A 50-year-old man from Sherwood Park, Alta., has been charged after defrauding more than $1.7 million from multiple people over a three-year period, police said Monday.
Nickolas Ellis, 50, faces 22 charges related to fraud and forgery, including 13 charges of fraud over $5,000 and several charges related to impersonation, including “personating a peace officer.”
Police said that the scams Ellis is charged in relation to occurred between February 2016 and March 2019.
He allegedly “used various schemes to defraud individuals, all of which included claims of partnerships with National Hockey League players and other local and national organizations,” according to police.
A Monday news release said the accused would allegedly ask his targets to invest in items that would “result in significant financial returns,” and he would impersonate officials to add legitimacy to the pitches.
While Ellis was arrested on Jan. 28, he has since been released.
Police believe there are others who may have been targeted and are asking anyone who believes they could be a victim to contact police at 780-423-4567. Anonymous info can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers.