Missing former Olympian turns himself in to police

Victoria police say an investment dealer and former Canadian Olympic rower who had been missing for nearly a year and a half has turned himself in.

Harold Backer disappeared on Nov. 3, 2015, when he failed to return home after telling his family he was going out for a bike ride.

Soon after, financial crime investigators began looking into Backer and the company My Financial Backer Corporation after his investors received concerning letters.

“He appeared at our police station yesterday. He walked in of his own accord,” Victoria police spokesman Matt Rutherford said Friday.

Rutherford, however, said he had no idea where Backer has been since he disappeared.

Backer, 52, was held in custody overnight. He has had a telebail hearing and is facing two counts of fraud over $5,000. Rutherford said he could not elaborate on the specifics of the allegations against Backer.

Mutual Funds company Investia Financial Services Inc. terminated Backer’s licence after his disappearance, stating he’d failed to follow its policies and procedures that required him to disclose all outside business activities.

After his disappearance, police in Port Angeles, Wash., said an officer who viewed video from a street security camera noted a man fitting Backer’s description was aboard a ferry from Victoria, a 90-minute trip away.

“I know that the last reported sighting of him was the video footage of him just getting off the ferry to Port Angeles. We’re not sure where he went after that,” Rutherford said.

Police said Backer remains in custody and expected to appear in court again on Tuesday.

Backer, who competed in rowing in the 1984, 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games, had 20 clients with Investia.