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Penticton  

Trial set for hockey fraud

The trial for two men charged in a hockey fraud case has been set for September 2017.

Loren Reagan and Michael Elphicke are both charged with fraud and theft over $5,000 and unauthorized management of a lottery scheme, stemming from a hockey trip to Europe that never happened.

Both men, associated with the Okanagan Elite Hockey Association, have pled not guilty to the charges over the incident which allegedly took place in July 2011.

The trial is set to begin on Sep. 11, and it is expected to last two to three weeks, though the case will not be heard during four of the 15 days in that time period, as Penticton's Supreme Court chambers are booked up on those days.

The case was originally slated to last four weeks, but conversations between Crown and defence lawyers cut it down to three, or possibly two weeks, by distilling some of the 30-odd witnesses set to be heard down to written admissions.

Crown lawyer Patrick Fullerton, along with Reagen's lawyer Kim Ross and Elphicke's lawyer James Pennington all agreed to set the trial for September in Penticton, over potentially moving the case to Kelowna, where more facilities and judge time is available.

The setting of the court date may settle a case six years after the incidents allegedly occurred, after months of delays.

The failed trip was also the subject of a civil suit, in which hockey parents allege the misuse of more than $100,000 set for the trip that never happened.

Reagan was also involved in a failed hockey dorm project, which has also been the subject of civil claims.



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