A Toronto police officer, along with his former romantic partner, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for forging the will of a deceased man in an attempt to steal his $834,000 estate.
Superior Court Justice Sean Dunphy handed down the sentence, describing their crime as a “complex, highly planned, and long-lasting fraud operation.”
Const. Robert Konashewych, 40, and former public servant Adellene Balgobin, 36, were both found guilty of fraud over $5,000 by a Toronto jury in June.
Additionally, Balgobin was convicted of a “breach of trust” for her role as a client services representative with the Ontario Public Guardian and Trustee, an organization that protects the legal, personal, and financial interests of certain individuals and estates.
Balgobin was responsible for managing the personal affairs of Heinz Sommerfeld, whose Mississauga home was sold after he developed Alzheimer’s. When Sommerfeld passed away at 78 without a will in 2017, Balgobin had access to information about his finances.
About a month after Sommerfeld’s death, the Ontario Public Guardian and Trustee received a copy of a will purportedly signed in 2006, naming Konashewych as the beneficiary of Sommerfeld’s estate.
However, the fake will came to light when Konashewych’s girlfriend, Candice Dixon, found a letter titled “Estate of Heinz Sommerfeld c/o Robert Konashewych” after their breakup. Dixon reported the fraudulent will to the Toronto Police Service, leading to an investigation.
While prosecutors sought sentences ranging from eight to nine years, defense lawyers requested community sentences ranging from one to three years.
Konashewych has been on paid suspension since his 2020 arrest, but serving a prison sentence will likely result in the loss of his job as a police officer.
