Paul Cherry • Montreal Gazette
Carl-Henri Moody, 22, and Olivier-Emmanuel Tshinkenke, 23, were sentenced this week for their roles in a large-scale fraud ring that targeted vulnerable senior citizens in Montreal. The men were part of a criminal operation that scammed 34 people, collecting over $192,000 in a matter of weeks.
Both men received 15-month sentences, which they will serve in the community. Under the court’s orders, Moody will serve the first eight months under house arrest, followed by 150 hours of community service. Tshinkenke will also serve his sentence in the community, with the judge agreeing to a restitution order requiring both men to pay $15,000 to Desjardins, the financial institution they defrauded.
The scam targeted older adults, with the fraudsters posing as employees of Desjardins. They would call victims, claiming there had been fraudulent transactions on their bank cards and convince them to provide their PIN numbers. The criminals then instructed victims to insert their bank cards in envelopes, which would be picked up by a Canada Post accomplice and returned to the fraudsters. Using the stolen cards, the group purchased gift cards and prepaid credit cards.
The Montreal police launched an investigation in March 2022 after receiving reports from victims in the Montreal North area. The investigation uncovered a widespread operation involving multiple individuals. Police surveillance during May and June 2022 led to the identification and arrest of six men, including Moody and Tshinkenke. While both men admitted to their roles in the fraud ring, their sentences reflect the leniency of the joint proposal between the defense and prosecutors.
The case also saw the conviction of Carl-Henri Moody’s twin brother, Carl-René Moody, who was sentenced to 23 months in prison and ordered to repay $80,000. Other members of the fraud ring have also been sentenced and ordered to repay victims.
These sentences mark the conclusion of the case, which involved a total of six men arrested in connection with the fraud scheme. Montreal authorities continue to send a clear message about the importance of protecting vulnerable citizens from scams, with a focus on restitution for the victims.