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[Article] Former Canucks Draft Pick Prab Rai Charged in Alleged Multimillion-dollar Fraud


MattJVD

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From CBC: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/canuck-prab-rai-1.7037046

 

Rai is also named in a civil suit filed by a man claiming the former hockey player owes him $3M

 
Karin Larsen · CBC News · Posted: Nov 23, 2023 12:27 PM PST | Last Updated: November 23
Two hockey players crash into the boards.

Prab Rai, left, seen here in a 2010 NHL pre-season game with the Vancouver Canucks, has been charged with fraud, say Surrey RCMP. (Andy Clark/Reuters)

 

A former Vancouver Canucks prospect has been charged in connection with what police are calling a large-scale financial fraud.

Surrey RCMP say its financial crimes unit launched an investigation into Prab Rai, 34, in 2021 after a victim came forward claiming to have lost several million dollars in real estate investment opportunities.

Rai, who is from Surrey, B.C., was arrested on Tuesday and charged with fraud over $5,000, said RCMP. He was released by the courts on conditions, pending his next court appearance.

A civil suit was filed against Rai and members of his family by businessman Harpreet Singh Khela in December 2020. It accuses the former hockey star of defrauding Khela of close to $3 million.

Khela claims in the lawsuit that Rai involved him in a number of business deals that all turned out to be "fictitious," including an investment deal in a Tim Hortons franchise.

 

In the largest of the alleged schemes, Khela said he advanced $2.4 million to Rai as a deposit on a fake deal to buy the Sutton Place Hotel in Vancouver. 

Khela also claims Rai made up a "fantastical story" about losing all his money after being kidnapped, beaten and robbed of his hard drive, which contained his bank account information.

In his response to the lawsuit, Rai claims Khela attempted to ingratiate and involve himself with Rai's legitimate business pursuits and then started making "a [series] of sweeping, unfounded allegations" against Rai in an effort to stave off creditors.

None of the allegations have been tested in court.

Rai was selected 131st overall by the Canucks in the 2008 NHL draft.

Rai had 69 points in 67 games with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds In the 2009-10 season. He went on to play 38 games in the ECHL.

Edited by MattJVD
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4 hours ago, Guntrix said:

Did JB gloss over character when evaluating prospects? 

I doubt most GM's know much (if anything) about 5th round pick selections.  If they do, they aren't spending enough time on the other aspects of the job.  1st round picks or guys they are projected to be available by the time they're drafting?  Sure, they likely personally scout/interview possible candidates extensively.

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1 minute ago, NewbieCanuckFan said:

I doubt most GM's know much (if anything) about 5th round pick selections.  If they do, they aren't spending enough time on the other aspects of the job.  1st round picks or guys they are projected to be available by the time they're drafting?  Sure, they likely personally scout/interview possible candidates extensively.

True. But explain Virtanen and Juiolevi then. Clearly two guys who lack character. One is a doughead idiot and the other is a weakling moron. Yet JBerdoodle thought he knew better than our scouts (who had been drafting those classes for years) and picked both. Can we say Dumbo? 

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7 minutes ago, Alflives said:

True. But explain Virtanen and Juiolevi then. Clearly two guys who lack character. One is a doughead idiot and the other is a weakling moron. Yet JBerdoodle thought he knew better than our scouts (who had been drafting those classes for years) and picked both. Can we say Dumbo? 

Hey, I'm as big a critic of Benning as anyone here but I think he deserved a little leeway in that draft year as he just came onboard as GM (likely went with who the amateur scouting staff recommended in much of the picks?  course I'm just speculating).  Both those guys (Jake & OJ) were scouted largely by our Canadian amateur scouts (given where those guys played) & they have a track record in amateur scouting as good as Mike Gillis.🥸

Edited by NewbieCanuckFan
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On 11/25/2023 at 9:29 AM, JeremyCuddles said:

Not really, dude was so insignificant he didn't even touch the ice for our AHL team. Calling him an ex-Canuck feels incredibly generous.

To be fair, the article calls him a "former Canucks' draft pick" in the headline which is definitely true. Agreed that calling him a 'Canuck' would be a stretch though.

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On 11/24/2023 at 6:22 PM, Alflives said:

True. But explain Virtanen and Juiolevi then. Clearly two guys who lack character. One is a doughead idiot and the other is a weakling moron. Yet JBerdoodle thought he knew better than our scouts (who had been drafting those classes for years) and picked both. Can we say Dumbo? 

Virtanen was an internal push to draft the local Power Forward fans have been wanting since Bertuzzi. 
 

Juolevi was shit luck with injuries. 
 

Stuff like this happens to teams in every draft even to good GM’s. Zadina>Hughes anyone? 

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This news is actually something I heard of years ago. I heard through the grapevine that this dude might have been involved in fraud, but I kept thinking that this COULDN'T possibly true (wishful thinking). However, a part of me knew.

 

What a shame that this guy decided to go the route of fraud instead of making money honestly. What a disgrace.

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On 11/24/2023 at 1:47 PM, Guntrix said:

Did JB gloss over character when evaluating prospects? 

 

This is my issue with bias. People hate Benning so much that they're willing to blame anything and everything on him, even when Gillis was the GM at the time, as another poster mentioned.

 

People, do not let your bias take control over your reasoning skills.

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