Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Liberal candidate bows out after fraud charges

COREY LAROCQUE and JENNIFER PELLEGRINI Local News - Tuesday, April 17, 2007 Niagra Falls review

Prominent local Liberal Jim Curran announced he will not run for Parliament, just hours after Niagara Regional Police charged him with two counts of fraud Tuesday. The NRP¹s fraud unit arrested Curran, 42, a Niagara Falls realtor, following a two-month investigation, according to a police statement issued Tuesday. "I expect to be fully vindicated in this matter," Curran wrote in an e-mail sent to The Review under the subject line: "my statement." Curran's decision to step down means the local riding association for the federal Liberal party has postponed the nomination meeting scheduled for tonight. He was uncontested in his nomination.

The arrest occurred at about 1:30 p.m., according to a statement released Tuesday afternoon by the NRP's fraud unit in Niagara Falls. The arrest occurred at 4383 Portage Rd., police spokesman Const. Sal Basilone told The Review. Curran's real estate office is located at that address. Police began an investigation in February into what they called a "cheque-kiting scheme" against two local financial institutions. Police say cheque-kiting is when cheques are passed between two or more financial institutions that results in the acquisition of unauthorized credit from one or more of the institutions. The unauthorized credit is received during the time it takes the cheques to clear. Police took Curran to the NRP's Morrison Street detachment. He was charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000 and released on a promise to appear in court May 31 in St. Catharines.

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