Moncton (June 2025) – A New Brunswick man accused of defrauding local business owners while employed by a government-funded agency will stand trial for a second time this September after his first trial ended in a mistrial.
Daniel Bard, 60, faces 19 charges including fraud, theft, possession of property obtained by crime, and money laundering. The charges stem from allegations that Bard accepted substantial sums—sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars—from entrepreneurs in the Moncton region in exchange for brokerage and administrative services that were never fulfilled.
Bard previously served as vice-president of investment attraction for 3+ Corporation, an economic development agency funded by local municipalities. He allegedly misused this position to solicit funds from clients under false pretenses, according to multiple complaints reported publicly in 2019. After collecting fees, Bard allegedly disappeared without delivering on promised business opportunities or investments.
His initial trial began in April 2025, but was declared a mistrial in June after Bard’s lawyer withdrew due to health concerns. This development forced the court to restart proceedings with a newly appointed legal counsel. On June 18, Bard returned to Moncton provincial court with his new lawyer, Nelson Peters, who assured the court that he would be ready for trial by September 15, 2025.
The retrial is scheduled to run for four weeks. Prosecutors pushed for the earlier date, citing the need to stay within the Jordan timeline—a Supreme Court of Canada decision that generally requires criminal trials in provincial court to be completed within 18 months of charges being laid. Bard was first charged in 2022, and any further delay could lead to a motion to stay the charges due to unreasonable delay.
Crown prosecutor Chris Ryan noted that “counting days may become an issue” if the matter was not advanced. Bard’s lawyer is being funded by the province through a Rowbotham application, granted to defendants who are denied legal aid but cannot afford representation.
Because of the mistrial, witnesses who already testified in the initial proceeding will need to testify again, potentially adding further strain to the judicial process and those involved.
