Dustin Knechtel will spend one month under house arrest, only able to leave to attend work. (file photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

fraud

Forged cheques, fake bank accounts net conditional sentence at Nanaimo court

Apr 29, 2021 | 5:33 AM

NANAIMO — Forging cheques and opening fraudulent bank accounts in the name of Nanaimo residents has led to a house arrest sentence.

Dustin Frederick Knechtel was sentenced at provincial court in Nanaimo on Wednesday, April 28. He pleaded guilty to charges of forgery, possession of stolen property and impersonating someone with intent to gain advantage.

He was given a six month conditional sentence by Judge Ronald Webb. Knechtel will spend the first month under house arrest where he can only leave for work purposes. He won’t serve probation once his sentence is complete.

An agreed statement of facts laid out the two times Knechtel was arrested for fraudulent activity.

The first was in September, 2019 when Knechtel stole financial documents from his landlord and used the information to open bank accounts and apply for credit cards under their name.

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He was kicked out of his rental when the landlord was called from her bank about suspicious activity.

At the same time, he’d stolen cheques from a van and tried to deposit $650 into his fake bank account. The cheque bounced and no funds were deposited.

A ripped up cheque from the van was found in Knechtel’s room after he’d fled. It was taken to the police, who identified Knechtel’s fingerprint.

After being arrested and released on bail, he once again tried to open fraudulent bank accounts.

At the beginning of February, 2020 he applied for a loan online using the name of a man who’d reported his wallet lost a few days before. The online application was quickly found to be a fraud and police were notified.

They were waiting when Knechtel arrived for an in-person appointment to finalize details of the loan. He was arrested when his face didn’t match the ID provided.

During his sentencing hearing, Knechtel said drugs motivated much of his illegal behaviour.

“Living in Nanaimo was a big factor, it was a bad place for me,” he said over the phone. “That’s why I’ve moved from there. I haven’t done anything criminal since I’ve been on the Lower Mainland.”

Knechtel said he completed a two-month drug treatment program earlier in 2021 and his first child is due at the end of May.

“I go to recovery church on Sundays and meetings when we can. I did well in the recovery program and I have no intention of using again. They told me I have a very strong will.”

Knechtel has a relatively small criminal record from Ontario, stemming from similar charges in 2018.

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spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @SpencerSterritt