Orillia (October 10, 2019) – Former highly regarded tax lawyer, Etienne Gadbois, was arrested and charged with fraud and obstruction of justice by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). The OPP had been investigating against Gadbois and his company ‘Gadbois Commodity Tax Law’ due to complaints about his actions. In August, Gadbois has already been sued for $5.7 million by a former client in Quebec.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) arrested the former tax lawyer, Etienne Gadbois, according to a press release from October 8. The 41-year-old from Brossard in Quebec was operating under the company name ‘Gadbois Commodity Tax Law’ with offices in Toronto and Montreal. The OPP’s Anti-Rackets Branch was investigating the tax lawyer’s actions after they received complaints in June regarding court decisions that had been provided to a client.
Gadbois has been a highly regarded tax lawyer and was partner at the law firms DeGrandpré Chait and Dentons. He was recognized as Indirect Tax Leader in 2016 by the International Tax Review and was a finalist of Lexpert’s Rising Stars in 2016.
Since August, he is being prosecuted together with his former law firms DeGrandpré Chait and Dentons. The owner of ‘Card Processing Services’, Michael Karaguezian, is suing his former legal counsel for $5.7 million due to lying, forging emails, and misappropriation of funds over several months. Karaguezian alleges that Gadbois caused a loss of profit and value for his business through his actions.
Gadbois is not a member of the Bar anymore since this June and is now facing charges of Fraud over $5,000, Personation, Trafficking a Forged Document, and Obstruction of justice laid by the OPP. The accused is expected to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice on November 22.
The OPP asks anyone who had dealings with ‘Gadbois Commodity Tax Law’ or the accused and who believes to have been victimized to contact Detective Staff Sergeant Sean Chatland or Detective Constable Dan Dusto with the OPP Anti-Rackets Branch at 705-329-6420.
Anyone who wishes to report information confidentially on this incident may contact D. Slenys at Investigation Counsel PC. Anyone who wishes to inquire fraud recovery information on their own case, or wishes to report fraud with whistleblower protection, please contact D. Slenys at 416-637-3151 or dslenys@investigationcounsel.com.
