TORONTO: A former Toronto Immigration consultant serving 4 1/2 years for cocaine trafficking has been ordered to stand trial on dozens of immigration related charges.
The charges stem from a two year Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigation into the use of government issued job guarantees to people seeking landed immigration status in Canada.
The CMP probe followed a Star story depleting the widespread abuse of official government documents, commonly known as 2151s, by self-styled immigration consultants.
The Star stories revealed how immigrants used the forms, obtained on the basis of bogus information, to obtain landed status in Canada. For the most part, the jobs didn’t exist.
Thirteen people were arrested by the RCMP following The Star’s probe. They face almost 300 charges. Humberto Patrick Simao faces 67 charges of forgery, uttering false documents, and adding and abetting in the making of false Statements at immigration inquiries.
Simao, 40, formerly of Perth Ave, was committed for trial after a preliminary hearing. He will been court Jan.28 to set a date for trial.
Simao and fellow Brazilian, Marcos Souza Costa, 41, were convicted in May of conspiracy to import and traffic 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of cocaine after they were arrested in an RCMP undercover sting.
Simao was sentenced in July to4 1/2 years in prison.
Souza Costa was imprisoned for 6 1/2 years for conspiracy to import cocaine and for importing a powerful handgun equipped with a silencer.
Police found his gun in his luggage at Pearson International Airport.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 3, 1993
