OPP officer on bail in corruption scandal

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OPP officer on bail in corruption scandal

Postby Thomas » Mon Sep 17, 2012 6:21 am

More trouble for OPP officer on bail in corruption scandal

The senior Ontario Provincial Police officer at the centre of a judicial corruption scandal wiped tears from his eyes yesterday when a Justice of the Peace told him he would be granted bail.

But as Sgt. Mike Rutigliano, 49, was released from a Brampton courthouse to waiting family members, he faced fresh allegations.

The charges, filed in court yesterday, include careless storage of firearms and ammunition, possession of an explosive substance and possession of prohibited weapons.

These allegations relate to two rifles, crowd control grenades, shuriken throwing stars, nunchuka chain sticks and brass knuckles that police allegedly found on property he owns in Caledon and elsewhere.

But the wide-ranging charges for which the OPP court liaison officer was jailed earlier this month relate to alleged corruption and obstruction of justice offences in connection with three separate investigations. Their implications have shaken the legal community.

Dressed in a dark suit, the bearded officer looked haggard from more than a week in custody.

His wife and brother together pledged a $300,000 no-deposit guarantee for his release. He must report to the OPP Port Credit detachment twice a week.

One unusual condition on his release is that he not attend any courthouse except with his lawyers or for his own court proceedings.

"It was a thoughtful decision from an experienced justice," one of Rutigliano's lawyers, John Collins, said as he left court. Richard Peck, the prominent B.C. lawyer brought in by the attorney general to oversee the prosecution, declined to comment.

A publication ban has been placed on all evidence and arguments at the hearing.

OPP Det.-Insp. Phil George, who is in charge of the investigation, says the probe is continuing, including into possible organized crime connections. "I've always been surprised by what we've found. I really don't know where this is going to take us," he told reporters outside the courthouse.

He called the allegations an embarrassment to his profession. "I've never seen anything like this and I hope to never see it again."

In one set of charges, Rutigliano is alleged to have interfered in the sexual assault prosecution of former Steelback Brewery CEO Frank D'Angelo.

Last month, a judge acquitted D'Angelo of assaulting a business associate's 22-year-old daughter.

D'Angelo, 50, has been charged with obstruction of justice and attempt to obstruct justice in the Rutigliano probe.

The arrest of Rutigliano has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the province's court system.

So sensitive is the case that the province has installed former judge and integrity commissioner Coulter Osborne as an overseer.

Toronto Crown prosecutor Domenic Basile is named as an "unindicted co-conspirator" in court documents, a term rarely used in Canadian law.

Basile's lawyer, David Humphrey, says Basile has done nothing wrong and is distraught because his reputation has been impugned.

Rutigliano is barred from communicating with Basile and several Crown prosecutors.

The OPP officer is also charged with an alleged $15 million fraud targeting Bombardier Inc.

In a third set of charges, Rutigliano is charged with helping Peter Mavroudis, a con artist who has thrice been convicted of taking money in return for non-existent tickets to Maple Leaf games, "avoid prosecution in Ontario."

Rutigliano's next court appearance is June 8.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article ... on-scandal
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Re: OPP officer on bail in corruption scandal

Postby Thomas » Mon Sep 17, 2012 6:34 am

Woman charged in OPP corruption case

A 35-year-old city woman is facing theft and other charges today in connection with the ongoing police corruption case surrounding veteran Mississauga OPP Sgt. Mike Rutigliano.

On Tuesday, the OPP's Criminal Investigation Branch arrested Mississauga resident Jurgita Kuktiene.

She and Rutigliano are accused of helping Peter Mavroudis, 50, obtain false identification back in 2007 to evade arrest for a number of outstanding criminal charges relating to selling bogus tickets to Toronto Maple Leafs games.

Mavroudis, a former Streetsville Derbys junior hockey player, last month pleaded guilty to fraud charges as well as one count of obstructing justice and impersonation. He was sentenced to six years in jail.

Investigators said Mavroudis, who operated a business called Prime Ticket Connection out of a post office box in Whitby, falsely claimed his company was authorized to sell seats to Leafs games at the Air Canada Centre.

One victim paid him $172,000 for the rights to four low-level seats, then was unable to acquire the tickets as the National Hockey League season approached.

When the buyer finally demanded his money back, he never heard from Mavroudis again. All together, Mavroudis collected $370,00 from three customers but delivered no tickets.

In 2007, Mavroudis was out on bail facing fraud charges relating to the hockey tickets when he fled Ontario, fearing his life was in danger over debt.

Mavroudis was arrested in Vancouver in late 2008.

In addition to the Mavroudis case, Rutigliano is also facing corruption and obstruction of justice charges in connection with two other cases.

Kuktiene, who works at Talka Lithuanian Credit Union in Hamilton, is charged with theft over $5,000, conspiracy to attempt to obstruct justice and attempt to obstruct justice.

http://www.mississauga.com/news/news/article/148770
lrosella@mississauga.net
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