A man who drowned near Okanagan Falls last month has been identified as Curtis Quigley of Kelowna, who before his death was facing charges in an alleged multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme.
On June 20, the local fire department responded to reports that a man had drowned in the Okanagan River, reportedly after trying to save two dogs that had jumped in before him.
The BC Coroners Service confirmed Tuesday that the deceased man is Quigley.
Quigley and his partner Kathleen Treadgold, both in their 50s, were slapped with 80 counts of fraud and one count of laundering proceeds of crime for allegedly running a Ponzi scheme from October 2008 to December 2020, primarily out of Kelowna and Edmonton, targeting victims in B.C., Alberta and Australia.
Investors were allegedly told a non-existent company would low-ball elderly home sellers who were moving into care homes and flip the homes for a profit, according to court documents.
Edmonton police referred to the scheme as a "$7.8 million Ponzi scheme."
Quigley and Treadgold turned themselves into police in October 2023, and Quigley was out on bail at the time of his death, awaiting trial.
Given his death, charges against him are expected to be stayed.
