Criminal charges have been dropped linked to $20,000 in false loans taken from a money lender after a former employee from Sarnia signed a peace bond.
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Raj Patel, who worked in customer service at the Money Mart locations in Chatham and Sarnia until December 2023, was facing charges after a comprehensive audit was conducted, a Sarnia courtroom recently heard.
“It was noted that the accused processed several false loans and pocketed the money,” assistant Crown attorney Mikesh Mistry recently told a Sarnia judge. “It was a sum over $20,000.”
But Mistry added the money has since been paid back and, as a result, the Crown agreed to drop the charges in favor of a peace bond. When asked by Justice Mark Hornblower, Patel, a former Lambton College student, didn’t acknowledge any criminal responsibility, but agreed what Mistry said was largely correct.
“Based on the information that’s provided to me and largely agreed to by Mr. Patel the common-law bond is appropriate. A significant factor is that restitution has been made in full,” Hornblower said.
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The judge clarified a bond is not a criminal conviction; it’s only a short order. But Patel was bailed if he broke the rules he could face new criminal charges.
Patel’s three-year, common-law bond includes just two rules: he has to keep the peace and be of good behavior, and he can’t go to or work at any Money Mart location in Canada.
Patel told the judge he understood the rules and would absolutely follow them. After he signed it, all criminal charges he faced were dropped.
Patel, originally from Mumbai, India, studied financial planning and wealth management at Lambton College from 2020-23 and started working at the Chatham Money Mart as a financial sales representative in November 2022, according to his Facebook page.
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