Sentencing adjourned in Mehler fraud case

Taberite Raymond Davide Mehler will have to wait until June 24 to hear his sentence for attempting a six-figure fraud involving a number of regional equipment dealerships in February.

Mehler appeared in Taber provincial court on Tuesday via closed-circuit TV from the Lethbridge Correctional Centre. Sentencing was adjourned by Judge P.G. Pharo to determine the current medical status of the accused, which could be regarded as a mitigating factor.

The 53-year-old had pled guilty on May 6 to seven charges including forgery, false pretense or false statement, attempted false pretense or false statement, and uttering a forged document.

Sentencing had previously been adjourned to May 13 to allow Judge Pharo time to consider his judgement. Crown prosecutor Bruce Ainscough had argued for a sentence of two years plus a day.

The global value of Mehler’s attempted frauds reached a total of nearly $1 million.