Guilty plea in fraud charges

OTTAWA – An Iroquois-based property developer pleaded guilty to fraud and forgery charges in an Ottawa court.nnEdouard Bonamie, 74, pleaded guilty on June 24 to four charges in a plea deal with the Crown Attorney’s Office.nnBonamie was initially charged on December 7, 2021 by the Ottawa Police Service with eight charges relating to a yacht fraud investigation in conjunction with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.nnOPS filed three additional charges against Bonamie on May 24, 2022. A month later, he pleaded guilty to four of the 11 charges against him including three counts of fraud over $5,000, and one count of uttering a forged document. The remaining seven charges were dropped by the Crown as part of the plea deal.nnDetails of his guilty plea and the charges Bonamie pleaded guilty to are subject to a Section 517 publication ban under the Criminal Code.nnLater that same day (June 24), Bonamie was granted bail. Details of Bonamie’s bail and release conditions are subject to a Section 517 publication ban under the Criminal Code. He is scheduled to next appear in court on September 26 in Ottawa.nnAt the time of his December 2021 arrest, OPS stated that Bonamie was known to use aliases including Nicholas Bonamy, Nicholas Bomamy, Nicholas Grimaldi, and Nicholas Ives. OPS also stated that he operated the South Dundas Waterfront Development Corporation. The SDWDC applied in 2021 to subdivide a property on Lakeshore Drive for multiple dwellings known as Sumac Point, and built a residential model home on County Road 2 near Iroquois. The company is also involved in a property development in Brockville known as Deerbourne Estates.nnIn 2006, Bonamie pleaded guilty to fraud and forgery charges in Saskatchewan relating to a genomics company and was sentenced to four years in prison. According to the Regina Leader-Post, Bonamie’s criminal record shows more than 60 convictions – primarily for fraud and forgery – dating back to the early 1970s.