Harbour Grace woman facing 14 additional charges in relation to alleged pet scams

A Newfoundland and Labrador woman allegedly involved in a rash of pet scams with victims from across Canada is now facing more than a dozen additional charges.

Brittany Cora Lynn Osborne, 26, was originally charged in June with 24 counts, including fraud and identity theft. 

The charges were laid just days after CBC Investigates reported on multiple complaints from people who said they paid hundreds of dollars in e-transfers for puppies they never received.

They said they had placed "Dog Wanted" ads on Kijiji, and then received a response from a woman claiming to have the puppy they were looking for.

The victims then sent deposits between $150 and $500 each.

According to court documents, the additional 14 charges were laid in August. They relate to incidents spanning Dec. 9, 2019, to June 24 — the day before CBC Investigates published its initial story.

Osborne is now accused of defrauding hundreds of dollars from six other people for falsely selling dogs, including Isabella Farrell.

Her mother, Dayna Farrell, previously told CBC Investigates that her 17-year-old daughter was contacted by a woman calling herself Brittany Coralynn. The woman said she was the owner of the Royal Paws kennel in London, Ont.

Isabella Farrell had sent $250 in an e-transfer in June to the woman as a deposit for a dog. The receipt showed it was deposited to Brittany Osborne.

Dayna Farrell said once the money was received, the woman stopped responding to her daughter's text messages. 

Identity theft of dog breeders

Osborne was also charged with possessing the identity of Helen Pasha, including her Canadian Kennel Club registration certificate, which police say was "intended to be used to commit the indictable offence of fraud."

Pasha — who runs the Royal Paws kennel in Quebec — and another dog breeder, Natalie Lenstra, previously told CBC Investigates that their identities had been compromised as part of these alleged scams.

Osborne had already been charged in June with possessing Lenstra's identity.

She is also accused of breaching a previous court order that barred her from accessing online marketplaces like Kijiji.

Along with the 38 counts related to the alleged pet scams, the Harbour Grace woman is also facing five unrelated charges, including two counts of fraud, theft under $5,000, and extortion.

Osborne remains in custody. The matter is due back in provincial court in Harbour Grace on Sept. 8.

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