Saskatoon court hears sentencing submissions for bagman in grandparent scam

Ahmad Ebadi says he never felt comfortable stealing money from Saskatoon seniors.

"The others didn't see the eyes of the victims," he said Tuesday in provincial court.

"I was mentally destroyed. It was a vile act to prey on senior citizens. All they wanted to hear was their family members were OK."

The 26-year-old from Quebec was in provincial court Tuesdayfor sentencing submissions before Judge Brad Mitchell. He had pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud, against seniors and a local hotel, in relation to a crime wave just before Christmas 2023.

• Skeptical Saskatoon seniors help police trap suspects in 'grandparent emergency scam'

Prosecutor Carol Carlson detailed how the crew came to town and went to work.

They stole thousands of dollars by duping seniors into thinking their loved ones were in trouble and needed money. It was a slick operation, executed using cellphones, hotel rooms, rental cars and the secure social media platform Signal.

Helen and Larry Koturbash almost fell for it. They got a call on a weekday morning from people claiming to be theirgrandson and his lawyer.

"I said to him, 'I really feel that this is a scam,' and he said, "No, ma'am, it's not scam. Give us one per cent of your trust and you'll get 99 per cent back,'" Helen said outside court.

"It's interesting that they had the same message to everybody. The story was the same. It was a pregnant woman, rear-ended, and now she was in the hospital. It sounded very believable."

Larry shook his head recounting thepitch.

The 87-year-oldwas in their den when his landline rang. Helen, 84, was in the other room talking on her cellphone with a friend.

The voice on the phone claimed to be Larry's grandson.

"'Hello, grandpa, how are you?' I said 'I'm fine. How are you?' 'Well, not very good,'" Larry recalled.

"He said he was at work, feeling sick, and then tested positive for COVID. He picked up some medication and was on the way home when he rear-ended a vehicle driven by a lady that was six months pregnant. The airbag went off and they're concerned that her pregnancy might be affected and Iconfessed that Ihad my cellphone in my hand and now I'm in jail, grandpa."

The "grandson" said he needed money for bail. He said he could only make one calland was afraid to call his dad. Thenhe put on a second person who claimed to be his lawyer. That person said the money would be refunded after he made his first court appearance.

Sensing something was off, Larry and Helen contacted police and set up a sting. The couple agreed to come up with cash $9,000 but instead stuffed an envelope with paper and then handed it off to Ebadi.

Police arrested him moments later.

Outside court, Helen saidshe accepts that Ebadiis remorseful and that she hopes the higher-ups in the organization are held to account.

"It's the people at the top that recruit these fellows for crime, they should be the ones paying the restitution," she said.

Defence lawyer Logan Marchandsaid that Ebadiwas working as a ride-hailing driver when he was recruited into the group weeks before they came to Saskatoon. His mother had taken sick and he needed money, Marchand said.

Ebadi's role was to pose as a bondsman, sent to collectthe money from the seniors.

"Mr. Ebadi is not a gangster," Marchand said. "He is a young man preyed upon at a vulnerable time in his life."

Since his arrest, Ebadi has followed all of his release conditions and saved $10,000 towardpaying back the victims.

Carlson and Marchand both agree that Ebadi warrants a sentence of between one-and-a-half and two years. They differ, though, on where the time should be served. Carlson argued for a jail sentence, while Marchand said the principles of sentencing could be satisfied with Ebadi serving his sentence in the community.

Judge Brad Mitchell will rule on the sentence later this summer.