Montreal man pleads guilty for claiming $144K in government benefits for 12 fake children

A Montreal man who claimed Canada child benefits for more than a decade for kids he made up pleaded guilty last weekend to making false or deceptive statements and forgery.

A CRA investigation found Guerly Estimé received approximately $144,821 between 2007 and 2018 by claiming the benefits for 12 fake children, the tax agency said in a news release. 

Estimé pleaded guilty on Saturday at the Montreal courthouse and was sentenced to a two-year conditional sentence and three years of probation. 

He was also ordered to pay back the benefits he fraudulently received. 

"Falsifying records and claims, wilfully not reporting income, or inflating expenses can lead to criminal charges, prosecution, jail time, and a criminal record," the CRA said.