An Ontario man facing dozens of charges in a so-called grandparents phone scam in this province has been released on bail.

Twenty-four-year-old Charles Gillen is accused of travelling to St. John’s to collect money from people, mostly nans and pops taken in by the fake sob stories.

Scammers collect enough info to make the initial call—posing as a grandkid, niece or nephew in trouble with the law and needing cash for bail or a lawyer.

Gillen was removed from a flight as it was about to leave St. John’s on March 2, and had been in custody since then, facing 46 charges including multiple counts of of fraud and extortion. He’s reportedly wanted on similar charges in other provinces, and was twice denied bail here.

But the third time proved a charm yesterday when, in the greatest of ironies, Gillen, a grandson in jail for real, was bailed out by his own grandparents.

They appeared by video from their home in Winnipeg, where Gillen must now stay.

Gillen’s lawyer, Bob Buckingham, will appear for his client when the case is called again in provincial court on January 4.