Four Nova Scotia MP’s charged for expense fraud

February 14th, 2011, Halifax, Nova Scotia…Nova Scotia RCMP have concluded the investigation into MLA expenses and have charged four individuals.

The investigation led by the RCMP Commercial Crime Section gathered evidence that supported charging four individuals. Today, the RCMP Commercial Crime Section has laid a total of 52 charges against the following four individuals:

Richard Melbourne Hurlburt, Hebron, Nova Scotia
• Fraud Exceeding $5,000 X 1
• Uttering a Forged Document X 3
• Breach of Trust by a Public Officer X 1

Russell V. MacKinnon, Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Fraud Exceeding $5,000 X 1
• Uttering a Forged Document X 8
• Breach of Trust by a Public Officer X 1

Harold David Wilson, Glace Bay, Nova Scotia
• Fraud Exceeding $5,000 X 1
• Uttering a Forged Document X 31
• Breach of Trust by a Public Officer X 1

Trevor John Zinck, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
• Fraud Exceeding $5,000 X 1
• Theft Over $5,000 X 2
• Breach of Trust by a Public Officer X1

All four individuals are scheduled to appear in Halifax Provincial Court on April 20th at 1:30 p.m.

As the provincial police service, the RCMP’s specialized section of Commercial Crime investigators were assigned to conduct an investigation to determine criminal wrongdoing.

“There were a lot of documents to review and persons involved that date back several years. Investigators from the RCMP Commercial Crime Section poured over thousands of documents and spent countless hours reviewing information gathered during the course of its investigation,” said Insp. Jim MacDougall, Officer in Charge, Nova Scotia RCMP Commercial Crime Section.

The RCMP investigation into all six individuals is complete. The identities of the two individuals who are not facing charges will not be revealed by the RCMP.

The RCMP has updated the Auditor General on the findings of the police investigation. With the file now shifting to the judicial process, the RCMP will not comment further on our investigation.

On May 12th, 2010, the RCMP Commercial Crime Section received parts of the Auditor General’s internal forensic audit. RCMP received additional information regarding another individual on May 27th, 2010. As a result of the information received, the RCMP launched an investigation to determine any possible criminal wrongdoing by five former and one current MLA.