A Winnipeg man who acted as a courier in a sophisticated “grandparent scam” that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims over a two-year period has been sentenced Sept. 18 to three years in a provincial jail.
Shane Strebly, 48, was sentenced by Provincial Court Judge Phil Devine, who called the offences “despicable” and imposed a sentence harsher than what was requested by the Crown, saying the prosecution’s original recommendation was not “harsh enough.”
“Elderly victims of this crime are left feeling more vulnerable, foolish, and that their competence and independence are fragile,” Judge Devine said in his written decision. “It is a truly despicable crime against the population who should be treated with respect, dignity and care.”
Streby pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud involving eight victims between the ages of 73 and 89. The court heard that an accomplice would phone the seniors, impersonating a grandson, great-nephew, or close friend in a fabricated crisis—such as a car accident, a drug bust, or a lost wallet—and urgently request thousands of dollars for bail or legal fees.
Streby’s role was to act as the courier, picking up the cash from the victims’ homes or seniors’ residences. He was often captured on video surveillance, sometimes wearing a hoodie with the logo of his own moving company, “Above the Rest (ATR).”
The scam began in January 2023 and continued even after Strebly was warned twice by Winnipeg police, including a direct warning from an officer in the Financial Crimes unit.
Profound Impact on Victims
The court was presented with victim impact statements that detailed the deep psychological and financial harm caused by the crimes.
One 87-year-old man, defrauded of $4,800, was described as being so embarrassed and afraid that he has become a recluse. Another victim, now 86 and suffering from dementia, no longer answers his phone unless he sees it is one of his children calling. Others described feeling ashamed, foolish, and having their trust in people permanently shattered.
“The fact that people in the last portion of their lives are isolating because of this crime is a further frightening outcome,” Judge Devine wrote.
A ‘Drug-Fuelled Lost Soul’
The court heard that Strebly had a stable upbringing but turned to crack cocaine following a series of personal tragedies, including a 2016 hit-and-run accident for which he served jail time; the other person involved later died from their injuries.
Streby told his lawyer he became a “drug-fuelled lost soul” and participated in the scams to fund his addiction, claiming he only received between $2,500 and $3,500 from the crimes, which netted over $31,700 from victims.
Judge Devine found Strebly’s moral culpability to be “very high,” noting he persisted in the crimes despite police warnings, targeted vulnerable seniors, and did little in his 10 months in pre-sentence custody to address his addiction or “criminal attitudes.”
The Sentence
With credit for the 279 days he has already spent in custody, Strebly will serve the remainder of his three-year sentence in a provincial institution.
Following his release, he will be on unsupervised probation for three years with strict conditions, including a order not to contact any of the victims or come within two city blocks of their homes.
Judge Devine also issued a stand-alone restitution order for $31,700 and ordered Strebly to provide a sample of his DNA to the national database.
The sentence, the judge concluded, was necessary to denounce the crime and deter others, as such grandparent scams are “on the rise in this jurisdiction.”
