‘A drug dealer’s dream’

A P.E.I. man has been sentenced to six months in jail after using a single mother’s stolen debit card and leaving her owing her bank more than $13,000.

Anthony Michael Wayne Gauthier appeared before Judge John Douglas recently in provincial court in Charlottetown for sentencing for breaching his probation and on charges related to the fraud.

The court heard Gauthier used the card over several weeks in October to deposit bad cheques into the victim’s account and then either withdraw cash or use the money for purchases.

Those cash withdrawals varied from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand.

The purchases included transactions at several stores, including Sunglass Hut, Sobeys, Shoppers Drug Mart, the Source and Most Wanted.

“It’s a little late on the day of sentencing to change your attitude.” Judge John Douglas

Crown attorney Lisa Goulden said in total there were about 60 transactions.

“This wasn’t minor,” she said.

The court heard that the victim’s bank has told the woman, who said she didn’t give anyone her PIN, that she is responsible for all the money from Gauthier’s fraudulent activity.

Gauthier also didn’t help the police determine how he ended up with the victim’s card.

The victim was 13 weeks pregnant when she reported the fraud to the police and said she was in the process of moving when the card was stolen.

Goulden said the victim was a single mother with no means of paying the money back.

Before hearing his sentence, Gauthier said he was heavy into a drug addiction when he committed the offences.

He asked Douglas if he would adjourn the matter for two months to see how he does during that time.

Douglas responded that Gauthier had that chance before, but he avoided getting treatment.

“It’s a little late on the day of sentencing to change your attitude,” Douglas said.

As he talked about the severity of the offences, Douglas said it was a major fraud and Gauthier was a danger to the community.

“You’re a drug dealer’s dream.”

Although Douglas said there was next to no chance of Gauthier repaying what he took, he ordered $13,101.50 in restitution to the victim.

Gauthier will be on probation for two years, which included a condition he not panhandle in Charlottetown during that time.