A Nanaimo man arrested for defrauding women was sentenced to time served and will pay $14,700 restitution to his eight victims.
Jordan David Shepherd, 34, was arrested in Nanaimo in early March after a Canada-wide warrant was issued. He faced seven charges of fraud under $5,000 stemming from incidents occurring between May and mid-September, in which he defrauded women he dated in Nanaimo, Ladysmith and New Westminster. Prior to sentencing Thursday at provincial court in Nanaimo, he was also charged for a Dec. 1 incident in Ucluelet and he pleaded guilty to all eight charges.
Shepherd had been in custody since March 5 and while Kendra Waugh, Crown counsel, sought additional jail time and Peter Hertzberg, Shepherd’s legal counsel, sought a conditional sentence, the two were able to agree on a joint submission as Shepherd was able to come up with the $14,700 through his parents. Judge Ronald Lamperson agreed with the joint submission.
During the hearing, it was revealed Shepherd had been working in the oil business, but had lost his job in 2017, which led to financial hardship. His marriage ended, he had to make child and spousal support payments and was about $150,000 in arrears. Lamperson noted that Shepherd’s reasons were not to satisfy a gambling or drug habit.
Shepherd met the women on social media, online dating websites and through people he knew and asked them to deposit cheques payable to him from On the Rock Surveying Ltd., a fake business, asking them to make the deposit and take out cash with the cheques eventually bouncing.
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Lamperson said messages between Shepherd and victims submitted as evidence show he was persistent, conniving and dishonest. Shepherd portrayed himself as someone in difficult financial circumstances to appeal to his victims’ natural inclination to help him. Lamperson said Shepherd would continue to lie after repayment was sought and in some instances, blamed and criticized them.
Shepherd’s actions caused some victims to miss mortgage and bill payments.
Lamperson sentenced Shepherd to four and a half months in jail, which he already served (with extra credit for time served), as well as the restitution payment.
In addition, Shepherd will be on probation for two years. He is forbidden from having any contact with his victims. He won’t be allowed to possess any cheques or monetary instruments in the name of On the Rocks Surveying Ltd or any other fictitious entity, Lamperson ruled.
Shepherd won’t be able to date, enter into a relationship, or marry any person until he identifies who the person is to his probation officer and after the officer has informed the person of Shepherd’s criminal record.
Shepherd will be required to write apology letters to the eight victims.
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