A serial fraudster who preyed on vulnerable young men through online dating apps has been handed a 15-month jail sentence.
Christian Richardson was sentenced in North Vancouver provincial court on Monday after pleading guilty to two counts of fraud and one count of breaching probation.
On two occasions last fall Richardson contacted young men in their 20s on the gay dating app Grindr, promising to be their “sugar daddy” – someone who pays them for their companionship.
Richardson passed himself off as a wealthy businessman who would put them on his payroll.
Instead, he wrote them bogus cheques and asked them to withdraw thousands of dollars from their accounts, the court heard.
Richardson would use the men’s money to take them shopping, or gambling or pocket it for himself, according to the agreed statement of facts.
West Vancouver police sought a warrant for his arrest when one of the victims came forward saying he’d been duped into the scam at a local bank.
Richardson was arrested in April and brought to court. While released on bail, he was supposed to attend a recovery centre. But instead of checking into rehab, Richardson picked up another man using the same M.O. and the two travelled to Whistler.
While on the way, he was pulled over at a police roadblock. When the officer approached the vehicle, Richardson sped off. Police later found the car with the victim in the passenger seat, shaken from the experience. Richardson charged off into the woods but was arrested in the early morning hours at a convenience store.
The Crown sought a sentence of 15 months, which Richardson’s lawyer did not dispute, although the judge found that request rather lenient.
“Mr. Richardson is predatory in his fraudulent conduct. He victimizes young, vulnerable people. He engages in detailed and ongoing fraud and continued to do so even though he was released on bail,” said Judge Joanne Challenger. “Were it not for the joint submission before the court, the likelihood is I would have been imposing a sentence well into the federal range.”
Challenger also noted Richardson’s “unenviable” record of convictions for fraud or similar offences – 13 resulting in prison sentences since 2007.
“He has served several lengthy jail sentences, none of which have apparently served to deter him from committing further offence.”
Speaking for himself before sentencing, Richardson said he intends to seek psychological counselling to help address his behaviour.
“It’s pretty shameful, disgusting and embarrassing, at best. At worst, there are no words,” he said. “To say I’m sorry would be trite and, I think, what everyone says. I don’t think saying that is going to fix the problem or make it better or make up for what happened. I just wish that I could go back in time and undo my actions. I wish that about a lot of things in my life. Here I am almost 40 and I’m yet again in a sentencing chair at a pre-trial facility.”
After his jail term is over, Richardson will serve three years on probation. Challenger also banned Richardson from using any online dating apps or using the internet to make contact with strangers for sexual or romantic purposes.
Following the sentencing, West Vancouver Police Const. Jeff Palmer said investigators were happy with the outcome.
“We encourage people to contact police if they believe they’ve been defrauded. We take those kinds of allegations very seriously and do everything we can to bring them before the court,” he said.
