James Timothy Drummond fraud charge withdrawn; forgery-related counts pending

The Crown has withdrawn a fraud charge against a businessman originallyfrom British Columbia who is now living in Newfoundland, but is proceeding with several forgery-related counts.

James Timothy Drummond, 68, appeared at provincial court in St. John's Wednesday morning.

He was facing six counts in total fraud over $5,000, obtaining the use of land or property through false pretence, and two charges each of forgery and using a forged document.

Prosecutor Dana Sullivan told Judge James Walsh the Crown was withdrawing the fraud charge, because there isinsufficient information to sustain it.

Drummond will be back in court in the new year for a status hearing on the remaining five counts.

According to court documents, those charges relate to the attempted purchase of a house in Conception Bay South in October 2014.

Other charges pending

But those charges are not the only ones Drummondisfacing in this province.

This fall, Drummond pleaded not guilty to another pair of charges of fraud over $5,000.

• James Timothy Drummond pleads not guilty to fraud charges

According to court documents, those charges relate to allegations he defrauded a local property management company two years ago.

Drummond's trial on those counts is scheduled to proceed at Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court in early 2016.

Checkered history in British Columbia

Drummond has a checkered history on Canada's west coast.

He was once called a "con man" by a judge in British Columbia.

• B.C. 'con man' facing fraud charges in N.L.

In 2008, a B.C. court heard stories about overseas family trusts that did not appear to exist, dead relatives that were still very much alive, and a trail of Drummond's business associates who said they lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to him over the years.

Drummond also has a previous conviction for stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the West Vancouver Boy Scouts' Christmas tree fund in the 1990s.