Two Ontario firefighters are facing charges after they allegedly laundered donations intended for families of firefighters injured or killed on the job.
Halton Regional Police say the two suspects were involved with the Ontario Professional Firefighters Association (OPFFA) in Burlington where they performed advocacy work to help families of injured, deceased or retired firefights from across Ontario apply for WSIB benefits.
The OPFFA told police that they received a complaint that prompted them to conduct an internal investigation into the donations and their origins.
That investigation allegedly revealed that several large donations made to the OPFFA between May 12, 2011 and Feb. 26, 2014 were never received. Those donations were later linked to two particular advocacy workers.
At that point, the OPFFA contacted police who took over the investigation.
Two suspects, identified as 52-year-old Warren Paul Atkinson, of Newmarket, and 58-year-old Colin Stuart Grieve, of Stoney Creek, have both been charged with fraud over $5,000, money laundering and attempt to obstruct justice.
Both men are expected to appear in a Milton courtroom on March 29.
