6 charged in alleged 50/50 draw fraud

Six people in Charlottetown have been charged with fraud in connection to a complaint regarding a charity 50/50 draw.

The draw was the Community Cash 50/50, sponsored by the Holland College Hurricanes Football Club and Murphy's Community Centre.

"They're all charged with fraud over $5,000," said Charlottetown Det. Const. Randie Currie of the six accused.

"They all benefited from the draws."

Those charged include five men and onewoman, all from the Charlottetown area.

• Simon Gabriel Edison Hood, aged 23
• Michelle Lynn McKenna, aged 31
• Joshua Tyler McKenna , aged 22
• Anthony Michael Cummiskey, aged 24
• Mark Patrick Griffin, aged 29
• Joshua Terrance Smith, aged 24

Currie said while the charge of fraud is itself relatively common, the use of a 50/50 draw to defraud is not.

Fraudulent winners uncovered, say organizers

A statement on the Community Cash 50/50 Facebook page said an internal investigation showed there were as many as four fraudulent winners of the 50/50 draw in the first six months of 2016.

"The Community Cash 50/50 Lottery has procedures in place to prevent things like this from happening," said Greg MacDougall, spokesperson for the lottery sponsors, in the statement.

"Unfortunately someone with criminal intent found a way around these rules for a short period of time."

Four jackpot dates are being redrawn, and the full money prize will be awarded to the new winners. Those dates and prizes are

• Jan. 22: $23,430.
• March 11: $21,763
• April 8: $11,453.
• June 10: $12,282.

The draw organizers say they still have records of who purchased tickets in thoseweeks, and there will be no new ticket sales for those draws.

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