A future lawyer who transmitted to a network of fraudsters the confidential information of a dozen clients of the National Bank benefited Tuesday from an unconditional discharge to allow him to practice law. A lenient sentence that results from the late disclosure by the National Bank of evidence “central” to this case.
Nathaniel Thomas, 35, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a summary charge of trafficking in identifying information. His trial of a few days scheduled for this fall collapsed when the Crown learned in extremis of the existence of evidence “in the hands of the National Bank” which had not been disclosed to the Sûreté du Québec. (SQ) nor to the public prosecutor.
It should be noted that part of the evidence of the prosecution was based on the internal investigation conducted by the National Bank.
“Despite the diligence of the SQ and ourselves in making repeated requests, we learned on the eve of the trial the existence of evidence which is quite central to this case, and which we believe could have an impact. influence on the outcome of a trial, ”said Crown Attorney Me Bianca Catherine Rossi.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Me Bianca Catherine Rossi, Crown Attorney
Neither the content of this evidence nor the reasons for its late disclosure were disclosed to Judge Robert Marchi on Tuesday.
“The National Bank works fully with the police services. In the present case, the Bank collaborated, throughout the investigation, with the investigators and made sure to send them all the documentation relating to the ex-employee ”, commented by email Jean-François Cadieux, spokesperson for the National Bank.
Screenshots of customer profiles
Nathaniel Thomas worked in the legal expertise department of the National Bank from 2016 to 2017. His task was to assist the bank’s notaries, for example by verifying releases and doing other research, according to the evidence presented to his Preliminary investigation.
But on the sly, Nathaniel Thomas gave screenshots of the profiles of 10 bank customers to a network of fraudsters. Date of birth, social insurance number, employer and various banking information thus ended up in the hands of these fraudsters specializing in identity theft.
The National Bank identified Mr. Thomas during an internal investigation launched following the discovery by the police of 25 profiles of customers in apartments controlled by the network of fraudsters. The National Bank assures to have “tightened the measures of identification of[s] 229 clients whose profiles had been viewed by [son] ex-employee ”, indicated Mr. Cadieux.
If the network’s activities led to a fraud of at least $ 600,000, the “actions of Mr. Thomas” are not associated with “any loss directly,” said Mr.e Rossi.
Future lawyer
Since the accusations, Nathaniel Thomas has largely taken control and has become “an asset for the company”, insisted his lawyer, Mr.e Peter Georges Louis. He has in fact completed his studies in law and all that remains is to do his professional training to obtain the title of lawyer. A criminal record “would put his future at risk,” said his lawyer.
Nathaniel Thomas also donated $ 20,000 to educational institutions, including the Bar Foundation, to establish scholarships for students. Proof of his social commitment, according to the judge, who accepted the joint suggestion of the lawyers by imposing the most lenient sentence in the Criminal Code. Nevertheless, the judge stressed that this “kind of behavior constitutes a significant social problem”.
Identity theft investigation
The future lawyer is the last of the 15 defendants in the network to close his case in court. Most of them – in various roles – received a prison sentence. Dismantled by the Optique du Sûreté du Québec investigation, this network specialized in identity theft. Their modus operandi was to obtain identities, fabricate identity documents in order to open accounts, and ultimately deposit fake checks to withdraw funds.
Press revealed in 2019 that investigators had found more than 4,000 profiles of people in a network cache in LaSalle. “Each profile was filed in a separate envelope. There were identity documents, false records of employment and false invoices to establish an address. In each envelope, there was a stolen identity ”, had explained an investigator at the preliminary investigation of Nathaniel Thomas.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, ARCHIVES THE PRESS
Fred Joseph, “head” of the fraud network, in 2018
Fred Joseph, the “directing head” of the network, was notably sentenced to 40 months in prison. It was he who controlled the hideout where “thousands of items related to fraud, including 400 identity cards” were found. He also had 1375 identities on a hard drive. His right-hand man Mikhailov Saint-Louis was sentenced to two years in prison.