A North York resident has been charged in a livestock fraud scheme involving forged cheques and unpaid cattle purchases totaling more than $150,000, according to Ontario Provincial Police.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have charged 43-year-old Jatinder Pal Singh of North York in connection with a livestock fraud investigation that spanned several months. Police allege Singh purchased cattle from farmers in southwestern Ontario but failed to pay for the livestock, defrauding sellers out of a total of $152,640.
The investigation began in January 2024 after complaints from cattle producers who claimed they had sold livestock but never received payment. OPP say Singh used fraudulent cheques to complete the transactions and provided false information to conceal his identity and business dealings.
According to police, the accused attempted to create a façade of legitimacy by posing as a cattle broker and operating under multiple business names. The investigation was conducted by the OPP’s Anti-Rackets Branch Livestock Investigation Unit, which focuses on agricultural and livestock-related fraud.
Singh has been charged with:
- Fraud over $5,000
- Uttering forged documents
- False pretenses over $5,000
He was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court in Stratford, Ontario, at a later date.
The OPP is urging farmers and livestock sellers to verify buyer credentials, avoid accepting cheques from unknown parties, and report any suspicious or unpaid transactions to police.
