Nova Scotia RCMP Announce results of MLA Expense Investigation

Release:
February 14th, 2011, Halifax, Nova Scotia…Nova Scotia RCMP have
concluded the investigation into MLA expenses and have charged against
four individuals.

The investigation led by the RCMP Commercial Crime Section gathered
evidence that supported charging four individuals. Today, the RCMP
Commercial Crime Section has laid a total of 52 charges against the
following four individuals:

Richard Melbourne Hurlburt, Hebron, Nova Scotia
●       Fraud Exceeding $5,000  X 1
●       Uttering a Forged Document X 3
●       Breach of Trust by a Public Officer X 1

Russell V. MacKinnon, Halifax, Nova Scotia
●       Fraud Exceeding $5,000 X 1
●       Uttering a Forged Document  X 8
●       Breach of Trust by a Public Officer X 1

Harold David Wilson, Glace Bay, Nova Scotia
●       Fraud Exceeding $5,000  X 1
●       Uttering a Forged Document      X 31
●       Breach of Trust by a Public Officer X 1

Trevor John Zinck, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
●       Fraud Exceeding $5,000  X 1
●       Theft  Over $5,000 X 2
●       Breach of Trust by a Public Officer X1

All four individuals are scheduled to appear in Halifax Provincial
Court on April 20th at 1:30 p.m.

As the provincial police service, the RCMP’s specialized section of
Commercial Crime investigators were assigned to conduct an investigation
to determine criminal wrongdoing.

“There were a lot of documents to review and persons involved that
date back several years. Investigators from the RCMP Commercial Crime
Section poured over thousands of documents and spent countless hours
reviewing information gathered during the course of its
investigation,” said Insp. Jim MacDougall, Officer in Charge, Nova
Scotia RCMP Commercial Crime Section.

The RCMP investigation into all six individuals is complete. The
identities of the two individuals who are not facing charges will not be
revealed by the RCMP.

The RCMP has updated the Auditor General on the findings of the police
investigation. With the file now shifting to the judicial process, the
RCMP will not comment further on our investigation.

On May 12th, 2010, the RCMP Commercial Crime Section received parts of
the Auditor General’s internal forensic audit. RCMP received
additional information regarding another individual on May 27th, 2010.
As a result of the information received, the RCMP launched an
investigation to determine any possible criminal wrongdoing by five
former and one current MLA.

The RCMP Commercial Crime Section in Nova Scotia works to prevent and
detect criminal activity in the areas of commercial fraud, mass
marketing fraud, counterfeit currency, bankruptcy frauds and cases of
corruption and theft in which the government has been a victim.