An Ontario man has pleaded guilty to scamming thousands of dollars from seniors in the St. John’s metro area through a so-called grandparents’ phone scam.
Twenty-seven-year-old Charles Gillen was set to be arraigned in Supreme Court this morning and have trial dates set.
Instead, the defence told the court those dates won’t be necessary as they plan to plead guilty to some charges while others will be withdrawn.
Crown prosecutor Richard Deveau confirmed same, stating “we are now on a resolution track and no longer on a trial track.”
Gillen was intercepted and arrested at St. John’s International Airport two years ago as he attempted to leave the province.
Charles Gillen (VOCM News/file)
It’s alleged he came here to collect money from seniors duped by scammers posing as grandkids, police and lawyers, demanding money to bail out a loved one in trouble with the law.
More than a dozen desperate nans and pops fell for it, forking out thousands of dollars in response to the fake scenarios.
Gillen was charged with 46 counts, including fraud and extortion, but plans to plead guilty to 14 fraud charges in a plea deal with the Crown, with one guilty plea entered today.
Meanwhile, the court is awaiting an update regarding similar charges against Gillen in Nova Scotia.
An update on the status of that case, in relation to charges he’s facing here, is expected when the matter is called again on May 5th.
