Man charged in major Fraud investigation in relation to yacht sales

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, December 8, 2021                        12:20pm 

(Ottawa) — The Ottawa Police Service Organized Fraud Unit in collaboration with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ontario Provincial Police has charged a man in connection with fraud allegations made from United States and Toronto residents. 

In 2017, a couple living in the United States purchased a yacht from a man. After signing a sales contract and providing a considerable deposit, the vessel was never delivered.  

In 2020, a Toronto man contacted a yacht broker as he was interested in purchasing a vessel he was advertising for sale. After a sea trial of the vessel with the presumed owner, the complainant signed a sales contract and provided the funds. However, the boat was never legally sold to the buyer and was never delivered. 

The above losses for the complainants total over one million Canadian dollars. 

Yesterday, Edouard BONAMIE, 73 years of age, from Iroquois Ontario, was charged with: 

• Fraud over $5000 (x2)
• Utter forged document (x2)
• Laundering Canadian proceeds of crime (x2)
• Possession of stolen property (x2) 

BONAMIE is scheduled to appear in court today. 

Investigators believe that there may be other victims. Edouard BONAMIE also used the alias « Nicholas BOMAMY » and operated a company named South Dundas Waterfront Development Corporation. 

Anyone with information about this incident or may have been a victim of fraud by BONAMIE is asked to contact the Acting Staff Sergeant Steven Desjourdy from the Organized Fraud Unit at 613-236-1222 ext. 5460. 

Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 or at crimestoppers.ca. 

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Tel: 613-236-1222, ext. 5366