Ontario warrant for Newfoundland HVAC company owner active but not acted on

A warrant of committal remains active for a St. John's-area businessman who was sentenced to jail in Ontario for his previous business dealings.

But Raymond Kalonga hasn't been taken into custody.

Kalonga, 36, was sentenced on Feb. 29 in a Newmarket, Ont., courtroom to 525 days in jail and a $525,000 fine for engaging in unfair practices under the Consumer Protection Act in that province.

Those offences were in relation to his previous company, Canadian Standard Home Services.

Kalonga, who later owned and operated Atlantic Standard HVAC in Newfoundland, recently told CBC News he had no intentions of turning himself in and that he was planning to appeal.

Crown attorney Jamie Chiang confirmed to CBC News that Kalonga has submitted an appeal but a date has not yet been set for a hearing.

In handing down her sentence earlier this year, justice of the peace Linda DeBartolo said the level of deceit toward customers and disrespect for the court warranted a harsher sentence than what had originally been suggested by the Crown.

Warrant unlikely to be acted on while Kalonga in N.L.

In an email responding to questions from CBC News, York Regional Police Const. James Dickson said that force holds the warrant because it's in the jurisdiction where the matter took place.

"However, this is not a criminal matter and not related to any ongoing police investigation," Dickson said.

"No instruction would be provided by the York Regional Police to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary."

The current warrant has a return radius of 80 kilometres, Dickson said, adding it's "unlikely" York Regional Police would ask for Kalonga to be returned to Ontario.

For its part, the RNC said it has been in contact with York Regional Police regarding Kalonga but it's up to the police force that holds the warrant to decide if they want the RNC to execute it on their behalf.

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