THUNDER BAY – Members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Serious & Organized Crime Section in Thunder Bay have charged a Thunder Bay resident with misappropriation of funds.
The RCMP alleges that between 2007 and 2012, Mr. Giuseppe (Joe) CRUPI fraudulently obtained for Kashechewan First Nation (KFN) over $1.2 million of public money from the National Child Benefit Reinvestment (NCBR) Program, which was meant to provide breakfasts for approximately 400 elementary school children in the Kashechewan First Nation (KFN). The RCMP also alleges that CRUPI then misappropriated from KFN approximately $694,000.00 of this money for his personal use in 2008, 2009 and 2012.
The funds originally came from Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) [formerly known as Aboriginal Affairs Northern Development Canada (AANDC)] through the NCBR Program. One of the objectives of the program is promoting child nutrition. CRUPI also submitted false funding applications and reports to INAC on behalf of KFN. CRUPI was the co-manager at KFN, responsible for managing funds obtained by KFN from INAC.
On September 20th, 2016, RCMP investigators arrested and charged Giuseppe CRUPI (50 years old) from Thunder Bay, Ontario with the following:
- Fraud Over (x3); contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada (CCC)
- Uttering forged document (x3); contrary to the CCC
- Laundering proceeds of Crime; contrary to the CCC
- Possession of Property obtained by Crime over $5,000; contrary to the CCC
“Economic Integrity is a priority that the RCMP addresses through enforcement and disruption”, said Inspector Paul Mellon, North East District Commander. “We target fraud including those criminal activities that exploit our Indigenous communities.”
Anyone with information regarding criminal activity is encouraged to contact their local police, the RCMP at 1-800-387-0020 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Source: RCMP Media Release / September 20 2016
