses were also suspected of involvement in some facet of the fraud, so their evidence had to be corroborated and closely scrutinized. 

The full decision in R v. Mark Andrew Rosie (2012) BCSC 1885 leading to the conviction can be read here: http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/SC/12/18/2012BCSC1885.htm.