NHL player agent accused of defrauding Dany Heatley, Chris Phillips of $12M
Former NHL player agent Stacey McAlpine has been charged with fraud, money laundering and theft, following complaints from two former NHL players.
The 54-year-old is accused of defrauding former NHL players Dany Heatley and Chris Phillips of more than $12 million between January 2004 and June 2011.
He was a player agent and business adviser who was supposed to invest the players' money.
He allegedly used the money for personal business and covered it up by giving the players fake account statements.
Heatley and Philips alerted the Winnipeg police financial crime unit in 2013.
"We had a lengthy investigation to complete," said Det.-Sgt. Kathy Antymis. She said officers gathered evidence through production orders, which force banks to turn over account records to police.
"This investigation is not expected to grow any further beyond what it is now," said Antymis.
"After years of pursuing this case, I am pleased that the Winnipeg police have also become involved and made this arrest," Heatley said in a written statement issued by his lawyer, Peter Mantas.
$6.5M judgment for Heatley in July
Heatley, who now lives in Los Angeles, recently obtained a $6.5-million judgment in Calary against companies McAlpine is involved with. The consent judgment was pronounced in the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench on July 21.
In the lawsuit, Heatley alleged that real estate investments were mismanaged, causing him loss.
Heatley's last NHL stint was with the Anaheim Ducks but he also played for the Ottawa Senators, the Minnesota Wild, the Atlanta Thrashers and the San Jose Sharks.
He pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in 2005 for a car crash that killed his friend and teammate, Dan Snyder.
Phillips awarded more than $3M US
Defenceman Chris Phillips played for the Senators his entire NHL career.
Last September, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice awarded Phillips $3,296,917 US in a judgment against McAlpine, his parents and three companies they controlled: NSEM Management Inc., Presidential Suites Inc. and Waterfront Developments Inc.
Court documents say McAlpine acted as Phillips's player agent from about 1995 to 2011 and was also his investment advisor.
Phillips transferred more than $5 million US to NSEM Management for the purpose of investing in secure term deposits, the statement of claim said.
Around 2006, the McAlpines advised Phillips to invest money in the two other companies — Presidential Suites and Waterfront Developments — the claim said, but Phillips refused.
The claim said around 2010, Phillips was no longer able to access his funds from NSEM.
He learned that "some of the funds were used by NSEM and the McAlpines to speculate in the real estate market through Presidential and Waterfront, despite his instructions that he did not wish to make any such investment," the claim alleged.
It also alleged part of the money was misappropriated for McAlpine's own benefit and personal expenses.
McAlpine ran and lost in the 2016 St. James-Assiniboia school trustee byelection.
