TORONTO, ON – Andre N. Campbell of Mississauga has been sentenced to 32 days in jail after being convicted on 16 counts of acting as a motor vehicle dealer without benefit of registration (curbsiding), contrary to the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 1990.
Campbell was charged in 2006 after Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC) investigators found he routinely purchased vehicles from salvage auctions, conducted repairs and then sold them, posing as a private individual selling a personal vehicle. Many purchasers were not told of the previous damage the vehicles had sustained.
Evidence presented at sentencing showed Campbell had been convicted twice previously for curbsiding; in 2001 and 2004. The fines imposed for those convictions were never paid. In passing sentence, His Worship Delano Europa agreed with the prosecution’s submission that incarceration was warranted in light of Campbell’s failure to pay past fines and the aggravating factor that the accident history of the vehicles sold was not disclosed to the buyers, one of whom was a driver’s education instructor who told Campbell the vehicle would be used by his students.
“This sentence sends an important message to curbsiders” stated OMVIC Director of Investigations Carey Smith. “Retail automotive sales is a regulated industry in Ontario, and these regulations exist to ensure a fair, safe and informed marketplace. OMVIC’s mandate is to ensure persons acting as dealers meet the requirements set out by law.”
Source: OMVIC
