Bonamie day parole extended

SOUTH DUNDAS – Convicted criminal Edouard Bonamie has seen his day parole term extended with statutory conditions for his release added.

The Parole Board of Canada confirmed Bonamie’s continued day parole on July 21. “Following the review, the Parole Board of Canada made the decision to continue day parole and impose statutory release conditions,” said Leah Fillion with the PBC.

Those conditions include additional financial disclosures and a telecommunications restriction. Financial disclosures include not possessing any banking documents, credit, debit, or bank cards, or cheques without the approval of his parole supervisor; not to be self-employed, own, or operate a business; and not to be in a position of responsibility for managing finances or investments for other individuals, businesses, charities or institutions. Bonamie is also not to have more than one SIM card or mobile device unless approved by his supervisor, and must not delete any information from the device without approval from that supervisor.

The conditions were recommended by the Correctional Service of Canada and accepted by the PBC in their decision July 14.

“You have a lengthy offence history, mostly for offending in some way similar to your index offending, in addition to which you have a problematic supervision history,” the PBC said.

In its reasons for special conditions, the PBC said it was “both reasonable and necessary given that you committed offences for financial gain, numerous through fraud.”

Bonamie is serving his fifth federal sentence in a prolific criminal career that spans over 50 years – beginning in 1972.

He was charged in 2021 relating to an international yacht-fraud scheme which defrauded three buyers.

Bonamie pleaded guilty to four charges in 2022 and was sentenced in April 2024 to two years and two months in federal prison. He was named a principle of the South Dundas Waterfront Corporation.

Bonamie, named SDWDC director Patricia Theriault, and that company remained involved in several civil litigation matters. While two of the three victims from the yacht-sales crimes were repaid, a restitution order for a third victim, owed $500,000 in U.S. funds, remains in place.

Bonamie, now 76, was granted day-parole privileges in January 2025 after serving one-third of his sentence.