A Calgary man has been convicted on multiple fraud charges after a court found he defrauded over a dozen victims in a park model home scheme, with losses nearing $2.5 million.
Guilty Verdict Reached in Court
Robert Bradley Sandler, the former director of the licensed retail home sales business Home Squad Inc., was found guilty on 13 counts of fraud over $5,000. Justice Shane Parker delivered the conviction in Calgary’s Court of King’s Bench on November 13.
The ruling followed an extensive 18-month investigation conducted by the province’s consumer investigation unit (CIU), with details announced by Calgary police in a release this week.
Details of the Fraudulent Scheme
The investigation was launched in February 2020 after an initial consumer complaint regarding the purchase of a park model, a type of mobile home. As the CIU dug deeper, they identified a total of 16 affected families.
Court evidence revealed that between September 2018 and February 2020, victims collectively paid $2.43 million to Home Squad Inc. for homes they never received. Furthermore, deposits and progress payments were not used as stipulated in the contracts signed by the homebuyers.
The company ultimately filed for bankruptcy in August 2020, leaving victims without their promised homes and out of significant sums of money.
Ongoing Legal Process and Impact
Sentencing for Robert Bradley Sandler will be scheduled at a later date, also at the Calgary Court of King’s Bench. The case highlights the financial risks consumers can face in large transactions and the role of provincial consumer protection units in investigating such complex frauds.
The conviction serves as a significant outcome for the defrauded families, though the financial recovery process remains separate from the criminal proceedings. The case underscores the importance of due diligence when making substantial investments, particularly in the retail home and park model industry.