Allegedly lied his way into loans
A 74-year-old Kingston man was arrested on December 17, 2024, after an investigation uncovered that he had defrauded multiple individuals out of $150,000.
The accused, Lionel Bernier, used fabricated stories to persuade victims to lend him money. He claimed to be supporting a woman fleeing intimate partner violence and pursuing a lawsuit for life insurance benefits for his deceased veteran son.
In two cases, the financial strain caused by Bernier’s deceit led victims to be evicted from their apartments. After the fraud, victims were misled into believing that Bernier had died.
Bernier was charged with five counts of fraud exceeding $5,000. He was taken to Kingston Police headquarters for a bail hearing and remanded into custody. Anyone with information about this case or contact with Bernier is urged to reach out to Detective Constable Anthony Hampton at 613-549-4660, Ext. 6438 or ahampton@kingstonpolice.ca.
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