THUNDER BAY - A local man who has pleaded guilty to numerous charges involving fraud was granted another lengthy adjournment by a Superior Court Justice on Monday morning.
Richard Belbas was scheduled to appear for sentencing on charges dating back to 2017. Defence lawyer, Karen Scullion, announced Belbas had approached her in hopes of retaining her for his case.
"Mr. Belbas approached me in regarding his case," she said. "This matter is set for sentencing, I am not in a position to proceed."
Ontario Superior Court Justice Danial Newton granted the adjournment application to return in early May while Belbas is in the process of retaining a new lawyer to allow his new counsel enough time to get up to speed with his case.
His previous lawyer, Francis Thatcher, announced he would no longer be able to represent Belbas.
Belbas was convicted and served time in jail in 2015 after he was found guilty of taking money from clients and not completing renovation work.
Crown prosecutor Andrew Sadler went over the numerous amounts of times Belbas’s court hearings have been adjourned since he pleaded guilty in 2017, stating prosecutors did not believe more adjournments would be appropriate.
“Given the numerous adjournments provided to Mr. Belbas and given the length of the matter before the court…Crown is not in a position to consent to an adjournment application,” Sadler said, adding Belbas continues to accumulate new charges.
Belbas’s new lawyer says the 60-day adjournment is needed in order for Belbas to fully retain her as a lawyer in order to proceed with sentencing. According to Scullion, Belbas is looking at a potential five-year custodial sentence.
Sadler also brought up the probation order Belbas was bound by which required him to notify his probation officer of any new clients he retained. This allowed his probation officer to protect members of the public and notify them of Belbas’s ongoing charges.
Sadler announced that court order has since expired.
Belbas’s new method of supervision requires his surety to notify the police of any new clients. Crown counsel notified the courts this method has been less effective.
Justice Newton ordered Crown counsel to vary the conditions of his release and determine whether or not his pre-sentence report — which was completed in 2018 —should be updated.
Belbas will return to court on May 1.
