TICO conducts investigations when it becomes apparent that there may have been a breach of the Travel Industry Act, 2002 and Ontario Regulation 26/05. Investigations can result in charges being laid under the statute. Results of investigations are not a matter of public record, unless they escalate into a prosecution and charges are laid. The following are TICO investigations that have resulted in charges and convictions:

Current Charges:

Date	Name
March 20, 2023	Luxury Travel Centre Inc. and Naroce Vignarajah
March 20, 2023	Women Entrepreneurs in Advanced Technology (WEATECH) Inc. operating as Eventtours and Liezl Albino
January 11, 2023	Elite Encounters and Adventures Inc., Dwayne Pogue and Stefanie Landriault
December 22, 2022	Luis Da Silva operating as Bwiti Canada
December 9, 2022	Jacco Tours (Ontario) Ltd. and Danny Li
September 27, 2022	Alistair Hamilton
February 24, 2022	Angela Comella and Angie's All Seasons Travel Inc.

Convictions:

Date	Name
May 2, 2023	Representaciones Neward Inc. and Libia Ysabel Guerra Paez
June 28, 2022	Brian McKinlay operating as Meridien Cottages Inc.
May 27, 2022	Sherkston Trailer Rentals Inc. and Patricia D. Levasseur
May 12, 2022	Barrett & Carlysle Travel and Tanja Schneider-Steinbock
May 5, 2022	Albarkah Travel and Tours Inc. and Mahmood Bashir
July 23, 2021	Moose Travel Company Ltd.
May 14, 2021	Millennium Leisure Travels Inc. and Kailan Ariyarajah
March 26, 2021	Michael Shane Adams
November 20, 2020	Karen Gushue
January 22, 2020	Raed Karborani and Biblical Journeys Canada
January 16, 2020	Pure Yoga Ottawa Inc.
July 26, 2019	Emmanuel Adjei

 

Current Charges:

March 20, 2023
Luxury Travel Centre Inc. and Naroce Vignarajah
Luxury Travel Centre Inc. was charged with one count of operating as a travel agent without being registered, four counts of failing to hold money in trust, and one count of failing to notify the Registrar of an address change. Naroce Vignarajah was charged with one count of operating as a travel agent without being registered and one count of being an Officer and Director of a corporation and failing to take reasonable care to prevent the corporation from committing an offence. Luxury Travel Centre Inc. had its registration under the Travel Industry Act, 2002 revoked on September 21, 2022. Naroce Vignarajah will appear in court on April 14, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. at 60 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario.

March 20, 2023
Women Entrepreneurs in Advanced Technology (WEATECH) Inc. operating as Eventtours and Liezl Albino
Women Entrepreneurs in Advanced Technology (WEATECH) Inc., operating as Eventtours, was charged with 12 counts of operating as a travel agent without being registered. Liezl Albino was charged with one count of operating as a travel agent without being registered and one count of being an Officer and Director of a corporation and failing to take reasonable care to prevent the corporation from committing an offence. Liezl Albino will appear in court on April 14, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. at 60 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario.

January 11, 2023
Elite Encounters and Adventures Inc., Dwayne Pogue and Stefanie Landriault
Elite Encounters and Adventures Inc. was charged with one count of operating as a travel agent without being registered. Dwayne Pogue and Stefanie Landriault have both been charged with one count each of operating as a travel agent without being registered, and one count each of being an Officer and Director of a Corporation and failing to take reasonable care to prevent the Corporation from committing an offence. Dwayne Pogue and Stefanie Landriault will appear in court on March 17, 2023, at 9 a.m. in Newmarket, Ontario.

December 22, 2022
Luis Da Silva operating as Bwiti Canada 
Luis Da Silva, operating as Bwiti Canada, was charged with one count of operating as a travel agent without being registered. Luis Da Silva will appear in court at 11 a.m. on January 31, 2023 in Mississauga, Ontario.

December 9, 2022
Jacco Tours (Ontario) Ltd. and Danny Li 
Jacco Tours (Ontario) Ltd. was charged with one count of failing to use money held in trust other than for the purpose it was received. Additionally, Danny Li has been charged with one count of being an Officer and Director of a Corporation and failing to take reasonable care to prevent the Corporation from committing an offence. Danny Li will appear in court on January 13, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. in Toronto, Ontario.

.September 27, 2022
Alistair Hamilton 
Alistair Hamilton was charged with one count of operating as a travel agent without being registered. Alistair Hamilton will appear in court at 9 am on October 27, 2022, in Hamilton, Ontario.

February 24, 2022
Angela Comella and Angie's All Seasons Travel Inc.
Angie's All Seasons Travel Inc. was charged with 26 counts of operating as a travel agent without being registered; 4 counts of failing to bring to the attention of customers any conditions that may affect the customers’ decision to purchase, before entering into an agreement or taking payment for travel services; 4 counts of failing to explain to customers any requirements or limitations relating to transfer or cancellation of the travel services, before entering into an agreement or taking payment for travel services; 4 counts of failing to provide customers with a statement, invoice, setting out any fees, levies, service charges and whether those amounts are refundable; 4 counts of failing to inform the customer of the existence of a service charge before selling travel services; 1 count of failing to notify the Registrar at least five days before making changes to its banking information; 1 count of failing to maintain a trust account for all money received from customers for travel services; 1 count of failing to hold monies received from consumers in trust and failing to deposit all such money into the trust account within two banking days after receiving it; and 1 count of disbursing or withdrawing money held in trust, other than to make a refund to a consumer. Angela Comella is charged with one count of operating as a travel agent without being registered and one count of being an Officer and Director of a corporation and failing to take reasonable care to prevent the Corporation from committing an offence. Angela Comella will appear in court on March 25, 2022, at 9 am at 17150 Yonge Street, Newmarket (York Region).

Convictions:

May 2, 2023
Representaciones Neward Inc. and Libia Ysabel Guerra Paez 
Representaciones Neward Inc. and Libia Ysabel Guerra Paez were convicted of one count each of operating as a travel agent without being registered. Libia Ysabel Guerra Paez was further convicted of one count of being an officer or director and failing to take reasonable care to prevent the corporation from committing an offence. Representaciones Neward Inc. was fined $12,500, inclusive of a victim surcharge. Libia Ysabel Guerra Paez was sentenced to 30 days in jail and a two-year probation.

June 28, 2022
Brian McKinlay operating as Meridien Cottages Inc.
Brian McKinlay, who conducted business as Meridien Cottages, was convicted of one count of operating as a travel agent without being registered.
Brian McKinlay has been sentenced in Court to a $2,500 fine, including a victim fine surcharge, as well as a two-year probation.

May 27, 2022
Sherkston Trailer Rentals Inc. and Patricia D. Levasseur
Sherkston Trailer Rentals Inc. and Patricia D. Levasseur were convicted of one count each of operating as a travel agent without being registered. Sherkston Trailer Rentals Inc. has been sentenced in Court to a $5,000 fine, including a victim surcharge. Both Sherkston Trailer Rentals Inc. and Patricia D. Levasseur were also sentenced to a two-year probation and are prohibited from engaging in activities as a registered Travel Agent, unless they become registered under the Travel Industry Act, 2002.

May 12, 2022
Barrett & Carlysle Travel and Tanja Schneider-Steinbock
Barrett & Carlysle Travel was convicted of 40 counts of selling travel services without being registered. Tanja Schneider-Steinbock, an officer and director of the company and also the manager on record, was convicted of one count of selling travel services without being registered and one count of being an officer or director and failing to take reasonable care to prevent the corporation from committing an offence. Both Barrett & Carlysle Travel and Tanja Schneider-Steinbock have been sentenced in Court to a two-year probation and they are prohibited from applying for or engaging in activities as a registered Travel Agent, as defined in the Travel Industry Act, 2002. The Court ordered Barrett & Carlysle Travel to pay a fine of $3,750, including a victim surcharge.

May 5, 2022
Albarkah Travel and Tours Inc. and Mahmood Bashir
Albarkah Travel and Tours Inc. was convicted on eight counts of failing to deposit consumer money into a trust account and three counts of failing to issue receipts to consumers. Additionally, Mahmood Bashir was convicted of one count of being an officer or director and failing to take reasonable care to prevent the corporation from committing an offence. Mahmood Bashir has been sentenced in Court to a two-year probation and is prohibited from applying for or engaging in activities as a registered Travel Agent, as defined in the Travel Industry Act, 2002. Mahmood Bashir was also sentenced to 200 hours of community service. The court ordered Albarkah Travel and Tours Inc. to pay $25,000 in restitution to the Travel Industry Compensation Fund, on top of the $25,000 in restitution that has already been paid.

July 23, 2021
Moose Travel Company Ltd. 
Moose Travel Company Ltd. was convicted of selling travel services without registration.  On July 23, 2021, Moose Travel Company Ltd. plead guilty to selling travel services without registration between July 2018 and May 2019 in contravention of the Travel Industry Act, 2002.  A fine of $5,500 plus a Victim Fine Surcharge was imposed.  

May 14, 2021
Millenium Leisure Travels Inc. and Kailan Ariyarajah
Millennium Leisure Travels Inc. was charged with one (1) count of operating as a travel agent without being registered. TICO also charged Mr. Kailan Ariyarajah with one (1) count of operating as a travel agent without being registered. Mr. Ariyarajah was also charged with one (1) count of being an Officer and Director of the Corporation and failing to take reasonable care to prevent the corporation from committing an offence (operating without TICO registration). Millennium Leisure Travels Inc. pled guilty to operating without registration and was sentenced to a fine of $4,500 (plus Victim Fine Surcharge) payable in 1 year, and 2 years probation. Prior to pleading guilty, Millenium Leisure Travels Inc. paid $2,285 bank draft to TICO in restitution and signed an undertaking not to sell travel services in the future without registration.

March 26, 2021
Michael Shane Adams
Michael Shane Adams was convicted of one count of operating as a Travel Agent without registration contrary to the Travel Industry Act, 2002. The Court ordered Mr. Adams to pay a fine of $3,000 plus Victim Fine Surcharge. Mr. Adams has indicated he will be submitting an application to register with TICO.

November 20, 2020
Karen Gushue
On February 8, 2019, Karen Gushue was convicted on two (2) counts of operating as a travel agent without being registered. She was sentenced to 75 days and 45 days in jail to be served intermittently and concurrently. On appeal, the sentenced was varied to 30 days and 20 days in jail to be served concurrently and consecutively.

January 22, 2020
Raed Karborani and Biblical Journeys Canada
Mr. Raed Karborani, operating as Biblical Journeys Canada, pleaded guilty to one count of operating as a travel agent without registration, contrary to the Travel Industry Act, 2002. The Court sentenced Mr. Karborani to two years of probation, and as an alternative to a fine payable to the municipality, required him to make a $2,000 charitable donation to a registered charity of his choice.

January 16, 2020
Pure Yoga Ottawa Inc.
Pure Yoga Ottawa Inc. pleaded guilty to one count of operating as a travel agent without registration, contrary to the Travel Industry Act, 2002. The Court ordered Pure Yoga Ottawa to pay a fine of $5,000, including a surcharge, within 90 days.

July 26, 2019
Emmanuel Adjei
Emmanuel Adjei was convicted on three counts of operating as a Travel Agent without registration, contrary to the Travel Industry Act, 2002. The Court ordered Mr. Adjei to pay $6,561 in restitution and perform 200 hours of community service. He was also placed on probation for two years.