Indian fraudster asks for discharge to avoid deportation from Canada

An Indian man in Canada on a study permit is asking a judge for a discharge so he can avoid being deported , after being convicted of theft and fraud.

Jins Joseph, who has attended school in Corner Brook, N.L. for nearly four years, was working as a butcher at a Dominion store when he defrauded the store of $2,700 by putting deep discounts on meat for himself, his friends and fellow employees.

He was convicted of eight counts of fraud under $5,000 and one count of theft under $5,000 on July 24.

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Joseph’s lawyer, Adam Crocker, told provincial court Judge Wayne Gorman on Thursday that the conviction could affect his client’s immigration status. His study permit expires on Sept. 30, and he must leave Canada by then, but is waiting for the outcome of the case to apply for an extension.

Joseph said to the judge that immigration lawyers told him the chances of being successful are almost zero with a criminal conviction.

“They said if that’s the case, you’re going to have to leave the country or you’re going to get deported from the country,” said Joseph.

He said that would result in him being banned from the country for five-plus years. Joseph has a partner here and said he promised to give her a future and be a husband to her, and he doesn’t want to break that promise.

“If I have to leave the country, I’m going to have to restart my entire degree all over again, and that’s going to take away six and a half years of my time trying to prepare for what I’ve gone through to get to here,” he said.

“I still believe that it’s just ill intentions of people that I’ve worked for, their personal trouble they’ve had with me, they’re trying to get me deported from the country.”