Disability fraudster no-show for sentencing
Joshua Lee Best, 37, bilked Canada Revenue Agency by impersonating disabled man
A judge issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for a Fredericton man who failed to attend court for his sentencing hearing for impersonation and fraud offences.
Joshua Lee Best, 37, of George Street, pleaded guilty in Fredericton provincial court in August to counts of personating Kelly Lee Moses fraudulently for monetary gain and to defrauding the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) of more than $5,000.
The charges indicate he committed the crimes between Dec. 3, 2020, and July 22, 2021, in Fredericton.
At the time, the court ordered a pre-sentence report and set the matter over to Nov. 14 for sentencing.
But when Judge Natalie LeBlanc called the case Tuesday, Best wasn’t present.
Court heard the offender skipped his pre-sentence report interview.
LeBlanc issued a warrant for Best’s arrest.
Court heard previously that Best had passed himself off as Moses, and was able to do so because Moses has an intellectual disability.
The charges indicate Best impersonated the victim so he could fleece CRA to the tune of several thousand dollars, though court has yet to hear the exact amount of the fraud to the federal government.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.
scum!!