B.C. judge sentences ‘con artist’ to house arrest and 2 years’ probation

Most people have been spending more time at home lately, and that will certainly be the case for a convicted con artist in British Columbia.

On Monday, the British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) announced that Richard Good of Salmon Arm, B.C., had been sentenced to two years of probation — including a term of house arrest — following his conviction for breaching a BCSC order.

Good was permanently banned by the BCSC in 2007 after orchestrating an investment scheme that saw him raise $2.4 million from various investors. Only a fraction of that amount was actually invested. Good used the rest for personal expenses and purported interest payments to duped investors.

In 2019, Good was charged with breaching the 2007 BCSC order after it was alleged he enticed a woman living with his best friend and brother-in-law into a similar scam. The woman allegedly invested her money through Good in 2013 and 2014.

Good was convicted of breaching the BCSC order in March of this year and sentenced last week after representing himself in court. At the sentencing hearing, the judge noted that Good had already been outed as a “swindler and con artist” in 2007.

“By that time, lying was a way of life for him and there is no indication that he has changed,” the judge said.

The judge added that a probation order and suspended sentence would be more appropriate than a jail sentence, given the Covid-19 pandemic. While under house arrest, Good will be allowed to leave his house for one hour per day.