Travelsmart
TORONTO — TICO has successfully won an appeal that has led to the conviction of Ron Greenwood of MKI Travel in Ottawa.
Following TICO’s appeal of the decision made by Her Worship Justice of the Peace Lauzon on Sept. 22, 2015, the Ontario Court of Justice has now granted the appeal. As such, Greenwood has been convicted of two counts of failing to prevent MKI Travel and Conference Management Inc. from committing an offence of failing to deposit trust funds into the trust account of Ontario Regulation made under the Travel Industry Act, 2002.
He’s also been convicted of one count of failing to prevent MKI from committing an offence of failing to obtain the Registrar’s consent in advance of opening a second trust account.
The ruling also upheld the acquittal of Greenwood and MKI of one count of failing to keep customer funds in the trust account.
MKI was a registered travel agent and wholesaler under the Act whose registration was voluntarily terminated effective May 13, 2013. MKI operated in Ottawa and elsewhere in Ontario. Greenwood was a director of MKI.
The Ontario Travel Industry Compensation Fund has paid claims in excess of $2 million related to the closure of MKI. The sentence in this matter will take place on March 31.
TICO has also announced the conviction of Placido Calore and 407488 Ontario Ltd. o/a Business & Vacation Travel Planners and Blue Mountain Travel (BMT). Each pled guilty and were convicted of the following:
BMT was fined in the amount of $20,000, while Calore was fined $10,000. Calore was also ordered to pay restitution to consumers and TICO in the amounts of $13,679 and $31,704, respectively. TICO’s restitution is to be payable as a $7,000 lump sum on the day of sentencing, and $24,704 over 24 months.
Calore was also issued a Probation Order for a period of 24 months. He was an officer and director of BMT, a travel agent registered under the Act, and operated in Toronto and elsewhere in Ontario. BMT’s registration was voluntarily terminated effective July 31, 2015.
In a related prosecution, TICO has charged Carolyn Solomon, a former employee of BMT, with 18 counts of operating as a travel agent without registration. She is also facing criminal charges of fraud. Both matters are currently before the Court.
Sinorama Holidays has closed its doors after 13 years in business, with a voluntary termination of its Ontario Travel Industry Act, 2002 registration.
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