A man charged with fraud will have to wait for his Sept. 23 trial in custody.
James Harvey Carlen was denied bail by Honourable Judge Kathleen Williams during his court appearance in Bonnyville on Tuesday, July 17.
The 63-year-old St. Paul man is facing seven charges, ranging from fraud, breaking and entering, and theft over $5,000.
Crown prosecutor Terry Mazeroll was opposed to Carlen’s release, relating to his criminal record, and the charges before the court.
On June 17, Bonnyville RCMP received a call about a break and enter and theft at a rural residence along Hwy. 881.
Appliances, furniture, and a yellow 2010 Dodge Challenger were stolen.
Carlen was identified by numerous suspects as “the ring leader” of the theft, however he denied his involvement.
Police arrested Carlen on June 19, and during a statement, he told RCMP he knew about the theft.
At the time of the incident, Carlen was out on bail for charges relating to an August 2017 fraud, when a local business called the RCMP about a male and a female who purchased materials from their store using a cheque. This happened on more than one occasion.
When the store went to cash the cheques, they bounced because they belonged to an account that was inactive. Employees identified the suspect as Carlen.
Acting as duty counsel, Alexandria Densmore explained how a high-cash bail would be an effective option for Carlen’s release.
She said Carlen’s record is dated, with a gap from 2007 to 2017.
Williams admitted there was a 10-year period in his record where he was not involved in the criminal justice system, however, he re-entered the system in 2017 with a failing to comply with conditions, and has since gathered a number of property-related offences.
“It’s not foreign to the gentleman,” she said, adding previous break and enter charges are a clear indication Carlen is willing to commit the crime.
“I’m at a loss as to how I can release him,” she expressed. “With rural crime rampant in our area, it’s a major concern.”
Williams denied Carlen bail. His next court appearance will be his trial in September. Carlen has been charged with two counts of fraud under $5,000, two counts of obtaining by false pretence, breaking and entering not a dwelling, theft over $5,000, and failing to comply with his conditions.