Man who set up fake Humboldt Broncos fundraiser gets 14-month jail sentence

SASKATOON — A man who set up a fake online fundraiser for the Humboldt Broncos following the Saskatchewan hockey team’s deadly bus crash has been sentenced to 14 months in jail.

Andrij Olesiuk was found guilty by a provincial court judge in Saskatoon of fraud under $5,000 and possession of stolen property obtained by crime.

He also pleaded guilty to an investment fraud worth $65,000 that took place before the Broncos fundraiser.

Court heard Olesiuk raised about $3,900 through a GoFundMe account after the crash, but instead of the money going to the team, it was deposited into his personal account and spent.

During his trial, Olesiuk testified he closed down his account and gave $4,100 in cash to a woman who had come to his door collecting donations for the Broncos.

Court heard he lost the donation receipt in a house fire and couldn’t remember which organization the woman collecting donations was affiliated with.

Sixteen people were killed and thirteen others were injured when a bus carrying members of the Broncos junior hockey team collided with a semi-truck at a rural intersection in April 2018.

Crown prosecutor Darren Howarth called Olesiuk’s testimony “deceptive.”

Court heard that crime was likely only discovered because of a police investigation into the larger fraud.

Olesiuk received three months for the Humboldt fundraiser and 11 months for the other scheme. The judge ruled he must serve those sentences consecutively.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2020.

The Canadian Press