A lawsuit filed in Oshawa, Ontario, in June names Robert Silipo, a former Durham Regional Police detective, as one of six defendants being sued for nearly $300,000 by individuals from whom he gathered pre-construction home deposits. The plaintiffs allege that Silipo, who was their primary contact for home sales in 2022, collected $299,440 in deposits that have now gone missing.
Text messages reviewed by CBC News reveal that Silipo requested two of the plaintiffs to meet him in a parking lot adjacent to Durham’s central-east police division in Oshawa to exchange paperwork for the purchases. According to Alex Henderson, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, meeting at a police station likely provided a sense of security that the transactions were legitimate due to Silipo’s position as a police officer.
Silipo, through his lawyer Domenic Saverino, declined an interview request and denied any wrongdoing, claiming to be a victim in the matter. The allegations against Silipo have not been proven in court, and he has not faced criminal charges.
The plaintiffs believed they were buying pre-construction homes at discounted prices with favorable mortgage rates from a reputable developer named Paradise Developments. However, it was later discovered that the company they paid deposits to, “Paradise Development Homes Limited,” had no affiliation with the legitimate developer. Another defendant in the lawsuit, Moiz Kunwar, faces charges related to fraud in connection with the deposit scheme involving other buyers.
Kunwar, who has not responded to requests for comment, is accused of misrepresenting himself as a member of a real estate development company. The allegations against him are still under investigation by Peel Regional Police.
The plaintiffs’ claim asserts that Kunwar and Silipo deceived them into believing they were purchasing homes from Paradise Developments in Pickering, Ontario. Silipo, in his defense, states that he merely acted as a mediator at Kunwar’s request and was not directly involved in inducing the purchases or benefiting from them.
Henderson mentioned that Silipo did not provide the plaintiffs with Kunwar’s contact details until concerns arose about the legitimacy of their agreements. Despite legal demands for deposit refunds, none of the plaintiffs have received their money back, causing significant distress, especially for those who had personal plans for the properties.
The plaintiffs’ lawyer emphasized the emotional and financial impact on his clients, noting that the situation has been devastating for them beyond monetary losses.