By CRM staff
Toronto, Ontario — June 4, 2019 — Victims of a B.C. gangster, who used information stolen from the Insurance Company of British Columbia (ICBC) to plan his crimes, are one step closer to receiving compensation from the Crown corporation. In late May, a three-justice panel B.C. Court of Appeals found that evidence from seven former ICBC employees could be used against the public insurer.
In 2011, then-ICBC employee Candy Rheaume sold personal information on 78 ICBC customers to Vincent Cheung, a gang member who used the details to organize attacks against several of the ICBC customers. The attacks included incidents of arson, vandalism and even shootings. It is believed that Cheung had attempted to target people associated with the B.C. Provincial Police.
Rheaume pled guilty to her role in 2011, while Cheung pled guilty in 2016.
Thirteen drivers, who are alleged to be among those had their information sold to a gangster, were victimized in a number of ways, including vandalism, arson and even a drive-by shooting.
The ruling issued by the B.C. court found that, despite efforts to prevent such criminal theft by firing anyone found to have released private information, the ICBC could still face punitive damages.
“While laudable on ICBC’s part, subsequent conduct is not the sole basis upon which punitive damages are determined. The chambers judge should have accepted as true the allegation that ICBC has a history of employees breaching private information.”
