Ottawa cops charged in tow truck kickback scheme resign in exchange for stay of proceedings – Ottawa Citizen

Article content

Two Ottawa police officers who were facing corruption charges in connection with a tow truck kickback scheme had the charges against them stayed on Friday in exchange for their resignation from the force.

Article content

In addition to their resignations, which they submitted on Friday, and, as part of a deal with the Crown, Kevin Putinski and Andrew Chronopoulos admitted wrongdoing for their actions while working as Ottawa police officers. They read identical statements in court on Friday, explaining how “on many occasions” they had provided tips on locations where vehicles required tow services.

“This gave certain tow operators a competitive advantage by increasing the chances they’d arrive at accident scenes first,” the two former officers told the court. “On those occasions, when the vehicle was towed as a result of the information I provided, I was paid money by the tow operator. I accept and acknowledge that my actions were improper and constituted a breach of trust with respect to my duties as a police officer.”

Article content

Putinski and Chronopoulos were charged in April 2020 as part of a 10-month anti-corruption investigation by the RCMP. They had both been on paid leave since then; both earned more than $107,000 in 2020, according to public salary records.

Const. Assaad Hussein and Jason Ishraki, the owner of Ottawa United Towing, have also been charged in connection with the alleged kickback scheme. The proceedings against them are due to continue; Ishraki is scheduled to be tried in October, Hussein in June. Both Putinski and Chronopoulos are expected to testify against them.

The decision to stay the charges against the two former officers means the legal proceedings against them have stopped. It is an unusual step, but one that was necessary in this case, Crown counsel Jason Nicol said, because to continue with lengthy trials for the two men would have placed a serious burden on the already overwhelmed justice system.

Article content

“This resolution will save the court and the crown significant time and resources,” he said.

Putinski and Chronopoulos were also set to present a motion for a Jordan ruling, arguing that they had not been allowed a trial within a reasonable amount of time. They had also submitted a motion challenging the admissibility of intercepted communications that would be used as evidence against them. “The resolution that we are proceeding with today eliminates the risk of adverse findings on those two motions,” Nicol said.

“The bottom line is that this resolution does hold both accused to account, particularly in light of the possibility that their future employment as a police officer is now moot,” Nicol added. “Like all resolutions, it involves compromises by both the Crown and the defence, but, given the factors that I have noted, in my view, it is an appropriate and fair disposition for both accused.”

Article content

Putinski also plead guilty to one count of fraud on Friday for making a false insurance claim for his personal vehicle when he was not on duty as a police officer. For that offence, he was sentenced to a conditional discharge. He also paid a $1,000 charitable donation to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

“Breach of trust charges against police officers, when proven, often result in long jail sentences,” said Tony Paciocco, Putinski’s lawyer. “Kevin Putinski is relieved that the Crown instead exercised its discretion to stay those charges, effectively ending the prosecution against him. He emerges from these proceedings without a conviction and is eager to move on with his life.”

Gabe Edelson, Chronopoulos’ lawyer, said his client was happy with the stay of proceedings. “He leaves court today having had all his charges stayed and the prosecution against him ended,” he said. “He regrets that today also marks the end of his career as a police officer, but he looks forward to moving on to the next phase of his life.”