2 plead guilty in Toronto tow truck corruption case as officer heads to trial
Two men have pleaded guilty for their roles in a sprawling insurance scam to stage car crashes and defraud insurance companies in a case with ties to Toronto's tow truck turf wars and a police officer, CTV News Toronto has learned.
And these pleas could change the dynamic of an upcoming trial where Toronto police Const. Ronald Joseph is accused of being a key part of the scheme that sparked allegedly bogus insurance claims of at least $144,000, according to a tally read out in Toronto Superior Court.
"Those are things that enhance the strength of the prosecution's case," Calvin Barry, a lawyer for one of the men, Kevin Lima, told CTV News Toronto in an interview.
Lima hasn't been sentenced, and Barry said he could not say much about the role he will play in the upcoming September trial in the fraud allegations, which are tied to a massive set of police investigations that targeted alleged corruption in several tow truck companies, and some Toronto police and OPP officers.
"It was a big project. They invested a lot of time, undercover police and wiretaps and search warrants," Barry said.
Joseph and an associate, Marcus Dookie, have pleaded not guilty in the case. Joseph's lawyer didn't return CTV News Toronto's calls this week, but he has previously shared he welcomes a full hearing where he says the truth will come out.
In one hearing in March, prosecutors read out an agreed statement of facts that said Royal Sun Insurance paid $72,000 for a stolen Ram truck. Joseph acted as a witness in the report, but Lima admitted to just towing it away.
In another case, Lima and Joseph claimed a stolen Mercedes had been in a hit-and-run. According to the facts in the plea, an engineering report found inconsistencies in the crash, including no paint transfer and differences in the height of the damage between the cars, concluding the whole thing was staged.
The court heard Joseph made an insurance claim for a Ford Escape he was renting from his company in 2020 — in fact, it had been damaged six months earlier in a crash involving a Toronto city bus.
Joseph was also accused of cashing in another way: "All three parties attempted to rent a car with Joseph's rental company, where he would financially benefit," prosecutor Mike Kelly said at the time.
On Wednesday, Darrin Cameron pleaded guilty to one count in the scheme, where he provided a BMW to Lima for a fraudulent insurance claim. The court heard a surveillance camera caught Lima causing more damage with a hammer.
Cameron received a suspended sentence and told the court he would repay some of the $17,437.47 Wawanesa Insurance paid out.
Outside court, Cameron told reporters, "I'm actually the victim here," but neither he nor his lawyer elaborated.
The fraud charges are only some of several criminal allegations against Joseph. He is accused of cloning a police radio to get tow trucks to highway crashes faster, and getting kickbacks for tips that can be worth thousands of dollars each.
Joseph also faces several police misconduct allegations, which will be on hold until the criminal matters are over.
The Ontario government has revamped regulations for tow trucks to try and stave off corruption in the industry.
Criminal lawyer Joseph Neuberger, who doesn't represent any of the players in the trial, told CTV News Toronto that sometimes a co-accused who pleads guilty ends up sharing what they know with the authorities.
"It depends on the arrangement. If they wind up being a crown witness, the entire dynamic changes for the one who remains going to trial," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Inside Canada's chaotic response to avian flu
A CFIA official is calling it the 'largest animal health emergency that this country has ever had to face.' A joint IJF/CTV News investigation looks into Canada's response to the bird flu pandemic, and how it's ravaged the country's farms.
What Donald Trump's election victory could mean for Canada
Following president-elect Donald Trump's decisive election victory, there are sure to be significant knock-on effects for Canada. Here's a look at the different areas in which a second Trump presidency may affect Canadians.
Cuba left reeling after Category 3 hurricane ravages island and knocks out power grid
Cuba was left reeling Thursday after a fierce Category 3 hurricane ripped across the island and knocked out the country's power grid.
The world's 10 richest people got a record US$64 billion richer from Trump's re-election
Wednesday wasn't just a good day for Donald Trump. The wealth of the world’s 10 richest people also soared by a record amount, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index.
Influencer is banned from future NYC marathons for bringing a camera crew to last weekend's race
A social media influencer from Texas was disqualified from last weekend's New York City Marathon and banned from future competitions after he ran the race with a camera crew on e-bikes in tow.
Sleepy during the day? You may be at higher risk for a pre-dementia syndrome, study finds
If you find yourself sleepy during your daily activities in your older age, you may need to consider it more than an inconvenience — since the fatigue may indicate you’re at higher risk for developing a condition that can lead to dementia, a new study has found.
B.C. man discovers 115 stuffed animals hidden behind wall, begins donating them to people around world
As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.
Biden gets blamed by Harris allies for the vice president's resounding loss to Trump
Joe Biden's name wasn't on the ballot, but history will likely remember Kamala Harris' resounding defeat as his loss too.
Kamala Harris concedes: Here's what she said in her speech
Democratic Vice-President Kamala Harris conceded the U.S. election to Republican Donald Trump Wednesday afternoon, telling her supporters that her 'heart is full.'