Fundraiser for family of teen killed in crash ends with fraud charges against Winnipeg man

A 20-year-old man is facing fraud charges after police allege he set up a false online fundraiser under the guise of helping a family with funeral costs following the death of their son in a crash.

The fundraiser was launched a few days after David Bunguke, 17, was killed in October 2022, police said in a news release on Thursday.

The campaign said the money raised would help the grieving family but it was linked to the personal bank account of the 20-year-old man, police said.

In the space of one week, approximately 240 people donated, and by early November, the campaign had raised about $11,600, which went into the personal account. 

At the time, Bunguke's father, John, told Radio-Canada he thought the GoFundMe was created by someone who wanted to collect donations for his family, but after contacting the organizer, he got no reply.

The father said his family was outraged that someone profited from his son's death in that way. He filed a complaint with the Winnipeg police and a family friend contacted GoFundMe for more information. 

The financial crimes unit identified a suspect, who turned himself in on Feb. 25.

The 20-year-old man was not previously known to the Bunguke family, police said.

Some donors have since received reimbursements through claim submissions made to the fundraising platform, police said.