Convicted serial fraudster Todd Guthrie has been sentenced to 15 months behind bars for defrauding 18 victims out of about $30,000 worth of concert and hockey tickets he never delivered.
Guthrie, referred to around Collingwood as Todd the Fraud, pleaded guilty to fraud over $5,000 Tuesday afternoon and will spend another year behind bars after being credited with time served in pre-sentence custody as part of a joint submission from the Crown and defence accepted by Justice Angela McLeod.
Through an agreed statement of facts read to the court, Guthrie, 45, admitted to ripping customers off highly-sought-after VIP events including tickets to last year’s NHL All-Star Game in Toronto. One woman, who was in attendance for the proceedings said she was defrauded out of $6900 by Guthrie.
The court heard Guthrie accepted e-transfer payments but never delivered the tickets. Victims said he was a smooth talker who was full of excuses.
Guthrie then lured more victims on social media. In one case, the court heard, a victim thought they had bought tickets to an Easter Seals charity gala but got nothing in return.
Guthrie, the Crown read, used the money to feed a gambling addiction he said he developed in the past three to five years.
Justice McLeod called his actions, particularly in using the game of hockey to scam people, the “most un-Canadian thing” she could think of. The judge said his scheme was an exploitation of “Canadian culture” knowing that “people in this country adore the game so much.”
The court also heard Guthrie was previously convicted of fraud in 2015 and spent six months in jail.
Before being sentenced, Guthrie was offered an opportunity to address the court and apologized to his victims and family, vowing to pay restitution to those “he hurt and lost trust in.”
The judge was not convinced of his sincerity.
“Your word doesn’t mean anything anymore,” said McLeod. “Even when the truth is in your face you deny it,” she added.
The judge noted buyer beware when purchasing items online.
If a deal “sounds too good to be true” it could be from someone like Todd Guthrie, said McLeod.
Along with 18 months probation Guthrie was also ordered to participate in gambling addiction programs and is not to communicate with victims to whom he owes restitution.
Those who were defrauded by Guthrie submitted victim impact statements to the court. Victims who attended the proceedings in person and online told CTV News the sentence Guthrie received was not enough.
