Joe Crupi, former Kashechewan First Nation manager, charged with fraud

RCMP allege more than $1.2 million in public money was fraudulently obtained by a former co-manager for the Kashechewan First Nation in northern Ontario between 2007 and 2012.

Giuseppe(Joe)Crupi, 50,from Thunder Bay, Ont.,has been charged withfraudfollowing aninvestigation.

The money came from a program that was meant to provide breakfasts for about 400 elementary school children on the First Nation.

The RCMP allegeCrupi took close to $700,000of this money for his personal use.

The funds originally came from Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.

Crupi was the co-manager at Kashechewan First Nation and responsible for managing funds obtained from the government.

RCMP investigators arrested Crupion Sept. 20 and charged him with the following:

• Three counts of fraud.
• Three counts of uttering a forged document.
• Laundering the proceeds of crime.
• Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.