HARRIS BLACK: THE NEXT CHAPTER
[HARRIS BLACK: THE NEXT CHAPTER]
[DATE=11/05/04]
THE SAGA OF MONTREAL CON- ARTIST HARRIS BLACK CONTINUES.
*****
TODD - YOU'VE BEEN COVERING HARRIS BLACKS' ACTIVITIES FOR THREE YEARS NOW.
SOMEHOW, HE JUST KEEPS ON GOING?
*******
[TODD VAN DER HEYDEN/On Your Side]
the latest: harris black arrested for theft in montreal.
he's due in court next february, though it's not clear he'll actually show
up.
after reporting on black for a while now, i'd say the big problem here: his
ability to keep out of jail, the punishments he gets are never very
harsh...and he always seems to be one step ahead of the law.
[SOT](***SOT***)
THE CRIMINAL RECORD OF ONE OF MONTREAL'S MOST ELUSIVE CON MEN JUST GOT A
LITTLE LONGER.
HARRIS BLACK HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO 12 COUNTS OF FRAUD FOR RUNNING A FAKE JOB
SCAM BETWEEN 1999 AND 2002. HE NOW OWES $7,000 IN FINES AND HAS BEEN ORDERED
TO PAYBACK ANOTHER $6,000 TO HIS VICTIMS.
THE CONVICTED CON ARTIST HAS A RECORD FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND WAS RECENTLY
ARRESTED BY MONTREAL POLICE FOR THEFT.
STILL, HE REMAINS AT LARGE .. NO SINGLE ONE OF HIS CONVICTIONS IS ENOUGH TO
PUT HIM BEHIND BARS.
BUT THE HEAT ON BLACK MIGHT BE RISING
NEW ACCUSATIONS ARE SURFACING: ON YOUR SIDE HAS BEEN CONTACTED BY WOMEN WHO
MET HARRIS ON LINE ... WENT OUT WITH HIM FOR EXPENSIVE DINNERS .. ONLY TO BE
LEFT HIGH AND DRY WITH THE BILL.
IT HAPPENED TO ERIN GRAINGER.
[ERIN GRAINGER]
when the bill came, he said "i have to go to the bank machine" and he left
and never came back
BUT WHEN ERIN FOUND OUT ABOUT BLACK'S SEXUAL ASSAULT RECORD, SHE FELT LUCKY.
[ERIN GRAINGER/Victim]
in his car...i mean your mother teaches you not to do that - then i found
out about the charges and I was almost shaking at one point
BLACK WAS POSING AS A CRIMINAL LAWYER, USING THIS FAKE PHOTO.
HE'S PRETENDED TO BE SOMEONE HE'S NOT BEFORE. LAST YEAR, BLACK POSED AS A
PEDIATRICIAN TO LURE WOMEN IN AN ONLINE DATING SCAM. USING HIDDEN CAMERAS,
WE SET UP A FAKE DATE TO CAPTURE HIS CON.
AFTER OUR REPORT, SEVERAL DATING SITES BOOTED HIM OFFLINE.
THE QUEBEC ORDER OF PHYSICIANS IS INVESTIGATING .. IMPERSONATING A DOCTOR IS
A CRIME.
BLACK HAS SPENT THE LAST 2 YEARS HOPSCOTCHING BETWEEN MONTREAL AND VANCOUVER
.. SETTING UP JOB AND DATING SCAMS,
AND PULLING UP STAKES WHEN AUTHORITIES MOVE IN .. STAYING AHEAD OF CONSUMER
WATCHDOGS AND POLICE, USING THEIR DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS TO HIS ADVANTAGE.
OUR LATEST INFORMATION HAS HIM ON VACATION IN THAILAND.
SOMEONE ELSE IS KEEPING TRACK OF HARRIS BLACK: GARY MCHUGH, WHOSE OWN
DAUGHTER WAS SCAMMED BY BLACK THREE YEARS AGO.
[GARY McHUGH/harrisblackwatch.com]
i think the victims are pretty upset - as i am - that this guy is allowed to
just roaming one end of the country to the other - collecting victims and he
seems to be getting away with it
MCHUGH RUNS HARRISBLACKWATCH.COM - A WEBSITE DEDICATED TO BLACK'S LATEST
EXPLOITS.
HE WANTS BLACK IN JAIL.
[MCHUGH]
this guy's just going from one crime to another crime, from one level of
seriousness to another level...if they don't get serious and give him jail
time, i'm afraid he's just going to keep escalating...
AS FOR ERIN GRAINGER, SHE'S NOW WARNING OTHER WOMEN ONLINE ABOUT BLACK.
[GRAINGER]
i just kept thinking how lucky i was
[O/C](***O/C***)
[BILL HAUGLAND]
Todd, Montreal does have a Fraud Squad, why can't they go after Harris
Black?
*****
[TODD VAN DER HEYDEN]
I HAVE SPOKEN TO THE FRAUD SQUAD OVER THE YEARS, THEY DO KNOW WHO BLACK IS.
BUT HE MAY BE JUST TOO SMALL OF AN OPERATOR FOR THEM.
THEY TEND GO AFTER BIG TELEMARKETING SCAMS AND CORPORATE FRAUD AND MAY NOT
HAVE THE RESOURCES TO GO AFTER A SMALL FISH LIKE BLACK.
*****
[MUTSUMI TAKAHASHI]
So Todd, he ran job scams, dating scams...is there anything else you found
out?
*****
[TODD VAN DER HEYDEN]
WE DID HEAR REPORTS HE WAS RUNNING A SCAM INVOLVING FAKE BACKSTAGE PASSES
FOR ROCK CONCERTS AT THE MOLSON CENTRE.
I'M BEING TOLD HE GOT A REAL BACKSTAGE PASS PHOTOCOPIED IT AND WAS SELLING
FAKE PASSES TO UNSUSPECTING FANS.
*****
[BILL HAUGLAND]
Todd, according to your sources Black is now in Thailand.
Can we expect On Your Side will be on his trail when he returns?
*****
[TODD VAN DER HEYDEN]
You can be sure of it, Bill.
Source:
http://www.cfcf.ca/cfcf/news/oys&id=547#547
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