Summary The Inside Job: A crooked cop, a dead man and an $800,000 estate fraud torontolife.com
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A fraud scheme involving a crooked cop and a deceased man results in arrests and guilty verdicts, highlighting the growing problem of home improvement scams in Canada.
Slides
Slide Presentation (14 slides)
Key Points
- Robert Konashewych and Heinz Sommerfeld became involved in a complex fraud scheme involving Sommerfeld's unclaimed estate.
- Konashewych posed as Sommerfeld's friend to claim the estate's funds, leading to his arrest and charge for fraud.
- Konashewych used the stolen money to pay off his debt and invest in high-risk stocks.
- Amin hired contractor Mike Borac to build his dream home but ended up with an unfinished house and significant financial losses.
- Borac has a history of defrauding homeowners and subcontractors, highlighting the need for stronger regulations in the construction industry.
Summaries
28 word summary
Crooked cop Robert Konashewych and deceased man Heinz Sommerfeld were involved in a fraud scheme, leading to arrests and guilty verdicts. Home improvement scams in Canada are increasing.
71 word summary
Police officer Robert Konashewych and deceased man Heinz Sommerfeld were involved in a fraud scheme. Konashewych posed as Sommerfeld's friend to claim his unclaimed estate funds, receiving a significant sum of money. Konashewych's girlfriends uncovered the fraud, leading to arrests and guilty verdicts. Another victim, Amin, was scammed by contractor Mike Borac, who has a history of dishonesty. Home improvement scams are increasing in Canada, highlighting the need for stricter regulations.
181 word summary
A police officer, Robert Konashewych, and a deceased man, Heinz Sommerfeld, were involved in a fraud scheme. Konashewych had two girlfriends, Candice Dixon and Adellene Balgobin, whom he kept separate. They decided to exploit Sommerfeld's unclaimed estate, with Konashewych posing as Sommerfeld's friend to claim the funds. Despite Sommerfeld having a half-brother named Peter Stelter, Konashewych received a significant sum of money from the estate, which he used to pay off debt and invest in high-risk stocks. Dixon uncovered the fraud, reported it to the police, and Konashewych and Balgobin were arrested and found guilty. Amin hired contractor Mike Borac to build his dream home but was scammed when Borac failed to complete the project and disappeared. Amin formed a group with other victims and reported Borac to the police, leading to his arrest and fraud charges. Borac has a history of dishonesty and continues finding work due to the construction industry's lack of regulation. Home improvement scams are increasing in Canada, causing financial and emotional distress for victims. Stricter regulations are needed to prevent fraudulent contractors from devastating homeowners' lives.
436 word summary
A police officer named Robert Konashewych and a deceased man named Heinz Sommerfeld were involved in a complex fraud scheme. Konashewych had two girlfriends, Candice Dixon and Adellene Balgobin, whom he kept separate. Dixon discovered Konashewych's affair with Balgobin and they decided to exploit Sommerfeld's unclaimed estate. They planned for Konashewych to pose as Sommerfeld's friend and claim the funds. Despite Sommerfeld having a half-brother named Peter Stelter, the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee mistakenly believed Konashewych was the sole beneficiary. Konashewych received a significant sum of money from the estate, used it to pay off his debt, and invested in high-risk stocks. Dixon uncovered the fraud, reported it to the police, and Konashewych and Balgobin were arrested and found guilty. Dixon moved on and opened a beauty salon in Florida. Stelter inherited the remaining funds but regrets not reconciling with his brother before his death.
A man named Amin hired contractor Mike Borac to build his dream home in Port Credit, Ontario. Borac promised to complete the project faster and cheaper than other contractors, claiming extensive experience and providing positive references. Amin hired Borac after consulting his lawyer and gave a $110,000 deposit. The project initially progressed well, but Amin grew doubtful of Borac's honesty over time. Borac requested additional payments, claiming contractor discounts, and despite unease, Amin continued paying. In spring 2022, Borac failed city inspections due to deviations from approved plans and shortcuts, causing delays. In November 2022, Borac stopped showing up and left for Serbia, leaving Amin with an unfinished house and $235,000 in losses.
Amin formed the Mike Action Group with other victims of Borac's scams. They discovered Borac's pattern of starting projects before disappearing once receiving enough money, defrauding multiple homeowners. The group reported Borac to the police, and he was arrested in May 2023 and faces fraud charges. Borac has a history of dishonesty, facing civil court cases and failing to pay subcontractors and suppliers. Despite this, he continues finding work due to his pseudonym and the construction industry's lack of regulation.
Borac's scams caused significant financial and emotional distress to victims, who had to spend extra money to complete their projects and lost faith in the construction industry. Home improvement scams are increasing in Canada, posing risks to homeowners. Amin and other victims hope for justice and restitution, wanting Borac to face jail time. They want to move on from the ordeal and forget about him. This story highlights the dangers of home improvement scams and the need for stricter regulations in the construction industry, showing how fraudulent contractors like Mike Borac can devastate homeowners' lives.
538 word summary
Robert Konashewych, a police officer, and Heinz Sommerfeld, a deceased man with an unclaimed estate, were involved in a complex fraud scheme. Konashewych had two girlfriends, Candice Dixon and Adellene Balgobin, whom he kept separate. Dixon eventually discovered Konashewych's affair with Balgobin. The pair saw an opportunity to exploit Sommerfeld's estate and devised a plan for Konashewych to pose as Sommerfeld's friend and claim the funds. Despite Sommerfeld having a half-brother named Peter Stelter, the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee mistakenly believed Konashewych was the sole beneficiary. Konashewych received a significant sum of money from the estate, which he used to pay off his debt and invest in high-risk stocks. Dixon uncovered the fraud and reported it to the police. Konashewych and Balgobin were arrested and found guilty of fraud. Dixon has moved on and opened a beauty salon in Florida. Stelter inherited the remaining funds but regrets not reconciling with his brother before his death.
A man named Amin sought a contractor to build his dream home in Port Credit, Ontario. He discovered a house under construction with signs advertising SUM ICF Sip Forming Drain and Concrete. Amin contacted the owner, Mike Borac, who promised to build the house faster and cheaper than other contractors. Borac claimed extensive experience and provided positive references. Amin consulted his lawyer and hired Borac, providing a $110,000 deposit.
Initially, the project progressed well, with Borac completing excavation in two days. However, Amin grew doubtful of Borac's honesty over time. Borac requested additional payments for materials, claiming contractor discounts. Despite unease, Amin continued paying. In spring 2022, Borac failed two city inspections due to deviations from approved plans and shortcuts. Delays ensued as new drawings were approved. In November 2022, Borac stopped showing up and eventually left for Serbia, promising to resume work upon return. However, he never returned, leaving Amin with an unfinished house and $235,000 in losses.
Amin reached out to other clients of Borac and formed the Mike Action Group. They discovered Borac's pattern of starting projects before disappearing once receiving enough money. Borac defrauded multiple homeowners, leaving unfinished projects and financial losses. The group consulted a lawyer and reported Borac to the police. In May 2023, Borac was arrested and faces charges including fraud.
Borac has a history of dishonesty, facing civil court cases from defrauded businesses. He also failed to pay subcontractors and suppliers. Despite this record, Borac continues finding work due to his pseudonym and the construction industry's lack of regulation.
Borac's scams caused significant financial and emotional distress to victims who had to spend extra money to complete their projects. They lost faith in the construction industry. Home improvement scams are increasing in Canada, posing risks to homeowners. The case of Mike Borac emphasizes the need for stricter regulations and oversight in the construction industry.
Amin and other victims hope for justice and restitution, wanting Borac to face jail time. The experiences have caused financial ruin and dashed future plans. They want to move on from the ordeal and forget about Borac.
This story highlights the dangers of home improvement scams and the necessity for stricter regulations in the construction industry. It shows how fraudulent contractors like Mike Borac can devastate homeowners' lives.
799 word summary
Robert Konashewych, a police officer with a luxurious lifestyle and a mountain of debt, and Heinz Sommerfeld, a recently deceased man with a large unclaimed estate, became entangled in a complex fraud scheme. Konashewych had two girlfriends, Candice Dixon and Adellene Balgobin, whom he kept separate from each other. Dixon, who was in a relationship with Konashewych for seven years, eventually discovered his affair with Balgobin. Konashewych and Balgobin saw an opportunity to exploit Sommerfeld's estate, which was being managed by the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (OPGT). They concocted a plan for Konashewych to pose as Sommerfeld's friend and claim the estate's funds. Despite the fact that Sommerfeld had a half-brother named Peter Stelter, the OPGT mistakenly believed that Konashewych was the sole beneficiary of the estate. Konashewych received a significant sum of money from the estate and used it to pay off his debt and invest in high-risk stocks. However, Dixon eventually discovered the fraud scheme and reported it to the police. Konashewych and Balgobin were arrested and charged with fraud. They were found guilty by a jury and are awaiting sentencing. Meanwhile, Dixon has moved on with her life and opened a beauty salon in Florida. Stelter, Sommerfeld's half-brother, inherited the remaining funds from the estate but expressed regret that he never had the chance to reconcile with his brother before his death.
In July 2021, a man named Amin, who wished to remain anonymous, was searching for a contractor to build his dream home in Port Credit, Ontario. He came across a house under construction with signs advertising a company called SUM ICF Sip Forming Drain and Concrete. Amin contacted the owner, Mike Borac, and was impressed by his promise to build the house faster and cheaper than other contractors. Borac claimed to have decades of experience in the industry and offered a lower estimate and shorter timeline than other contractors. Amin did his due diligence, speaking with the owner of the house Borac was working on and another client, both of whom gave positive reviews. Amin consulted with his lawyer and ultimately decided to hire Borac, providing him with a $110,000 deposit.
The project initially progressed smoothly, with Borac completing the excavation in just two days. However, as time went on, Amin began to have doubts about Borac's honesty. Borac requested additional payments for materials, claiming he could get a discount due to his status as a contractor. Amin reluctantly agreed and continued to pay Borac despite growing unease. In the spring of 2022, Borac failed two city inspections and it was revealed that he had deviated from the approved plans and taken shortcuts. It took months to get new drawings approved, causing further delays. In November 2022, Borac stopped showing up to the site and eventually left for Serbia, promising to resume work upon his return. However, he never came back, leaving Amin with an unfinished house and $235,000 in losses.
Amin began reaching out to other clients of Borac and formed a WhatsApp group called the Mike Action Group. They discovered that Borac had a pattern of starting projects with energy and commitment before disappearing once he received enough money from clients. Borac had defrauded multiple homeowners, leaving them with unfinished projects and significant financial losses. The group decided to consult a lawyer and report Borac to the police. In May 2023, Borac was arrested and faces multiple charges, including fraud and possession of the proceeds of a crime.
Borac's history of dishonesty extends beyond this case. He has a long list of civil court cases against him, where he has been pursued by businesses he defrauded. Borac has also failed to pay subcontractors and suppliers, leaving them out of pocket. Despite his track record, Borac continues to find work thanks to his pseudonym and the lack of regulation in the construction industry.
The victims of Borac's scams have suffered significant financial and emotional distress. They have had to spend additional money to complete their projects and have lost faith in the construction industry. Home improvement scams are on the rise in Canada and pose a significant risk to homeowners. The case of Mike Borac highlights the need for stronger regulations and oversight in the construction industry.
Amin and other victims of Borac's scams hope for justice and restitution. They want Borac to face jail time for his crimes. Their experiences have been a nightmare, causing financial ruin and destroying their plans for the future. They are eager to move on from this ordeal and never have to think about Borac again.
Overall, this story sheds light on the dangers of home improvement scams and the need for stricter regulations in the construction industry. It highlights the devastating impact that fraudulent contractors like Mike Borac can have on homeowners' lives.