Accused killers sought benefits, court hears
Allan Lanteigne was found beaten to death in Toronto home on March 3, 2011
Within weeks of Allan Lanteigne’s beating death, his estranged husband enlisted his Toronto lover to collect any financial benefits accruing from his death, a Superior Court jury has heard.
The murder trial resumed this week with the prosecution calling witnesses to support its case that Demitry Papasotiriou-Lanteigne and Michael Ivezic killed the University of Toronto accountant for financial gain. The two men have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. Lanteigne’s body was discovered in his Ossington Ave. home on March 3, 2011, while Papasotiriou-Lanteigne was living in Greece.
He was arrested the following November while visiting Toronto. Ivezic was arrested in Athens in 2013.
Prosecutors allege the co-accused sought to claim employee death benefits from U of T, Wendy’s restaurant chain — Lanteigne’s previous employer — and TD Canada Trust, which held his RSP and other accounts. In addition, PapasotiriouLanteigne made a claim for a $2- million death benefit. He was the designated beneficiary.
Crown witness Lucy Gruber, a human resources manager at Wendy’s, testified Monday she was contacted by both Papasotiriou-Lanteigne and Ivezic, whom she spoke to on the phone, asking about benefits owing to Lanteigne, who worked for the company from 1997-2006.
Papasotiriou-Lanteigne, who is a lawyer, faxed a letter to Wendy’s, dated April 28, 2011, asking about any benefits or pension package “that I am entitled to receive as a surviving spouse.” The letter incorrectly stated Lanteigne had worked for Wendy’s from 1990-2005.
Gruber, who had worked with Lanteigne, sent the request to the company’s legal counsel.
“I knew it was an unsolved murder and I wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing,” she testified.
After contacting the company’s insurer, SunLife, Gruber was told there were no benefits owing to Lanteigne, though he had transferred some money to a personal RSP, she said.
Gruber said she emailed that information to Papasotiriou-Lanteigne, minus the RSP information because of “privacy issues.” She did, however, contact the Toronto Police homicide squad about her interac- tions with the men.
Also Monday, a TD Canada Trust financial adviser testified that, weeks after the murder, Ivezic came into his Brampton branch looking to help his friend, Papasotiriou-Lanteigne, liquidate his late spouse’s estate.
“He wanted to get access to the funds as quickly as possible,” Anthony Gagliardi testified. He helped arrange a bank draft for almost $51,000 for Papasotiriou-Lanteigne, which Ivezic picked up.
Defence lawyer Gabriel GrossStein, who represents PapasotiriouLanteigne, asked if Lanteigne’s credit was “maxed out.” Gagliardi said no.
At the time of his death, Lanteigne had the RSP, which wasn’t locked in, several thousand dollars in two bank accounts, along with about $1,500 available on his line of credit.
The prosecution alleges Lanteigne was in a financial pinch and threatening to cut off money he had been sending to Papasotiriou-Lanteigne.
The trial continues Tuesday.