Warrant issued for Ottawa man accused of COVID-19 relief fraud

Ontario Provincial Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of an Ottawa man who is accused of receiving small business COVID-19 relief funds fraudulently.

This relates to relief funds offered by the government of Ontario to businesses that lost revenue during the mandatory pandemic closures.

One man from Ottawa and four people from Ajax, Ont. were flagged as suspicious and the OPP's Serious Fraud Office investigated.

"The accused parties are alleged to have applied for various relief funding from the government through fictitious or ineligible businesses to receive payments into their bank accounts," the OPP said in a news release Monday. "The grants found to be exploited were: The Ontario Small Business Support Grant, The Property Tax Program and The Energy Cost Rebate program."

Kevin Lee, 50, of Ottawa, is charged with fraud over $5,000 and disobeying a court order.

Police say Lee was released but failed to attend court on several scheduled dates, so a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

The accused from Ajax, Ont., who range in age from 21 to 47, are facing a variety of fraud and possession of property obtained by crime charges. OPP say these individuals are scheduled to appear in court in Oshawa in August.