Latest news with #JeffreyKent
National Post
3 days ago
- National Post
Alberta serial romance scammer fights court ruling keeping him in prison indefinitely
EDMONTON — A serial romance fraudster who faked brain cancer and used other schemes to bilk Alberta women out of thousands of dollars is fighting a court ruling to keep him in prison indefinitely. Article content Jeffrey Kent's lawyer says he has filed a notice of appeal challenging the recent ruling by an Edmonton Court of King's Bench judge to designate his client a dangerous offender. Article content Article content The designation is used to keep repeat dangerous offenders in prison for the rest of their lives pending periodic reviews by parole officials. Article content Article content Last month, a judge ruled Kent's crimes are of such a serious, harmful nature, and that — coupled with evidence suggesting he will continue such crimes if released — justifies making him a dangerous offender. Article content Court heard Kent bilked five women by romancing them and pretending to be a doctor, lawyer and businessman, and getting them to invest in bogus real estate schemes while running up their credit cards, faking brain cancer to garner sympathy and, in one case, fathering a child by one of them. Article content
Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Globe and Mail
Alberta serial romance scammer fights court ruling keeping him in prison indefinitely
A fraudster Romeo who bilked five Alberta women of thousands of dollars by faking a lavish lifestyle, brain cancer, seizures and fathering a child with at least one of them, is appealing his dangerous offender designation. Jeffrey Kent's lawyer says he has filed a notice of appeal challenging the ruling and his client's indeterminate sentencing by an Edmonton judge last month. 'The decision raises significant legal concerns with national implications,' Jeinis Patel said in a statement this week. Canada's dangerous offender law is for a narrow class of violent offenders who are an ongoing threat to public safety, Patel said. 'The appeal will argue that Mr. Kent does not fall within that category.' Justice Melanie Hayes-Richards said in her June 27 decision that dangerous offender status is the only way to adequately protect the public from Kent. 'He is a predator who targeted vulnerable single women, some of whom were recently separated, and some of whom had young children,' the judge wrote. 'Using lie upon lie, he inserted himself into his victims' lives, promising a bright and secure future. 'Instead, he wreaked havoc.' Kent's romance scams started in April 2016, said the judge, and over the next 1 1/2 years he developed romantic relationships with the victims he met online. He had recently finished a five-year sentence for convictions that included fraud against several other intimate partners. Those offences dated back to the 1990s. Hayes-Richards said the latest scams were elaborate. Kent used fake names and identities — he was a lawyer, a doctor or a businessman with multiple properties. He toured luxury locations with the women and realtors. He took them window shopping for wedding rings. He manipulated them in investing in real estate opportunities. He used their credit cards for expenses. He ruined their relationships with their families and children, and had a baby with one. He defrauded some of a few thousand dollars, and left one woman with a $300,000 debt. He used their money to support his lavish lifestyle and gambling addiction. 'When his excuses stopped working, he told some of the women that he had brain cancer or a seizure disorder to further manipulate the victims out of their money,' Hayes-Richards said. In 2022, Kent pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud. About a year later, Crown prosecutors asked for him to be declared a dangerous offender, and a hearing was held in April. Hayes-Richards said in her decision that the Criminal Code allows an offender to be labelled a dangerous offender if the crime causes a 'serious personal injury' and the offender threatens the 'life, safety, or physical or mental well-being' of his victims. She rejected the defence argument that the damage caused was economical and not a serious personal injury offence, adding the victims still struggle with debilitating depression, shame, humiliation and thoughts of suicide. A psychologist also told Kent's hearing it would be difficult to treat him. 'It will take decades, not years, to change his behaviour, if even possible,' the judge said. 'Left untreated, Mr. Kent is likely to engage in the same behaviour again, which is likely to cause severe psychological damage to any person who becomes a target.' Patel said in his latest statement that Kent's future risk was overstated by the psychologist and the man has expressed remorse. 'For greater clarity, Mr. Kent nor I take the position that the complainants in his matters did not experience significant harm,' Patel said. He added the judge's designation of non-violent, fraudulent conduct as serious personal injury offence is unprecedented. 'Indeterminate detention is the most severe sanction available under Canadian law and must be reserved for the most exceptional and demonstrably violent cases,' Patel said. 'We anticipate that several of the legal issues raised may ultimately require clarification at the appellate level.' Lawyer Vincent Larochelle, who has also co-authored a book called 'Dangerous Offender Law', says he, too, was surprised by the judge's designation that since the 1950s has been parsimoniously used for violent offenders and sexual predators. 'The obvious example is someone who keeps escalating in their behaviour and it's getting worse and then someone tells you, 'Well, look, this person is not treatable,'' said the Whitehorse-based expert. He said the Supreme Court of Canada or the Alberta Court of Appeal will be interested in Kent's case. 'It's clear that this type of decision does broaden the scope of what type of behaviour can trigger a dangerous offender,' he said. 'When you put someone in jail and indeterminately, you toss away that key. It's a very dangerous thing to do.'
CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
Alberta serial romance scammer fights dangerous offender designation
A serial romance fraudster who faked brain cancer and used other schemes to bilk Alberta women out of thousands of dollars is fighting a court ruling to keep him in prison indefinitely. Jeffrey Kent's lawyer says he has filed a notice of appeal challenging the recent ruling by an Edmonton Court of King's Bench judge to designate his client a dangerous offender. The designation is used to keep repeat dangerous offenders in prison for the rest of their lives pending periodic reviews by parole officials. Kent's lawyer says dangerous offender rulings are usually reserved for those who commit violence. Court had previously heard Kent bilked five women by romancing them and pretending to be a doctor, lawyer and businessman, and getting them to invest in bogus real estate schemes while running up their credit cards, faking brain cancer to garner sympathy and, in one case, fathering a child by one of them. The 55-year-old Kent has other fraud and theft convictions under similar circumstances that date back more than three decades. Beginning in B.C., in 1990, he gained women's trust, then stole their money, typically spending it on gambling. Some lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kent, and two became so deeply involved that they had a child with him, learning only after they were pregnant about the extent of his deception. Dangerous offender status can be considered only if someone is convicted of a "serious personal injury offence," and fraud isn't typically in that category. Last month, a judge ruled Kent's crimes are of such a serious, harmful nature, and that — coupled with evidence suggesting he will continue such crimes if released — justifies making him a dangerous offender. Court of King's Bench Justice Melanie Hayes-Richards ruled that an indeterminate sentence was required, concluding it's the only way to manage the risk Kent and his "pattern is the deep deception" poses. "Using lie upon lie, he inserted himself into his victims' lives, promising a bright and secure future. Instead, he wreaked havoc. He destroyed their finances and left some financially destitute. He shattered their confidence, self-worth and ability to trust others," Hayes-Richards said in her decision.
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
Alberta serial romance scammer fights court ruling keeping him in prison indefinitely
Court of Appeal at the Edmonton Law Courts building, in Edmonton on Friday, June 28, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson EDMONTON — A serial romance fraudster who faked brain cancer and used other schemes to bilk Alberta women out of thousands of dollars is fighting a court ruling to keep him in prison indefinitely. Jeffrey Kent's lawyer says he has filed a notice of appeal challenging the recent ruling by an Edmonton Court of King's Bench judge to designate his client a dangerous offender. The designation is used to keep repeat dangerous offenders in prison for the rest of their lives pending periodic reviews by parole officials. Kent's lawyer says dangerous offender rulings are usually reserved for those who commit violence. Last month, a judge ruled Kent's crimes are of such a serious, harmful nature, and that — coupled with evidence suggesting he will continue such crimes if released — justifies making him a dangerous offender. Court heard Kent bilked five women by romancing them and pretending to be a doctor, lawyer and businessman, and getting them to invest in bogus real estate schemes while running up their credit cards, faking brain cancer to garner sympathy and, in one case, fathering a child by one of them. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2025. Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press
