Winnipeg police say they’ve arrested a man accused of running a fraudulent crowdfunding campaign that raised $11,600.
The campaign was ostensibly aimed at helping the family of a 17-year-old boy who was killed in a car accident in 2022, but police say the funds — from 240 donors — were diverted into a personal bank account and used for personal gain.
Police said the suspect, 20, and the family of the victim didn’t know each other, and the family didn’t receive any of the funds raised.
The man turned himself into police in February and has since been charged with laundering the proceeds of crime, fraud over $5,000, and theft over $5,000. He was released on an undertaking.
Police said some of the affected donors have been able to get their money back through a claim process on the crowdfunding platform.