November 2 , 2006 -- Terrance Croteau of Welland, Ontario, was sentenced Thursday on one count of Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud, twenty counts of Mail Fraud, and four counts of Wire Fraud.  Croteau was sentenced to a term of 151 months' imprisonment and ordered to pay $2,931,568.00 in restitution and a special assessment of $2,500.00.  Croteau was also sentenced to five years' supervised release at the conclusion of his incarceration.  Croteau pled guilty in May to operating a business directory scam out of Montreal, Quebec and Welland, Ontario between 2000 and late spring, 2004.  Croteau employed telemarketers who telephoned U.S. businesses under the false pretenses that they were from a legitimate business which published directories, including an online business directory on the Internet.

The case was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service with substantial assistance from the Federal Trade Commission in Chicago.  The Niagara Regional Police Service in Welland, Ontario and the Ontario Provincial Police, assisted by the Toronto Police Service, conducted a concurrent investigation.  The investigation arose as a result of the efforts of the Toronto Strategic Partnership.  The prosecution of the case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce E Reppert.