Kingston, Ont. police charge local contractor with fraud

Kingston Police headquarters in Kingston, Ont.

Kingston police have charged a local contractor with fraud following several complaints from residents.

Police allege the contractor misled families to demand payments for materials, permits and labour, amounting to more than $586,000.

The individual is also accused of using funds for personal construction projects, double-depositing bank drafts, and is alleged to have failed to pay subcontractors.

None of the money has been returned to the affected families, police said.

Adam Shulist, 31, of Kingston, was arrested on Tuesday and is charged with four counts of fraud exceeding $5,000, four counts of theft exceeding $5,000, four counts of obtaining money by false pretence exceeding $5,000, and one count of obtaining credit by false pretence exceeding $5,000.

Police say the accused is the owner and operator of the Oakwood Group Inc. Police also identified Titan Seals Inc. in a news release about the charges on Wednesday.

The charges have not been proven in court.

Police say any Kingston resident who believes they may have been defrauded by the accused, the Oakwood Group, or Titan Seals, should contact Det. Stefan Walker at [e-mail]. People who live outside Kingston are encouraged to report incidents to their local police service.

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