A Toronto police officer, Const. Ronald Joseph, has been sentenced to house arrest for orchestrating a series of staged accidents and vehicle thefts in an attempt to defraud insurance companies. Joseph, who pleaded guilty to multiple counts of attempted fraud and public mischief, was handed a conditional sentence of two years less a day by Justice Andrew Pinto.
Justice Pinto stated that Joseph was the “lynchpin of a fraudulent scheme” motivated by “greed.” He added that Joseph “broke the very laws that, as a police officer, he was entrusted to enforce,” constituting a significant breach of public trust.
The fraudulent activities, which took place in 2020, involved several schemes:
- Misleading a fellow officer to initiate a theft investigation for a rented Mercedes-Benz, followed by staging an associated accident to file a fraudulent claim.
- Reporting a tow truck stolen from a location where it had never been parked, with the intent of lodging an insurance claim for the theft.
- Arranging for associates to deliberately damage Joseph’s Cadillac in order to falsely claim insurance benefits after a minor collision.
- Fabricating a collision involving a Ford Escape rented from a company Joseph controlled, despite extensive pre-existing damage from a previous accident.
His intended victims included the Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada, the CAA Insurance Company, and TD Insurance. Justice Pinto noted that investigations by the insurance companies foiled the schemes.
Joseph’s lawyer unsuccessfully argued for a conditional discharge and probation, while the Crown supported the conditional sentence. The defense argued that a conditional sentence would automatically disqualify Joseph from his profession. Joseph provided letters of support from his religious organizations, and “apologized for his criminal conduct and stated that it will never happen again.”
Joseph, 52, immigrated to Canada in 2007 and has been a Toronto Police Service (TPS) officer since 2008. He was suspended with pay after his arrest and without pay after his sentencing. He was on the Ontario Sunshine List from 2012 to 2023, with an annual salary of $112,120. Joseph’s wife and child also contributed to his family’s financial situation.
As part of his house arrest, which will be served at his home in Etobicoke, Joseph will be subject to GPS monitoring. After the initial 12 months, house arrest will be lifted, but GPS monitoring will continue for six months, with a curfew. The final six months will see the end of the GPS monitoring and curfew. In December 2023, Joseph was found not guilty on five counts of fraud relating to the tow truck industry.
Joseph has engaged in pro-social behavior through his volunteer work with religious organizations, and the judge noted that Joseph’s family depends on him financially. Insurance companies involved state that insurance fraud significantly impacts all Canadians by driving up costs and leading to higher insurance premiums.
