Former Calgary city councillor found guilty of fraud

Former city councillor Joe Magliocca has been found guilty of defrauding Calgary taxpayers out of thousands of dollars.

Joe Magliocca, the former councillor for Calgary’s Ward 2, has been found guilty of fraud, a judge ruled on Monday.

He was found not guilty of breach of trust.

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Magliocca was accused of lying about travel expenses and other claims between October 2017 and December 2019.

At that time, he said he was meeting with politicians across the country, including a Quebec cabinet minister, Ontario’s NDP leader and the mayor of Halifax.

However, all three testified that they never met him.

Justice Gord Wong told the court on Monday that the only contact he may have had with them was the exchange of business cards.

“Out of thin air the accused provided names of those he claimed to have hosted,” Wong said.

RCMP began investigating him in August 2020, after concerns were raised following a 2019 conference in Quebec, where it was found he spent double what others did.

According to court documents, Magliocca made false claims that included the names of 27 politicians from across the country.

There were also charges for flight seat upgrades.

His lawyer claims the incidents were the result of administrative and management errors.

Wong didn’t believe those claims and said Magliocca’s conduct was deliberate.

“The only reasonable inference available here is that the accused knowingly provided false information and expense claims and he knew he stood to benefit from that at the city’s expense,” Wong said.

Magliocca will appeal: lawyer

Aryan Sadat, Magliocca’s lawyer, told reporters after the hearing they are disappointed by the ruling.

“This was not a decision that was expected,” he said.

“Despite the fact that Mr. Magliocca was found not guilty of the breach charge, I do have instruction that we will be appealing this decision,” he said.

Sadat said they will have more information after they review the judge’s ruling.

Magliocca was charged just days before the 2021 municipal election, which he ended up losing to Jennifer Wyness.

He has since repaid the city nearly $10,000.

As a result of this case, the city created an improved expense policy and process.

“The misconduct of former City Councillor Magliocca undermined the trust and confidence Calgarians have in their local government,” the city said in a statement Monday.

“City Council took immediate steps to direct work to restore that trust and confidence through changes in governance and oversight.”

In 2020, the city auditor was directed to conduct an independent investigation, resulting in several recommendations to change the council’s expense claim process, policy and oversight.

The Councillors’ Budgets and Expenses Bylaw was approved in May 2021, which replaced bylaws with a new, more robust expense process and governance structure, according to the city.

A sentencing hearing has been set for May 22.

With files from CTV News Calgary’s Tyson Fedor and The Canadian Press