OTTAWA – An Iroquois-man who pleaded guilty for an international fraud scheme was in court June 6 to determine if a constitutional challenge would be heard.
Edouard Bonamie, 75, pleaded guilty to four charges in June 2022 relating to a yacht-fraud scheme. In April, Bomanie’s lawyer – Eric Granger – launched a constitutional challenge to sentencing minimums relating to fraud of $1 million. Three of the four charges Bonamie pleaded guilty to were for fraud, the fourth was for uttering forged documents.
At the Elgin Street Court House in Ottawa, Justice Ann Alder said that based on the case law submissions from the Crown and defence, she would provide a written ruling as to whether a constitutional challenge would be heard before the sentencing arguments, after sentencing arguments, or at all. That ruling will be issued June 21, to be spoken in court on July 6.
Bonamie was charged by the Ottawa Police Service in December 2021 after an international investigation involving the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ontario Provincial Police. At that time, police said he was involved with the South Dundas Waterfront Development Corporation, based in Iroquois.
He originally faced eight charges with three additional charges filed in May 2022. Bonamie entered into a plea deal with the Crown in June 2022, lowering the charges to four which he then pleaded guilty to.
Bonamie has been released on bail since last summer. Terms of that release are subject to a publication ban.
Bonamie and the SDWDC have been named in numerous civil law suits which remain before courts in Toronto, Brockville, and Kingston.