Fraudster jailed for 5½ years after pleading guilty to 22 charges
Chilliwack's Donald Robert Quinnell victimized elderly by gaining trust, then stealing wallets, valuables
UPDATE, May 14, 2020: Donald Robert Quinnell pleaded guilty to 22 counts of fraud and has been sentenced to 5½ years in jail, RCMP in North Vancouver say.
EARLIER STORY:
The B.C. Prosecution Service has approved dozens of charges against a man who was the subject of a region-wide police hunt for a series of so-call confidence frauds targeting vulnerable seniors.
In a joint news conference Tuesday, the West Vancouver Police and North Vancouver RCMP said Chilliwack resident Donald Robert Quinnell has been charged with 39 counts relating to a series of thefts and frauds across the Lower Mainland dating back to July 2019.
Quinnell has been in police custody since his arrest in Vancouver Sept. 12 on an unrelated Canada-wide warrant.
RCMP had issued a public alert warning seniors about Quinnell earlier that same month. He was the suspect in at least nine confidence fraud incidents in North Vancouver, in which he allegedly gained the trust of elderly victims, then stole their wallets, purses and other valuables.
At the time, police warned that Quinnell appeared well dressed and well mannered and would approach lone elderly victims in grocery stores, parking lots and outside residences under the pretence of needing or offering help.
In some cases, he would say he had locked his keys out of his car and needed help, while in other cases he would offer help to carry victims' groceries.
Police say the remaining 30 charges stem from allegations of fraud relating to Quinnell's use of the stolen credit cards from the seniors' wallets.