Convicted Romance Fraudster to Spend Entire Life in Prison
Jeffrey Paul Kent, a 55-year-old man from Alberta, has been designated as a "dangerous offender" for life by Justice Melanie Hayes-Richards. This designation, usually reserved for Alberta's most violent criminals, was imposed due to Kent's pattern of serial romance scams, fueled by psychopathy and a compulsive gambling addiction.
Kent's criminal history dates back to the early 1990s, with more than a dozen fraud convictions to his name. He has used multiple aliases, including "Jeff Sheridan" and "Jeff Sheenan." One of his most deceptive tactics was claiming to be a criminal defense lawyer, a retired Crown prosecutor, or a law professor.
In a bid to gain the trust of his victims, Kent romanced at least five women, feigning love and inventing elaborate lies. He falsely claimed to be a doctor, lawyer, businessman, or real estate investor to convince them to invest in bogus schemes and give him access to their credit cards.
To further manipulate his victims, Kent fabricated a brain cancer diagnosis and other medical emergencies, exploiting their sympathy for financial gain. He even fathered a child with one victim. A forensic psychiatric assessment concluded that Kent exhibits psychopathic traits, including a lack of remorse, pathological lying, and emotional manipulation.
Kent's compulsive gambling habit was cited as a primary driver of his criminal behavior. He defrauded multiple women across Alberta and British Columbia, with the total amount exceeding $170,000. Most of this money was used for gambling.
In April 2022, Kent pleaded guilty to defrauding these five victims he met on dating sites in 2016 and 2017. He used these claims to justify urgent financial requests, telling victims he needed help closing lucrative property deals.
Kent was ordered to pay restitution to his victims in addition to his indefinite incarceration. The court concluded that he poses a high risk of committing serious offenses again, including personal injury crimes, warranting his indefinite imprisonment under the "dangerous offender" designation.
Kent's lawyer has challenged the court ruling, arguing that "dangerous offender" designations typically apply to violent criminals. However, the judge ruled that Kent's elaborate and harmful frauds coupled with predictive risk assessment justified the life-long designation.
Thus, the combination of repeat, serious, and harmful non-violent crimes fueled by psychopathy and gambling addiction led to this exceptional legal decision.
- Jeffrey Paul Kent, despite being a 55-year-old man from Alberta, has been labeled a "dangerous offender" for life due to his pattern of romance scams, a situation exacerbated by psychopathy and a compulsive gambling addiction.
- Kent, with a criminal history dating back to the early 1990s, has more than a dozen fraud convictions, using multiple aliases like "Jeff Sheridan" and "Jeff Sheenan."
- Kent's methods included romancing multiple women, pretending to be a doctor, lawyer, businessman, or real estate investor to persuade them into investing in bogus schemes and providing him access to their credit cards.
- Kent's gambling addiction, primarily responsible for his criminal behavior, led him to defraud various women in Alberta and British Columbia, culminating in a loss of over $170,000, most of which was spent on gambling.
- The court, in April 2022, found Kent guilty of defrauding five women he met on dating sites in 2016 and 2017, sentencing him to indefinite incarceration and ordering him to pay restitution to his victims under the "dangerous offender" designation.
