criminal-law canada fraud accounting
Can you get jailed for misreporting numbers to pay less for a billing on behalf of a company because your manager told you to do so?
<p>Can you get jailed for misreporting numbers to pay less for a billing on behalf of a company because your manager told you to do so? Let's say you make up a bunch of numbers to pay 1,500$ instead of 5,000$, and you do it, because the boss specifically told you to do so. Can you get jailed for it?</p>

<p><strong>Can you get jailed for misreporting numbers to pay less?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Possibly</strong> But any prosecution, and sentence, may depend on the level of culpability, provable guilty knowledge and of course any other admissible evidence.</p>
<p>Two offences seem relevant under the Canada Criminal Code:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/page-82.html#h-122419" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><strong>Fraud</strong></a></p>
<p>380 (1) Every one who, by deceit, falsehood or other fraudulent means, whether or not it is a false pretence within the meaning of this Act, defrauds the public or any person, whether ascertained or not, of any property, money or valuable security or any service,</p>
<p>(a) ...</p>
<p>(b) is guilty</p>
<p>(i) of an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or</p>
<p>(ii) of an offence punishable on summary conviction,</p>
<p>where the value of the subject-matter of the offence does not exceed five thousand dollars.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/page-85.html#h-122658" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><strong>Falsification of Books and Documents</strong></a></p>
<p>397 (1) Every person is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years or is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction who, with intent to defraud,</p>
<p>(a) destroys, mutilates, alters, falsifies or makes a false entry in a book, paper, writing, valuable security or document, or</p>
<p>(b) omits a material particular from, or alters a material particular in, a book, paper, writing, valuable security or document.</p>
<p>(2) Every person who, with intent to defraud their creditors, is privy to the commission of an offence under subsection (1) is guilty of</p>
<p>(a) an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years; or</p>
<p>(b) an offence punishable on summary conviction.</p>
</blockquote>
