Forged document in vehicle sale ‘very disturbing’ says judge

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on April 21, 2022.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A Calgary man who processed a forged document to help sell a vehicle, has been placed on house arrest.
Trent Vernon Elberg, 29, was given an eight-month conditional sentence Wednesday after he pleaded guilty in Lethbridge provincial court to one count of using a forged document.
During the first three months of his sentence, Elberg will be under house arrest and must remain in his residence or on his property 24 hours a day. There are exceptions, however, which include being away for work, medical appointments and emergencies. During the remaining five months of his sentence, he must obey a curfew between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., which also allows for some exceptions.
Court was told that in January 2020 a man contacted Claresholm RCMP to report a vehicle loan from Capital Chevrolet in Calgary had been completed in his name using a forged signature. Police were able to determine that the signature on the loan document did not match the complainant’s signature on his driver’s licence and registration.
Crown Prosecutor Sheena Campbell said the complainant had considered co-signing for a friend, Kenneth Fritzler, but ultimately decided not to proceed. During the RCMP investigation, Fritzler told police a truck had been delivered to him in Claresholm, but he couldn’t remember how many or what type of documents had been signed when he completed the purchase of the vehicle.
Police spoke to the sales associate assigned to the file, Scott McBurnie, who told police he and a co-worker met with Fritzler and the complainant in Claresholm and they each signed several documents. Police later learned McBurnie had provided a false statement, had never met with the complainant, and on instruction from Elberg, forged the complainant’s signature.
“Mr. McBurnie later provided confirmation to RCMP that he had asked Mr. Elberg what to do if the co-signer did not show up,” Campbell explained. She said Elberg told McBurnie to “man up” if he wanted to be a finance manager and to sign for the co-applicant because “we do it all the time.”
Calgary lawyer David Chow pointed out his client was fired from his position in the finance department of Capital Chevrolet, and is currently a lot attendant at another automotive business.
Chow said Elberg takes full responsibility for his role in the offence, and explained the complainant was initially willing to co-sign for his friend, but when the truck was delivered, the complainant never showed up to finish signing the paperwork and the documents were instead completed by McBurnie and another individual.
“Mr. Elberg was not there, in Claresholm, for that,” Chow said. “However, Mr. Elberg certainly prompted and participated as a party to the forging of the document by encouraging Mr. McBurnie to do what he did.”
Judge Eric Brooks accepted the recommendation by the Crown and defence for an eight-month conditional sentence, but said he was concerned that such an offence happened at a well-known dealership.
“The comment that was attributed to you…that you gotta man up, this is how finance works, you’ve got to be prepared to do what needs to be done in order to get the deal, is very disturbing,” Brooks said. “To simply toss aside your integrity for the purpose of putting a car sale through, is a very, very, disconcerting attitude, and unfortunately, I think, we see it too often.”
Brooks warned Elberg not to breach any conditions of his probation, or he will likely serve the remainder of his sentence in jail.
“Actual jail; steel bars, small windows, bad food. It’s not a good thing.”

Follow @DShurtzHerald on Twitter