A man whose past already includes one of Canada’s most shocking sports tragedies and a second fatal bar incident is now facing explosive new accusations from U.S. prosecutors. Glen Crossley, a 56-year-old Montrealer, has been charged in connection with a sprawling grandparent scam network that allegedly stole tens of millions of dollars from elderly Americans in a sophisticated cross-border fraud operation.

FROM OLYMPIC TRAGEDY TO NEW FEDERAL INDICTMENT

U.S. prosecutors in Vermont have unsealed an indictment against Crossley and six other defendants, accusing them of participating in a coordinated scam network targeting vulnerable seniors across the United States.

The alleged operation, prosecutors say, was not a small-time scheme. It was a structured fraud system that stretched across call centers, international coordinators, and money handlers on the ground.

Authorities claim the network defrauded elderly victims out of tens of millions of dollars over a three-year period.

ALLEGED MULTILAYERED FRAUD OPERATION

According to prosecutors, the scam relied on dozens of participants playing specific roles.

Some callers, known as “openers,” would first contact victims and create panic by convincing them that a loved one was in legal trouble. Then “closers” would step in, escalating the deception by impersonating police officers or lawyers to demand urgent payments.

Other individuals allegedly acted as “bail bondsmen” in the United States, collecting cash directly from victims. Prosecutors also say coordination extended internationally, including a recently convicted organizer based in Panama who helped manage the operation.

All of it, authorities allege, was carried out under the direction of Gareth West, who presented himself as a luxury real estate developer.

CROSSLEY’S ALLEGED ROLE INSIDE THE SCHEME

Crossley is accused of working under the codename “Buju” and serving as a “closer” in the scam network.

In that role, prosecutors say he would impersonate law enforcement or legal officials after initial contact had already been made with victims, pressuring them into handing over money under the belief that a family member was in immediate legal danger.

The indictment alleges the scam impacted thousands of victims across the United States, many of whom lost life savings and reported lasting emotional distress, including shame and fear after realizing they had been deceived.

VICTIMS LEFT FINANCIALLY AND EMOTIONALLY SHATTERED

Victims who spoke with CBC described devastating consequences after falling prey to the scam, saying they lost critical retirement savings and were left questioning their own judgment after the deception.

The case highlights a growing wave of sophisticated fraud operations targeting older adults, where emotional manipulation is used alongside high-pressure tactics to extract large sums of money quickly.

PAST CONVICTIONS LINKED TO TWO DEATHS

Crossley’s criminal history stretches back decades and already includes two separate fatal incidents.

In 1989, he struck Canadian Olympic swimmer Victor Davis with his car outside a bar in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, and fled the scene. Davis died two days later.

Davis was one of Canada’s most celebrated athletes, winning a gold medal and two silvers at the 1984 Olympic Games and setting multiple world records during his career.

Court testimony revealed Davis and Crossley had argued earlier that night. Crossley claimed he did not realize he had hit anyone, but the judge in the case found his testimony "unbelievable."

He received a 10-month sentence for leaving the scene of an accident.

In 2019, Crossley again pleaded guilty to manslaughter after a 2016 incident in a Montreal bar, where he pushed 70-year-old Albert Arsenault, causing him to fall down a staircase. Arsenault later died. Witnesses said Arsenault had been acting aggressively, and Crossley left before emergency responders arrived.

During cross-examination in that case, Crossley refused to accept responsibility for Davis’s death. When asked what he had learned, he said: “Don’t trust the media.”

He was sentenced to 15 months in jail in connection with the Arsenault case.

ARRESTS AND EXTRADITION FIGHT

Crossley and the six co-defendants charged alongside him were arrested last week. The United States is now seeking their extradition to Vermont, where they would face charges alongside 25 other Canadians already accused in the sprawling case.

The co-defendants include:

Evangelos Lohaitis, a.k.a. “Bucky,” 36, Saint-Eustache, Quebec
Mitchell Burnett-Guarna, a.k.a. “Juice,” 39, Dorval, Quebec
Kyle Lesser, a.k.a. “Brock,” 34, Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Quebec
Luca Santalucia, a.k.a. “Rocco,” 27, Montreal
Cody Jodouin-King, a.k.a. “Lids,” 28, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec
Panagiota Fountotos, a.k.a. “Nike,” 29, Laval, Quebec

Authorities say additional defendants, including Gareth West, are actively fighting extradition to the United States.

One alleged participant, Jimmy Ylimaki, was arrested in Nicaragua after more than a year on the run and is now detained in Vermont.

Separately, Stefano Zanetti, a Montrealer who had been living in Panama, was recently sentenced in the United States to 15 and a half years in prison for his role in the same scam network.

The case continues to expand as prosecutors build what they describe as one of the most far-reaching elder fraud conspiracies in recent years.