Enforcement Notification - Debit deceit: Winnipeg man pleads guilty after paying tax debts with fraudulently obtained funds

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Enforcement Notification - Debit deceit: Winnipeg man pleads guilty after paying tax debts with fraudulently obtained funds

Canada NewsWire

WINNIPEG, MB, Aug. 28, 2026

WINNIPEG, MB, Aug. 28, 2026 /CNW/ -- The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced today that Mark Revelo of Winnipeg, Manitoba, pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements, and was sentenced on August 26, 2026, in the Provincial Court of Manitoba (Winnipeg Centre), to a conditional sentence of 18 months and was fined a total of $41,753.

A CRA investigation revealed that, between February 21, 2022, and April 24, 2023, five fraudulent pre-authorized debit (PAD) agreements were filed with the CRA in relation to Revelo's tax accounts. A PAD agreement is a financial arrangement where a customer authorizes their bank to automatically withdraw specified amounts from their account at regular intervals. Due to these fraudulent agreements, $41,743 was withdrawn from three bank accounts that Revelo neither owned nor had legal authorization to access or use. Of this amount, $27,650 was allocated to pay off Revelo's outstanding tax debts, and $14,093 was issued to him in the form of refund cheques.

The scheme first came to light when a local business discovered an unauthorized withdrawal from its bank account, which was directed to the CRA as a payment toward a tax debt. The Winnipeg Police Service alerted the CRA, prompting an investigation that revealed multiple fraudulent transactions involving payments toward Revelo's tax accounts.

All case-specific information above was obtained from the court records.

The CRA is committed to fighting tax evasion and other serious tax crimes. There are significant consequences to breaking the law. Combatting tax evasion, tax fraud, and other financial crimes is important for the protection of Canada's tax base. While most Canadians obey the tax laws and pay their taxes, the CRA continues to maintain various programs to protect the integrity of the tax system. 

In addition to court-imposed fines and/or jail sentences, convicted taxpayers have to pay the full amount of tax owing, plus related interest and any penalties assessed by the CRA. 

The CRA informs the public of enforcement actions to maintain public confidence in the integrity of the self-assessment tax system, to warn Canadians about potential illegal tax schemes, and to deter others from committing tax evasion or other tax crimes.

The CRA has set up a free subscription service to help Canadians stay current on the CRA's enforcement efforts.

Associated links

Criminal investigations at the Canada Revenue Agency
Tax evasion, understanding the consequences
Reporting suspected tax or benefit cheating in Canada

Contacts

Media Relations
Canada Revenue Agency
613-948-8366
cra-arc.media@cra-arc.gc.ca

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SOURCE Canada Revenue Agency