Kalim khan biography of michael

Four Calgarians have been charged in connection with a series of mortgage and vehicle financing frauds that bilked victims of more than $1 million.

Members of the RCMP Calgary serious and organized crime team — with help from the Calgary Police Service’s economic crimes unit and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada or FINTRAC — started investigating a number of alleged financing frauds in December 2013.

Police believe the offences took place between September 2013 and December 2014, and victimized financial institutions, private lenders and homeowners, who lost a combined total of more than $1 million.

Advertisement 1

“It’s alleged they (the accused individuals) were obtaining financing against private residences unbeknownst to the actual homeowners. Same thing with vehicles, more specifically with recreation vehicles of higher value, where there would be more money available there,” said Cpl. Korey Crerar with the RCMP’s federal policing south.

“What they would attempt to do is obtain that financing, then, of course, launder those proceeds and convert those proceeds into some form of monetary value for themselves.”

Crerar said it’s alleged the group looked for less traditional methods of securing financing — from either a mid-level lender or private lender, versus the more traditional banks and financial institutions — then seek out investors who were willing to take higher risks at higher interest rates.

“They (the accused individuals) were of course willing to pay a higher interest rate for a loan,” he said. “They had no intention of paying it back.”

Advertisement 2

Investigators from the RCMP and city police started taking a closer look at the complaints they were receiving and noticed similarities. Eventually, they determined the cases were linked.

The joint investigation led to four people and one business being charged with fraud and money laundering.

Giovanni Bartolotti, 46, is charged with conspiring to commit fraud over $5,000, conspiring to launder proceeds of crime and 14 additional fraud-related offences.

Kalim Khan, 41, is charged with conspiring to commit fraud over $5,000, conspiring to launder proceeds of crime and 10 additional fraud-related offences.

Lindsay Tietz, 31, is charged with two counts of possession of proceeds of crime. 

Linh Tran, 37, is charged with conspiring to commit fraud over $5,000, conspiring to launder proceeds of crime and 19 additional fraud-related offences.

The business is a numbered company, 1755569 Alberta Ltd. of Calgary, Alberta, controlled by Tran, and was charged with possession of money exceeding $5,000 and transporting money exceeding $5,000 with intent to conceal or convert that property.

Bartolotti, Khan and Tran were released from custody and are due in court Aug. 11.

Police continue searching for Tietz and have issued a warrant for his arrest.