Skip to content

Mountie convicted of tormenting tenants faces hearing with force

A Mountie convicted of tormenting his tenants in Innisfail and Bowden and defrauding lenders and their insurance companies faces allegations of misconduct by the RCMP.

A Mountie convicted of tormenting his tenants in Innisfail and Bowden and defrauding lenders and their insurance companies faces allegations of misconduct by the RCMP.

RCMP Const. Hoa Dong La, 46, was convicted on Friday in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench of two counts of criminal harassment, two counts of extortion and 10 counts of mortgage fraud in relation to properties he and members of his family had purchased.

La’s trial was held earlier this year and Justice David Gates released his verdict on Friday.

RCMP Sgt. Patricia Neely, a spokesperson with K Division, said an RCMP adjudication board to deal with the misconduct would not convene until after La’s criminal sentencing and a possible appeal by La.

“The RCMP can pursue administrative dismissal without going through adjudication hearing process if the member is sentenced to custodial jail time. So a lot will hinge on sentencing and also will hinge on appeal,” Neely said on Monday.

La has been suspended with full pay since November 2006 from his job with the RCMP passport and immigration section in Calgary.

During criminal proceedings, La was found to have used the trappings of his office, including his uniform, his weapon and his police car as tools to instill fear in his tenants.

Some of the charges dated as far back as December 2003.

The properties were mortgaged through branches of ATB Financial Services and the Bank of Montreal in Airdrie, Red Deer and Camrose.

La was a Mountie in Innisfail during some of the incidents. He was later transferred Calgary and now lives in Airdrie. He has been on paid leave since he was charged.

La will be sentenced on June 6. He is not in custody.

szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com