That same month, they finally secured a provisional arrest warrant and moved to arrest the alleged scammers.
The U.S. district attorney’s office for the state of Vermont, which is leading the prosecution against West and the 24 other alleged scammers, unsealed an indictment charging them with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
But it was too late. Police arrested 23 people in the Montreal area, but West, and Jimmy Ylimaki, another one of the alleged scammers, were gone.
After the raids last June, West, knowing the police were onto him, but not yet with any formal charges laid against him, took out a $6-million mortgage using one of his Ontario properties as collateral.
It’s not clear what he did with the money. It’s also not clear where West went next. He had recently purchased a suburban home in Burlington, Ont., but he had been in and out of Montreal as recently as February 2025 when he was in the city to answer a drug charge.
A source with knowledge of the situation who requested to remain confidential said West was in Burlington, Ont., in early March when police officers attempted to arrest him.Â
Officers went to a house he owned, but it was being renovated, and West was staying at a rental home elsewhere in the city. When the police arrived there, he was gone, according to the source.Â
CBC News visited West’s properties, some of which are still in his name. We did not find him. Nobody near any of the properties had seen him recently.
Court proceedings are ongoing for the other accused scammers. U.S. authorities are arguing that they should be extradited to the U.S. to be tried. Some could face up to 40 years in prison if extradited and convicted.
None of the charges against the alleged scammers or West have been tested in court.
West remains a wanted man.
