A woman facing multiple B.C. fraud-related and assault charges is being returned from Ontario to British Columbia Nov. 8 to face a judge.
While she has appeared mainly in Vancouver Provincial Court to this point, Brigitte Denise Cleroux, 41, will be in B.C. Supreme Court Nov. 15 to fix court dates. She is due back at provincial court the following day.
Cleroux is facing 19 charges in Vancouver of assault, assault with a weapon, fraud over $5,000, using forged documents and impersonation with intent to gain advantage.
On Vancouver Island, Cleroux has been charged with fraud over $5,000, impersonation, use of forged documents and assault in connection with a View Royal medical clinic, RCMP confirmed. The alleged offence took place in 2020.
Further, a court information sworn in Surrey April 27 alleges Cleroux defrauded a man of money in excess of $5,000 between Aug. 24, 2019 and Feb. 29, 2020.
That information further alleges that, between April 5, 2019 and March 4, 2020, Cleroux fraudulently impersonated a woman with intent to gain advantage for herself.
Cleroux made an appearance by video Oct. 26 where lawyer Rachel Wood withdrew as her lawyer.
Vancouver lawyer Guillaume Garih confirmed before Vancouver Provincial Court Judge Dawn Boblin Nov. 7 that he would be acting at Cleroux’s counsel.
He told Boblin that Cleroux, who was attending via video, would like to enter pleas in provincial court.
Court documents show Cleroux has had six lawyers since B.C. proceedings began.
She has been in custody since her arrest by Ottawa police in August 2021 and is currently in prison in Ontario.
The first B.C. charges were detailed in a Nov. 19, 2021 court information.
The initial charges were approved after the Vancouver Police Department launched a months-long investigation spurred by reports of a B.C. Women’s Hospital employee allegedly fraudulently identifying herself as a nurse between June 2020 and June 2021.
VPD’s Financial Crime Unit found a woman had allegedly fraudulently used the name of a real nurse while providing medical care to patients at the hospital.
There are also a number of civil lawsuits pending against Cleroux.
