Holy fraudster ‘brought to his knees’

BARRIE — A prayer group leader who bilked 20 people out of $1.1 million should pay it all back or rot in prison for an extra five to 10 years.

That’s what Crown attorney Mary Ann Alexander proposed Tuesday at the sentencing hearing of Don VanBodegom, 54, of Innisfil.

She says the mortgage broker who was found guilty of money laundering and fraud should spend six years in prison and pay a $1.1-million fine. If he doesn’t have the money, he should stay in prison for up to a decade longer, she says.

“If he doesn’t have the ability pay it back, too bad, he shouldn’t have squandered it all,” she said. “Mr. VanBodegom is a proven liar. He’s a fraudster.”

VanBodegom owned about a dozen businesses in Barrie and the surrounding area, including several numbered companies that were just mailbox addresses.  (more...)

Holy fraudster ‘brought to his knees’