Crown Wants Fraudster To Get Harsh Sentence For Casino Fraud

Casinos are often the target of fraudsters who carefully plot and plan ways on how to trick the casino and walk away with large sums of money. Nicky Fortunato who is a resident of Toronto did exactly this and came up with an elaborate plan on how to cheat and con employees at Casino Rama and Fallsview Casino during October 2012. Fortunato used forged documents that were estimated to be around $847,000 to cheat the two casinos and was later arrested by the authorities and tried in a court of law for 2 counts of fraud and 2 counts of forgery.

Fortunato was able to go through with his scam by getting outside help from Farhaan Bojani, a junior executive who worked with the Toronto Bank of Montreal.

Bojani told authorities that he was forced into the scam as three men threatened his life and forced him to give them blank bank drafts. They told him they were going to use these bank drafts at casinos and then ordered him to answer the phones when the casinos decided to conduct verification calls.

Once the scam was brought to the attention of the authorities, the bank sacked Bojani but the authorities have not filed charges against him.

Fortunato denied all such allegations and said that the bank drafts were given to him by ‘Pasquale’ but he wasn’t sure of his last name. He told authorities that ‘Pasquale’ owed him $900,000 and since he was unable to pay back his loan in cash, he submitted bank drafts valued at $900,000. When the authorities asked Fortunato how he managed to loan $900,000 when he makes a monthly salary of $3,000, he told the authorities that he won large sums of money gambling at the casinos.

Justice Stephen Bale said Fortunato’s explanation was suspicious and he found it hard to believe. In a statement, Bale said

His story is incapable of belief, Some of Mr. Bojani’s evidence was suspect, and in particular, his evidence as to his level of involvement in the fraud

Fortunato has maxed out his line of credit at the casino and is also reported to owe $400,000 to a loan shark. He is currently out on bail.

Crown attorney Fred Temple urged the courts to issue a harsh sentence and punish the fraudster and set an example to other scam artists. Temple reminded the courts that this wasn’t a victimless crime as someone had to pay back the money Fortunato stole. The sentencing is scheduled to take place on the 13th of August.