A woman who defrauded hundreds of customers out of $747,000 from a tour operator has pleaded guilty after a 10-year legal battle.
“We now enter into the logic of compensation [à la victime]It’s a priority,” the crown’s Louis-Philippe Meek-Baillet explained in a Montreal courtroom yesterday.
Earlier, Manon Hubert pleaded guilty to fraud in a case dating back 10 years. At the time, the now 57-year-old woman got in over her head to partner with a specialty tour operator to sell low-cost travel.
However, it turned out that he was selling the trips below market value. This apparently caused him to make a mistake in paying the tour operator.
“Defendant always had good reasons to explain the delays”, may we read the summary of facts.
To make up the shortfall, Hubert began selling imaginary trips to customers. This money allowed her to cover the missing amount she owed to the tour operator.
The scheme, similar to a Ponzi scheme, failed because he could not pay the tour operator.
The latter canceled the bookings for the accused, unaware that the customers had already paid the woman.
An investigation was then conducted and the presence of rose flowers was discovered.
Hubert was charged criminally, but the case dragged on for years. Even after pleading guilty the first time, the accused managed to back down, citing his “psychological breakdown” when he pleaded guilty.
Even after all these years the crown has not been released, leading to the woman’s guilt yesterday. Details of his sentence will be revealed later.
