Man promising millions to team is charged with fraud

Calgary’s Gould claims banking ‘screw ups’

A Calgary man whose highlypublicized promise to donate millions to a B.C. junior hockey team has so far gone unfulfilled and he has been charged with fraud and forgery stemming from a celebratory banquet he held at a restaurant.

The National Post also learned Mike Gould took part in meetings in recent months with the managers of an upscale residential community in Cranbrook, B.C., during which he expressed interest in buying the whole development for tens of millions but never followed through on a hefty deposit. During those meetings, the managers say they were led to believe Gould was in talks with the Calgary Flames about acquiring an ownership stake in the team.

But a Flames spokesman said Tuesday no one from the team had any communication with Gould.

Gould, 38, first drew attention in mid-October, when he announced at a pregame ceremony his intention of donating $7.5 million to the Dynamiters hockey team in his hometown of Kimberley, B.C.

The following night, he threw a banquet for the team at the Northwest Grill in nearby Cranbrook, incurring a tab of $8,000. As the National Post outlined in a story this weekend, Gould initially presented two cheques to cover the bill.

According to restaurant owner Jolene Salanski, Gould signed one of the cheques in the restaurant, while the other cheque was already signed. But Gould called the next day asking her not to cash the cheques. When she examined the cheques more closely, she discovered the cheques were under someone else’s name.

Salanski said she later learned they belonged to Gould’s stepfather and that he had not authorized the use of the cheques.

Weeks went by before Gould finally came in and paid the $8,000 tab using cash, she said.

Cranbrook RCMP Const. Katie Forgeron said Tuesday Crown counsel approved charges of fraud and forgery against Gould on Friday stemming from the restaurant incident. She said she couldn’t elaborate.

Gould said Tuesday he had no comment on the charges. He previously confirmed to the Post he used his stepfather’s cheques. He said the reason he asked Salanski not to cash them was because he didn’t have access to funds to give to his stepfather to cover the payment.

He is scheduled to appear in provincial court on Dec. 18. The charges remain unproven.

Meanwhile, Matt Oberle, project manager at River’s Crossing, an upscale singlefamily residential community located next to a golf course in Cranbrook, told the Post he was approached by Gould in September. Initially, Gould expressed interest in three lots but over subsequent visits wanted to buy the entire development. Gould said he had a net worth of $9.1 billion and quickly flashed a bank statement on his phone as proof, Oberle recalled.

Oberle said he and a colleague, Bernie Kennedy, the site’s business development manager, casually questioned Gould on how he accumulated his wealth. Gould replied that he won a lottery overseas and made good investments. They asked him what kinds of investments and he named a couple of stocks.

They told Gould he would need to make a deposit for the discussions to continue. They suggested $2 million. Gould bumped it up to $10 million, but kept delaying payment.

Gould told them he was in talks with the Calgary Flames to acquire an ownership stake in the team. At one point, while touring the property in Oberle’s car, Gould got a call on his cellphone purportedly from someone from the Flames organization.

Gould told the person he understood what it took to buy a hockey team, repeated that he had $9.1 billion, and expressed interest in wanting to build a new arena, Oberle recalled.

Later, Gould used other excuses for why he couldn’t pay the deposit, including that he was setting up a new corporation or that he was buying an oil company.

Gould frequently dropped names of famous business titans, such as Jimmy Pattison or Kevin O’Leary, and expressed interest in wanting to buy pairs of Lamborghinis so he could be “Lambros” with his friends, Oberle said.

Gould had “no comment” Tuesday when asked whether he approached staff at River’s Crossing or whether he talked to anyone about ownership of the Flames.

Gould’s father, Larry, previously told the Post his son was a “good kid” with a big heart who issued gift letters to “dozens” of family and friends in which he promises to share his wealth, but so far the family had seen no evidence of it. One Airdrie, Alta., woman, Jacqueline Jordan, who used to work for Gould in construction, told the Post she even quit her job after receiving a letter.

Gould has steadfastly maintained he accumulated vast riches from a Euro Millions Lottery win, smart investments and gambling wins, and that the delays were the result of banking “screw ups” and other matters out of his control.

After the weekend story published, Gould said he and his family had to go into “hiding” due to threats from the public.

CROWN COUNSEL APPROVED CHARGES OF FRAUD AND FORGERY AGAINST GOULD.