Crown says officer took items while investigating deaths

Constable faces charges in five incidents alleged to have occurred over a two-year span

A Toronto police officer pocketed credit cards and a luxury Swiss watch from people whose deaths he was investigating, had a stolen car for three months and misused police databases, prosecutors said Monday.

Const. Boris Borissov “used his position and powers as a police officer to commit several serious criminal offences,” Crown Samuel Walker said in his opening statement on the first day of a judgealone trial.

“In using his office, he breached the public’s trust,” Walker said.

Borissov is facing a litany of charges related to five offences alleged to have occurred between 2020 and his arrest in 2022. He has pleaded not guilty to theft, fraud or breach of trust by an official, obstruction of justice, possession of property obtained by crime exceeding $5,000, and fraudulently obtaining a computer service.

The 16-year veteran of the Toronto Police Service has been suspended with pay since February 2022.

In his opening statement before Ontario Court Judge Mary Misener in a trial scheduled to last 15 days, Walker said the Crown is expected to call about two dozen witnesses, including Borissov’s wife.

On Monday, witness Amul Kumar described uncovering a pair of thefts while searching his dead younger brother’s belongings. Borissov had been assigned to investigate the brother’s disappearance, which was later discovered to be his death by suicide.

A luxury Swiss watch from his collection — a TAG Heuer Grand Prix De Monaco — was missing, Kumar explained. A search of Borissov’s phone later revealed blurry images of a watch “similar to the model in question,” Walker said.

The phone’s search history also revealed visits to websites related to the Grand Prix De Monaco watches in the weeks after a police investigation began on Feb. 18, 2022.

That model is valued at between $5,000 and $10,000, Walker said.

In his opening statement, Walker said the Crown intends to call the people Borissov attempted to sell the watch to.

It has not been recovered.

Borissov is also alleged to have stolen a TD credit card either from the dead brother’s apartment or from his personal effects found by the side of Lake Ontario — both of which Walker said Borissov had access to.

On Monday, Const. Dmytro Sukhinenko testified that Borissov sent him a photo of an American Express credit card belonging to Kumar’s brother, among other photos.

“I do remember turning to one of the other detectives,” Sukhinenko testified, explaining he told the other officer, “Why am I getting this?” before letting the thought slip his mind.

In cross-examination, defence lawyer Joanne Mulcahy asked Sukhinenko if the photos could have been sent to help track the man’s whereabouts.

“Could be,” he replied.

TD Bank later alerted police that the card had been used at a Brampton butcher shop. Walker said security video from the shop showed Borissov’s friend using the stolen card at the store while driving Borissov’s Honda Fit.

That video was originally set to be collected by another officer; Borissov requested to do it instead, Walker said. He then submitted a falsified report claiming he did not recognize the vehicle or his friend, the Crown said.

When officers ran a search based on the description of the car, Sukhinenko said Borissov’s car was a match. He testified other officers made a joke of at the time — “They laughed, ‘Oh, it’s Borissov’s car.’ ”

Borissov is also alleged to have stolen a Bank of Montreal MasterCard from a woman who was found dead by her sister.

The card was used for “several fraudulent transactions” following her death, Walker said, and although the card was never recovered, photos of it were found on Borissov’s phone.

The Crown says Borissov was also in possession of a stolen Honda Pilot between February and April 2022, and alleges he used his access to police databases between March 2020 and April 2022 to “check up on” the car.

Borissov is also facing police misconduct charges related to these alleged offences. Those proceedings are paused awaiting the outcome of his criminal trial.

Const. Boris Borissov has pleaded not guilty to theft, fraud or breach of trust by an official, obstruction of justice, possession of property obtained by crime exceeding $5,000, and fraudulently obtaining a computer service