'All the people I deceived': Alleged fraudster gave several confessions to police, judge hears

Meghan Grant · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 01, 2025 7:27 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

A Calgary antheral accused of defrauding investors retired of much than $1 cardinal gave respective "confessions" to police, telling investigators helium was prepared to speech astir "all the radical I deceived" and was prepared to spell to jail. 

These are immoderate of the details authoritative Aaron Rankin told Court of King's Bench Justice Robert Armstrong helium would perceive during the two-week trial.

Scott Brooks, 51, faces charges of fraud, wealth laundering and individuality fraud stemming from alleged crimes betwixt 2010 and 2018. 

In Rankin's opening connection connected Tuesday, helium outlined the Crown's case, giving details of the allegations and the grounds expected to beryllium called. 

'All the radical I deceived'

Some of the astir almighty grounds is apt to travel from Brooks himself done a bid of emails and consequent interviews.

In a November 2019 email to an RCMP investigator, Brooks referred to "a confession oregon astatine slightest an effort to amusement you that I americium getting the courageousness to item my full beingness and each the radical I deceived."

"I americium highly frightened due to the fact that I cognize erstwhile I bash this determination is nary turning back," helium wrote.

"I besides cognize you presumption maine arsenic a fraudster who volition prevarication his mode astir anything. This is true, I am. This is astir apt the lone truthful happening I've said successful a agelong time."

'I volition beryllium going to jail'

Days later, Brooks wrote "I cognize I volition beryllium going to jail" but said helium wanted to bash it for the involvement of everyone "I person taken wealth from and ruined their lives."

He was doing this, helium said, against the proposal of his lawyer. 

Books past gave 2 statements to constabulary implicit the adjacent 2 months that Rankin described arsenic "confessions."

The Crown alleges that 1 of those "ruined" lives was a antheral who, implicit a three-year period, gave Brooks $750,000.

In 2010, Brooks claimed to beryllium progressive successful a woody with an oilfield services institution that wanted to bargain the patent for a "revolutionary flange," a woody the alleged fraudster claimed was worthy millions. 

$800,000 invested by 1 man

The antheral was besides convinced to instrumentality retired an $800,000 owe connected a million-dollar spot southbound of Calgary wherever Brooks and his household were living.

Brooks claimed to beryllium manufacturing the flange successful a Quonset connected the property. 

The antheral utilized his status funds, savings and sold properties to money the investment. 

He ended up surviving successful his son-in-law's basement. 

In different instance, the prosecution says, Brooks told an alleged unfortunate helium was successful a multimillion-dollar concern woody with ConocoPhillips.

'Forged correspondence'

The investor, who handed implicit $200,000, believed the woody was legitimate, successful portion due to the fact that helium received emails from a section lawyer. The probe revealed that Brooks utilized her email signature successful "forged correspondence."

When the capitalist became suspicious, helium began signaling their conversations. Rankin told the justice helium volition play immoderate of those conversations arsenic portion of the Crown's case. 

Two different men — concern partners — invested $150,000 successful the aforesaid fictitious ConocoPhillips woody but successfully recovered their wealth aft filing a suit against Brooks.

The proceedings is expected to instrumentality 2 weeks.