Wendall David McLure, 68, received a conditional sentence for employment insurance offences that saw him receive more than $20,000 in overpayments. Photo by Terrence McEachern /Guardian fileArticle contentA P.E.I. man who knowingly made false employment insurance claims that failed to mention hours worked or earnings and received more than $20,000 in overpayments won’t be going to jail for the offences.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentWendall David McLure, 68, appeared in provincial court in Charlottetown on Oct. 29 for sentencing on three counts under the Employment Insurance Act.Article contentArticle contentMcLure previously pleaded guilty to the charges and the matters were adjourned so a pre-sentence report discussing his personal circumstances and background information could be prepared.Article contentArticle contentThe factsArticle contentIn terms of the facts, federal Crown attorney Matt Bradley told the court that the first count involved McLure receiving 33 weeks of EI benefits at a rate of $573 per week from Feb. 16, 2020, to Feb. 13, 2021. During that time, McLure was employed with a construction company and from May 3 to Aug. 8, 2020, failed to disclose earnings and hours worked. As a result, McLure received $8,022 in EI overpayments.Article contentThen from Feb. 14, 2021, to Feb. 12, 2022, McLure received EI benefits for 32 weeks at a rate of $595 per week. He was employed with the same construction company and did not report earnings or hours worked from April 19 to July 10, 2021, which led to $7,140 in EI overpayments.Article contentThe final count involved McLure receiving EI benefits from April 3, 2022, to April 1, 2023, at a rate of $638 per week. McLure worked at the same construction company and did not disclose earnings and hours worked from May 17 to June 28, 2022. The amount of EI overpayment McLure received was $5,104.Article contentArticle contentIn total, McLure received $20,266 in EI overpayments as a result of the offences. McLure did not have a prior criminal record. However, Bradley noted that McLure has a prior history of administrative offences in the past 10 years for making EI claim misrepresentations and receiving overpayments that were dealt with internally by the federal government.Article contentThose prior incidents occurred in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 and involved a total of $9,943 in EI overpayments. As a result of those incidents, McLure received penalties totalling $12,106.Article contentConditional sentenceArticle contentFor the offences in provincial court, Bradley noted that other recent convictions have resulted in 90-day jail sentences and fines. In this case, Bradley recommended 30 to 45 days in jail and explained that the amounts in McLure’s offences were comparatively lower and involved fewer misrepresentations than other sentences. Bradley also recommended a fine in the range of $200 to $400 for each of the three counts.
P.E.I. man gets conditional sentence for EI offences
