Disbarred Fredericton lawyer wanted on Canada-wide warrant arrested in Ontario

Disbarred Fredericton lawyer arrested in Ontario A former deputy attorney general of New Brunswick who was wanted by police for allegedly committing fraud has been arrested in Ontario.

FREDERICTON — A former deputy attorney general of New Brunswick who was wanted by police for allegedly committing fraud has been arrested in Ontario.

Fredericton police spokeswoman Alycia Bartlett says Yassin Choukri, who was the subject of a Canada-wide warrant, was arrested Wednesday night by Peel Regional Police and is in custody.

Bartlett said today plans are being made to return Choukri to New Brunswick to answer to the fraud charges.

Police issued the arrest warrant for the 53-year-old on Aug. 14, on seven counts of indictable fraud over $5000 and on one count of indictable fraud under $5000.

Choukri, appointed deputy attorney general by former premier Bernard Lord, was disbarred from his Fredericton law practice in 2017.

The move followed a disciplinary hearing by the Law Society of New Brunswick that determined he had misappropriated more than $720,000 from 10 former clients over several years.

Choukri disappeared from New Brunswick several years ago and police say his last known address was in the Greater Toronto Area.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 27, 2020.