Enforcement Notification - Tax fraud scheme using other taxpayers' personal information lands Laval man in prison
EmitenTrust.com LAVAL, QC, Oct. 19, 2026 /CNW/ -- The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced today that Michel-Ange Bonny of Laval, Quebec, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud under the Criminal Code on October 5, 2026, at the Laval Courthouse. Mr. Bonny was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment followed by a three-year probation order for the tax fraud offence investigated by the CRA. Mr. Bonny was also facing other charges arising from a separate investigation conducted by the Laval Police Service for which a concurrent two-year prison sentence was imposed. As a result, Mr. Bonny will serve a total sentence of two years in prison for both offences.
A CRA investigation revealed that Mr. Bonny orchestrated an identity-based tax fraud scheme designed to fraudulently obtain tax refunds by using the personal information of other taxpayers to file false income tax returns and benefit returns (T1 returns) on their behalf. Between March and April 2019, 24 such returns for the 2018 tax year were filed without the knowledge or consent of the taxpayers involved. The returns included fictitious employment income and ineligible deductions to generate refunds to which the taxpayers were not entitled. It was confirmed that these filings were not authorized by the taxpayers, and that changes had been made to several of their CRA accounts without their knowledge, including mailing addresses and direct deposit information.
The total amount of refunds fraudulently claimed was $226,809. Of that amount, $137,988 was deposited into the other taxpayers' bank accounts, by which Mr. Bonny personally benefited approximately $30,000.
All case-specific information above was obtained from the court records.
The CRA remains committed to combating tax evasion and other serious tax offences. There are significant consequences to breaking the law. Addressing tax evasion, tax fraud, and other financial crimes is essential to protecting the integrity of Canada's tax system. While the vast majority of taxpayers comply with tax laws and meet their tax obligations, the CRA continues to administer a variety of programs aimed at protecting the fairness and integrity of the tax system.
Cheating on your taxes affects the services and programs we all rely on to improve our quality of life. This is why the CRA works to ensure that individuals and businesses report all income earned and only claim benefits to which they are entitled, so that important benefit programs can be administered to those who need them.
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Associated links
Beware of tax schemes that promise to reduce your taxes
Criminal investigations at the Canada Revenue Agency
Tax evasion, understanding the consequences
Reporting suspected tax or benefit cheating in Canada
Voluntary Disclosures Program
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SOURCE Canada Revenue Agency