Being accused of a financial crime is a direct attack on your integrity. Whether you are an executive in one of Mississauga’s corporate business parks facing a complex investigation, or an employee accused of an accounting discrepancy, the anxiety is crushing. You are likely terrified about your professional reputation, your livelihood, and the very real threat of jail time.
We understand what is at stake. An allegation of fraud does not mean you are guilty of a criminal offence. Bad business deals, accounting errors, and contractual disputes are often mistakenly treated as criminal matters by the police.
For 20 years, our firm has defended professionals, business owners, and employees against fraud allegations across Peel Region. While your business or home is in Mississauga, your case will be prosecuted at the A. Grenville & William Davis Courthouse in Brampton. We know how the Peel Regional Police Fraud Bureau operates, we understand the local prosecutors, and we know how to dismantle a financial case to protect your future.
Understanding Fraud in the Canadian Criminal Code
Under Section 380 of the Criminal Code, fraud involves using deceit, falsehood, or other fraudulent means to deprive the public or any person of property, money, or a valuable security.
The law categorizes the severity of the offence based on a specific financial threshold: $5000.
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YEARS OF PROVEN EXPERIENCE
With years of dedicated courtroom experience, we know the Peel Region justice system inside and out. We provide clear, practical defence advice and strong representation at every stage of the process.
HIGH-PROFILE
CASES
At Zamani Law, we successfully defend complex, heavily scrutinized charges with absolute discretion. We fiercely protect your privacy and reputation, ensuring your case is handled confidentially.
COMPASSIONATE APPROACH
Rooted in a humanitarian spirit, we blend aggressive courtroom advocacy with genuine empathy. We prioritize clear communication to reduce your stress and fight hard for your future.
OUR PRACTICE
AREAS
We defend a broad range of charges under the Criminal Code of Canada, including domestic assault, sexual assault, bail hearings, DUI and impaired driving charges, assault, and drug offences. We take a careful, strategic approach to every case.
PROVEN TRACK RECORD
Zamani Law holds a strong Mississauga reputation for creative, aggressive defence. We dismantle the Crown’s evidence to protect your rights, securing withdrawn charges and acquittals.
Fraud Under $5000
This charge is common in Mississauga workplaces and retail environments like Square One or Heartland Town Centre. It often involves allegations of employee theft, unauthorized use of a corporate credit card, price manipulation, or minor insurance discrepancies. While it is considered the less severe of the two categories, it still carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and results in a devastating criminal record.
Fraud Over $5000
This is a highly serious indictable offence. It encompasses large scale corporate embezzlement, mortgage fraud, real estate scams, investment fraud, and major organized financial crimes. The Crown Attorney prosecutes these cases aggressively in Brampton. If the value of the fraud exceeds $1 million, the Criminal Code mandates a minimum prison sentence of two years, with maximum penalties reaching up to 14 years.
Farid Zamani
Criminal Lawyer in Mississauga
The Stigma of a "Crime of Dishonesty"
In the corporate and logistics hubs of Mississauga, your reputation is your most valuable asset. Fraud is classified as a crime of dishonesty.
Having a conviction for dishonesty on your criminal record will immediately appear on background checks. This can trigger automatic termination from your job. It will permanently disqualify you from working in banking, finance, real estate, healthcare, or any fiduciary role. Because Mississauga is home to Pearson Airport, it is also important to know that a fraud conviction will almost certainly ban you from crossing the United States border. We fight relentlessly to prevent this label from attaching to your name.
How We Defend Fraud Charges at the Brampton Courthouse
Fraud cases are fundamentally different from other criminal charges. They rely on paper trails, digital records, and complex financial data rather than physical evidence or eyewitnesses. We approach these cases with meticulous attention to detail.
Building Your Defence Starts Now
Lack of Fraudulent Intent (The "Mens Rea" Defence)
To be convicted of fraud, the Crown must prove that you had a “guilty mind.” You must have intentionally planned to deceive someone for personal gain. If you made an honest accounting mistake, misunderstood a complex corporate policy, or entered into a business deal that simply failed, you did not commit a crime. We use financial records to prove that your actions lacked criminal intent.
The "Civil Matter" Argument
The Peel Regional Police sometimes lay criminal charges for disputes that belong in civil court. A breached contract, a failure to repay a personal loan, or a dispute between business partners is a civil matter. We aggressively advocate to have criminal charges withdrawn when the issue is fundamentally a business disagreement.
Challenging the Financial Evidence
We do not take the police auditor’s report at face value. We work alongside independent forensic accountants to audit the Crown’s evidence. We look for missing context, alternative explanations for missing funds, and flaws in the prosecution’s financial timeline.
Protecting Your Charter Rights
Financial investigations often involve the seizure of bank records, computers, and private communications. If the police obtained search warrants using flawed information, or if they violated your privacy rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, we will file motions to have that evidence excluded from your trial.
What to Do If You Are Under Investigation in Peel Region
Fraud investigations often take months before an arrest is made. If your employer calls you in for an unexpected “audit meeting,” or if a Peel Police detective contacts you to clarify some accounting irregularities, you must act carefully.
- Do Not Try to Explain: You cannot talk your way out of a fraud investigation. Anything you say to your employer or the police can be used to build a case against you.
- Exercise Your Right to Silence: Politely decline to answer questions or hand over personal financial records without consulting a lawyer.
Hire Legal Counsel Immediately: Early intervention is critical. We can often step in during the investigation phase, speak to the detectives on your behalf, and sometimes prevent charges from being laid in the first place.
Contact Our Mississauga Financial Crime Defence Team
Do not let an allegation of fraud destroy the career you have worked so hard to build. You need a defence team that understands both the criminal law and the complexities of the business world.
If you were arrested in Mississauga and are now dealing with the Peel Regional Police or have a pending court date in Brampton, contact us today. We provide highly discreet, confidential consultations to help you navigate this crisis.
