Calgary police seek accused in grandparent scam who missed court appearance
Calgary police are looking to the public for help locating a man wanted for allegedly using a so-called 'grandparent scam' that swindles seniors.
The victim told police someone called him on Sept. 22 pretending to be his nephew and claiming to be in trouble after being arrested.
His 'nephew' said he needed thousands of dollars in cash to get out on bail.
A second person then called the victim claiming to be his nephew's lawyer.
The senior hung up and called his nephew to confirm the story, at which time he discovered none of it was true. He then called police to report it.
Officers were ready and waiting at the senior’s home when one suspect arrived to pick up the cash.
A second suspect was arrested the next day.
Nicky Cotroni-Bruno, 39, and Patrick Gill, 32, both from Mascouche, Quebec, have each been charged with one count of defrauding a person over $5,000.
Gill has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 26.
Cotroni-Bruno was also released from custody and was scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 26, but failed to appear.
A warrant has now been issued for his arrest.
He is described as being 183 centimetres (6’) tall, approximately 102 kilograms (225 pounds) with brown hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Cotroni-Bruno is asked to call police at 403-266-1234. Tips can also be left anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.