Ottawa: Federal consultant receives 12-month conditional sentence for fraud

OTTAWA — Federal government consultant Andrew McDermott has received a 12-month conditional sentence after pleading guilty to fraud under $5,000, according to the RCMP. He was sentenced on Oct. 21, 2026, following a charge laid in April in connection with overbilling the government.

Public Services and Procurement Canada began investigating a federal consultant in the summer of 2021, police said. The consultant had been working at the same time on multiple Shared Services Canada contracts held by private-sector contractors who reported to different technical authorities.

According to the RCMP, evidence indicated that fraudulent timesheets led to overbilling between May 2020 and June 2022. The procurement department referred the matter to the RCMP for a possible criminal investigation.

The RCMP's Sensitive and International Investigations unit opened an investigation. Officers obtained statements from prime contractors and examined timesheets to confirm overbilling on separate contracts, police said. They also found that the contractor had collected HST but failed to remit it to the Canada Revenue Agency.

McDermott paid $11,079 in restitution and pleaded guilty to fraud under $5,000 under section 380(1)(b) of the Criminal Code, the RCMP said. He also pleaded guilty to an Excise Tax Act charge brought by the tax agency.

People with information about illegal or illicit activity in Government of Canada contracting can report it anonymously to the Federal Contracting Fraud Tip Line. They can also email the Special Investigations and Disclosure Directorate at spac.dgsdivulgationinterne-dobinternaldisclosure.pspc@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca.