A former provincial Conservative candidate is facing more than a dozen charges after police allege he had been defrauding financial institutions and using stolen credit card information for more than four years.
Salman Farooq, who until recently was set to represent the Conservatives in the Pickering-Scarborough East riding, was arrested on Thursday and charged with 14 fraud-related offences.
Police allege the Woodbridge, Ont., man conspired with two other men and opened a false business account with a bank last year.
Police say the suspect convinced one of the men to deposit stolen and forged cheques worth thousands of dollars into the account. The attempt was thwarted and no money was lost in the incident, police said.
Police further allege that Farooq used fraudulent credit card information to purchase three business class air tickets worth thousands of dollars in December 2009.
He is also accused of purchasing a home with a fraudulently obtained mortgage in 2007.
Farooq is a former candidate for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario in the Pickering-Scarborough East riding.
The Pakistani immigrant was set to challenge Liberal incumbent Wayne Arthurs in the Oct. 6 provincial election.
A website and Facebook page promoting his campaign have been removed from the Internet.
A cached version of the website says Farooq owns a successful business which employs 70 people. Various media reports say he works as a mortage broker and radio commentator.
The site says he came to Canada with less than $3,000 in his pocket, and now volunteers for various charities and local service groups.
Farooq, also known as Salman Farooq Sheikh, was arrested on Thursday and charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000, use of credit card obtained by crime, possessing property obtained by crime over $5,000 and two counts of uttering forged documents, among others.
None have the charges have been proven in court.
Police believe there may be more victims, and ask anyone with information to contact police at 416-808-1300 or 416-808-1370 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
