Constable Carlton Watson, a 23-year veteran with the Peel Regional Police force, has been sentenced to five years in jail for falsifying police reports in an auto insurance scam that cost carriers more than $1 million.
In February, the Ontario Superior Court, in Brampton, found Watson guilty of 42 counts of criminal fraud, including 21 counts of fraud over $5000, 9 counts of breach of trust and 9 counts involving forged documents.
The charges stem back to 2010, and include Watson “providing false collision reports and related Highway Traffic Act tickets to legitimize reported losses.” Watson admitted that he prepared some reports without ever arriving at the crash site or speaking with any of the drivers involved, according to the
Toronto Star.
Although Watson originally argued that he only fabricated reports for friends and was never compensated for the illegitimate paperwork, Justice John Sproat ruled that Watson typically received about $6,000 per report and his notes were “on their face clearly deceptive.”
The fraud cost insurance companies $915,000 in claims and $271,931 in various fees and expenses. Justice Sproat considers Watson’s crimes particularly egregious given his role as a trusted community leader, and told the suspended cop that it was “difficult to imagine a more serious breach of trust.”
The industry feels this strict sentencing should help to champion the anti-fraud movement, and may even serve as a warning to others.
"Staged collisions sometimes draw innocent drivers into dangerous situations that put their safety and security in jeopardy," Rick Dubin, vice-president of investigative services at
Insurance Bureau of Canada, said in a statement. "We are encouraged to see the courts strike hard at the core of this practice. One day, hopefully, we will eliminate it."
Citing research, which shows that auto insurance fraud in Ontario costs insurers up to $1.6 billion every year, the IBC has expressed hope that this case highlights the severity of the crime and its impact on consumers.
"This sentence reinforces what we have been saying – that auto insurance fraud in Ontario is a multi-million dollar business,” said Dubin. “And when someone makes a false or exaggerated claim, honest consumers pay considerably more than they should for insurance."
