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{HOST INTRODUCTION: MUTSUMI TAKAHASHI}
ON THE STORY OF HARRIS BLACK - WHO RAN A JOB- SCAM IN MONTREAL. HE WAS
CONVICTED OF FRAUD AND FINED, BUT MANY OF HIS VICTIMS ARE "STILL" WAITING
FOR THEIR MONEY BACK.
{HOST INTRODUCTION: BILL HAUGLAND}
SOON AFTER, HARRIS BLACK DROPPED OUT OF SIGHT. BUT NOW HE'S RE-APPEARED IN
MONTREAL...WITH A NEW AND DANGEROUS STRATEGY.
TODD YOU'VE BEEN COVERING THIS STORY, SINCE 2001, AND NOW YOU'RE "BACK ON
THE CASE."
{HOST INTRODUCTION: TODD VAN DER HEYDEN}
THAT'S RIGHT, AND IT SEEMS HIS CRIMINAL RECORD GOES BEYOND JUST EMPLOYMENT
FRAUD.
WE ORIGINALLY DID THREE REPORTS ON BLACK IN 2001 AND 2002 - WE HEARD HE WAS
BACK IN TOWN AS OF OCTOBER...AND WE'VE BEEN TRACKING HIS ACTIVITIES.
HE HAS MULTIPLE COURT DATES COMING IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS...BUT AFTER
INVESTIGATING WE FOUND OUT HE HAS CHANGED HIS "MODUS OPERANDI".
WE WANTED TO SEND OUT A WARNING TO PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY WOMEN. HERE'S A
CLOSER LOOK:
[SOT](***SOT***)
AFTER 18 MONTHS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, HARRIS BLACK IS BACK IN MONTREAL. TWO
YEARS AGO, HE RAN PHOENIX ENTERPRISES, A JOB PLACEMENT AGENCY. MANY PAID,
BUT GOT NO JOBS.
CONSUMER PROTECTION FINED HARRIS. HE ALSO FACED 44 FRAUD CHARGES. HE OPENED
A SIMILAR BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER, BUT WAS SHUT DOWN WITHIN A YEAR. THIS TIME,
INSTEAD OF MISLEADING JOB HUNTERS ABOUT THEIR FUTURE, HE'S MISLEADING WOMEN
ABOUT HIS PAST.
[COMMENTS FROM VICTIM#1 "SARAH"] we ended up being intimate on a few
occasions...
"SARAH" MET HARRIS THROUGH AN ONLINE DATING SERVICE.
[COMMENTS FROM SARAH] I was actually thinking this guy was a gift - he was
great - he could magic, he could tell jokes, make me laugh, he was just
great...and then this person is nothing and then you sort of question - how
guillable am i?
HARRIS PLACED ADS ON SEVERAL INTERNET DATING SITES SELLING HIMSELF AS A
PEDIATRICIAN.
THIS OTHER WOMAN MET HARRIS WHILE RESEARCHING A BOOK ON ON-LINE DATING.
[COMMENTS FROM SECOND WOMAN] it was very sweet and kind of disarming, the
pediatrician part sounds like he's someone who's caring and also successful
THERE WAS A PART OF HIS PAST HE LEFT OUT. FOUR YEARS AGO, HARRIS PLEADED
GUILTY TO CHARGES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND INDECENT EXPOSURE.
[COMMENTS FROM SECOND WOMAN] sounds like he's a creep...someone that sound
definitely taken off the streets and that women should be made aware
WE TRACKED HARRIS TO THIS PLATEAU NEIGHBOURHOOD. USING A HIDDEN CAMERA AND
SETTING UP A FAKE DATE AT A CAFE NEAR HIS HOME. WE HEARD HIS PITCH FIRST
HAND. "DOCTOR" HARRIS TALKED ABOUT HIS BRAND NEW CLINIC.
[HARRIS BLACKS' COMMENTS CAUGHT ON HIDDEN CAMERA] I have an office now in
the South Shore, I just bought it a few weeks ago (Oh, congratulations!)
Thank you. (And you work at.) And I work at the Children's part-time. I'm
opening up in January and I'll get all these sick kids come in.
HARRIS SAID HE PREFERRED HAVING HIS OWN PRIVATE PRACTICE.
[HARRIS BLACKS' COMMENTS CAUGHT ON HIDDEN CAMERA] But I didn't want to work
at a hospital. I don't make a very good employee I find. So when you have
your own practice, you can take off any Friday, or Monday, or any week you
want. It's ideal.
[GARY MCHUGH'S COMMENTS] if this guy sexually assaulted a woman who went to
see him for a job, it scares me to think what he might do to someone that's
dating
GARY MCHUGH IS HARRIS BLACK'S NEMESIS. A FORMER PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR WHO'S
OWN DAUGHTER WAS DEFRAUDED. NOW GARY USES HIS WEBSITE, HARRISBLACKWATCH.COM
TO WARN PEOPLE.
[SUPER=102-GARY MCHUGH/www.harrisblackwatch.com] i think they should know
what they're getting into..i think before these women decide to go back to
his apartment, they should know he's got a criminal record for sexual
assault and for indecent exposure
OVER TWO YEARS, GARY'S COLLECTED BINDERS OF EMAILS, ADDRESSES, COURT
DOCUMENTS.
[GARY MCHUGH'S COMMENTS] i was hoping he'd come back and get a job at
mcdonald's, it's an honest living, but obviously he came back and telling
everyone he's a pediatrician, so he has no intention of going straight so
the least we can do is reduce his number of victims and that's why i'm still
involved
THANKS TO THE WEBSITE, "SARAH" FOUND OUT THE TRUTH.
[SARAH'S COMMENTS]then i discovered that harris black the pediatrician was
actually harris black the con artist
[SECOND WOMAN'S COMMENTS] if he's willing to lie to women about...something,
being a doctor when he certainly isn't, I don't know what else he could be
capable of
IN THE WORLD OF ONLINE DATING, EXAGGERATION IS COMMON. BUT SEVERAL DATING
SITES ARE NOW WORKING TO KEEP HARRIS OFFLINE TO PROTECT FEMALE CLIENTS.
[GARY MCHUGH'S COMMENTS]they need to be advised they need to be real
careful, especially here in montreal, because harris is back in town
BUT NOW THAT WORD IS OUT, HARRIS MAY SOON FIND THAT HIS WELCOME HOME IS A
CHILLY ONE. FOR ON YOUR SIDE, I'M TODD VAN DER HEYDEN.
****
[MUTSUMI TAKAHASHI: HOST QUESTION TO TODD VAN DER HEYDEN] Todd, any word on
whether Harris has re-opened his job placement agency?
*****
[TODD VAN DER HEYDEN: HOST ANSWER] SO FAR, ACCORDING TO MY INFORMATION
NO...HE HAS NOT...AT LEAST NOT YET.
BUT HARRIS NOT WORKING - SO THERE'S NO MONEY COMING IN...THAT'S WHY WE WILL
BE CAREFULLY MONTORING HIM OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
*****
[BILL HAUGLAND: HOST QUESTION TO TODD VAN DER HEYDEN] Todd, I know the
Montreal Fraud Squad, the RCMP and police in B.C. have investigated Harris,
why haven't they been able to shut him down?
*****
[TODD VAN DER HEYDEN: HOST ANSWER] WELL, IT SEEMS THE PROBLEM LIES WITH THE
JUSTICE SYSTEM - THEY CAN CHARGE HIM WILL A WHOLE HOST OF THINGS - BUT IF
THE COURTS DON'T PUT HIM AWAY OR MAKE IT REALLY EXPENSIVE TO CONTINUE HIS
ACTIVITIES, HE MAY CONTINUE DOING IT.
THAT'S WHY IT'S REALLY UP TO EACH OF US...TO BE CAREFUL. AND GET THE WARNING
OUT THERE ABOUT HARRIS BLACK.
