B.C. Supreme Court orders couple to reimburse ICBC for auto fraud

The B.C. Supreme Court ordered a Maple Ridge couple to reimburse ICBC more than $100,000 after being convicted of falsely claiming their expensive, leased truck was stolen, ICBC reported.

Ronald and Jeannette LeBlanc reported their Chevrolet Super Sport Roadster truck stolen from their driveway in October 2004. Three years later, the vehicle was located in Miramichi, NB, where it was being stored by an individual who was hired by the Leblancs in the summer of 2004 to do some home renovations on their house in B.C., an ICBC release says.

ICBC’s Special Investigative Unit discovered that the truck had been spotted in Ontario two days before it was reported stolen. An Ontario Provincial Police constable had become suspicious when he witnessed a young man driving the bright yellow vehicle and ran a plate check. The check was date- and time-stamped, refuting the LeBlanc’s claim it was stolen two days later.

The B.C. Supreme Court found the couple guilty of fraud and perjury and ordered them to pay $100,000 to reimburse ICBC, other costs and punitive damages.

ICBC sold the truck to the Miramichi police for a reduced value to be used for the force’s public community outreach and to encourage teens to avoid driving while impaired.