Eight Charged in $3M Durham Cleaning Service Fraud, Five More Sought

Eight Charged in $3M Durham Cleaning Service Fraud, Five More Sought

Durham Regional Police have announced charges against eight individuals in connection with a complex fraud investigation, with five additional suspects still being sought. The case, known as Project Fletcher, involves allegations of defrauding ServiceMaster, a cleaning service in Durham Region, out of more than $3 million over a period of several years.

Alleged Ringleader and Scheme Details

Investigators allege that Duaa Hadweh, a 54-year-old Clarington woman who worked as the operations manager at ServiceMaster for 23 years, orchestrated the fraud between 2016 and 2021. Police believe the total amount defrauded may be significantly higher, potentially spanning 15 years, but the review was limited to January 2015 through October 2021 due to unavailable financial records.

The fraud came to light following a corporate restructuring at ServiceMaster, during which Hadweh was moved to a different position. The new operations manager identified financial irregularities, prompting an internal audit and a police report in November 2021.

Sophisticated Fraud Scheme Uncovered

Detective Brad Chapman of the Financial Crimes Unit detailed the alleged scheme at a press conference. He claimed that Hadweh diverted employee wages into her own bank account, redirected payroll funds to other individuals—including family members—and submitted fraudulent subcontractor invoices for work that was never performed.

"The investigation alleges that Mrs. Hadweh orchestrated a sophisticated long-term fraud scheme," Chapman stated. "Funds directed to her son and daughter were used to make mortgage payments on a newly constructed home, which was later sold at a profit, with proceeds allegedly laundered back to Hadweh and her husband."

Extensive Investigation and Charges

The case involved a forensic audit that identified approximately 270 fraudulent cheques issued to eight subcontractor companies and deposited into 22 bank accounts. Police allege extensive money laundering activity, including the use of cheque-cashing businesses, multiple financial institutions, and movement of funds across Durham Region, the Greater Toronto Area, and to Uruguay and South America.

Investigators executed 27 judicial orders, reviewed nearly 80,000 pages of financial records, analyzed 30 large datasets, and compiled close to 800 investigative file attachments.

Charged Individuals and Suspects Sought

The eight individuals charged face a total of 33 offences:

• Duaa Hadweh, 54, of Clarington: Charged with fraud over $5,000, theft over $5,000, possession of proceeds over $5,000, laundering proceeds of crime, and uttering forged documents.
• Bishara Hadweh, 63, of Clarington; Rina Hadweh, 30, of the U.S.; Richard Hadweh, 31, of Clarington; Roberto Campos, 63, of Oshawa; and Melba Carbajal, 61, of Oshawa: All charged with fraud over $5,000, theft over $5,000, possession of proceeds over $5,000, and laundering proceeds of crime.
• Fabiane Batista Campos, 58, of Oshawa: Charged with fraud over $5,000, theft over $5,000, and possession of proceeds over $5,000.
• Willians Freddy Roman, 58, of Brampton: Charged with fraud over $5,000, possession of proceeds over $5,000, and laundering proceeds of crime.

Police are seeking five additional suspects: Gabriel Gustavo Amuz Cerqui, 56; Gabriela Noel Amuz Balari, 23; Rodrigo Nicolas Amuz Balari, 21; Alexandra Noemi Ramos Bausero, 39; and Gustavo Alejandro Malvarez, 59. They face 19 additional charges.

Public Appeal for Information

Anyone with information about this investigation is urged to contact the Financial Crimes Unit at 1-888-579-1520, extension 5358, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).