Calgary repeat-offender heads back to court

Despite being ordered to repay victims tens of thousands of dollars for renovations never completed, a Calgary contractor was back in court last week. Kieron Warren pleaded not guilty to another 30 charges of fraud under the Criminal Code and Alberta’s consumer protection law for allegedly taking $160,000 from customers in Calgary and Okotoks between October 2011 and June 2012 and not finishing the jobs.

A habit of bad behavior

Kieron Warren, charged with multiple fraud offenses

Warren had previously pleaded guilty in February 2015 to charges involving six families with estimated losses between $300,000 and $400,000. Warren was operating a company called Hillcrest Renovations when he committed those offences between Oct. 1, 2007, and Aug. 27, 2010. He was placed on probation for three years, ordered to report to court, and to pay back $42,900 to three victims. In November 2014, he had been fined another $8,000 for operating without a licence and for failing to refund customers when he didn’t complete work.

This time Warren and his mother Greta were operating under the name of Kreate Kitchens. They face criminal counts of fraud over $5,000 and theft over $5,000. These include: operating as a prepaid contractor without the required provincial licence, failing to provide a contract that complies with the legislation, failing to refund consumers within 15 days of the consumer cancelling the contract, misleading a consumer, and misrepresenting when goods or services would be supplied. Warren is also is charged with one count of failing to provide a copy of the signed contract to the consumer.

Huge fines and jail time are possible
Under Alberta’s Fair Trading Act, the maximum penalties are a fines of up to $300,000 or three times the amount obtained from the offence, whichever is greater, and up to two years in jail.

Warren’s not guilty plea disappointed the customers who were left with incomplete work and suppliers threatening liens. Diane Braine, one of the first alleged victims to file a complaint told the Calgary Herald “Basically, we came here expecting he would agree to some restitution…We expected he’d say he did something wrong.”

The internet brought victims together

Brian & Angie Chubb were left with this for a kitchen, by Kieron Warren (photo: Victims of Kieron Warren)

Brian and Angie Chubb were among several victims who contributed to a web site called Victims of Kieron Warren in order to warn others. Their experiences appear to be typical: “The renovation started off slow, then slower.   We were without a kitchen for five weeks before we had running water, lights and a counter top.  Today we have a partially working kitchen.  Lots of mistakes have to be fixed.  There are no door fronts, side panels or shelves.  Our granite has been installed however Kieron Warren has not paid the granite company.   The granite company said they would be putting a lien on our home even though the contract was with Kieron Warren.”

Warren and his mother are scheduled to begin a five-day trial March 14, 2016 in provincial court.

Also read:
Calgary contractor Kieron Warren admits taking money for renovation without a licence

Contractor opts for trial for allegedly not completing renovations