Ontario woman says N.L. businessman ‘scammed’ her while out on bail appealing jail term | CBC News
Ontario woman says she gave ‘Ray Stephens’ cash before discovering his true identity
An Ontario woman says she was offered a financial lifeline after being duped by a controversial HVAC company — only for the proposed solution to sink her further into debt.
Marcy Barbaro has since learned troubling details about the man who she says promised to negotiate a way out of her costly contract: he did so while out on bail, awaiting appeal for his own alleged misdeeds in the industry.
Barbaro, of Midland, Ont., says she sent Raymond Kalonga — or as she knew him, “Ray Stephens” — $17,500.
“I do not understand how someone can be so duplicitous,” Barbaro said.
The latest development comes two years after Kalonga, 38, left a trail of unhappy customers and creditors in his wake during his time in St. John’s, where he operated his own company, Atlantic Standard HVAC.
He ran that business in Newfoundland while facing trouble in the courts in Ontario for his handling of a previous door-to-door sales company there.
Kalonga is currently out on bail while appealing a 525-day jail sentence and half-a-million dollar fine levied under Ontario consumer protection laws.
In that case, Kalonga claims he didn’t instruct his legal counsel to enter guilty pleas when they did, which he says nullifies the conviction and sentence.
Before connecting with Kalonga, Barbaro ran into problems with an unrelated company.
Customers of Provincial Smart Home Services say that company convinced them to buy expensive HVAC systems and other equipment they didn't need, by promising government rebates that never came and savings on energy bills that never materialized.
Watchdog: Investigating questionable HVAC contracts; how to buy Canadian
Dive deeper
- Ontario woman says she gave ‘Ray Stephens’ cash before discovering his true identity
- An Ontario woman says she was offered a financial lifeline after being duped by a controversial HVAC company — only for the proposed solution to sink her further into debt.
- Marcy Barbaro has since learned troubling details about the man who she says promised to negotiate a way out of her costly contract: he did so while out on bail, awaiting appeal for his own alleged misdeeds in the industry.
- Barbaro, of Midland, Ont., says she sent Raymond Kalonga — or as she knew him, “Ray Stephens” — $17,500.
- “I do not understand how someone can be so duplicitous,” Barbaro said.
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