A Manitoba judge slammed criminals who abuse elders in so-called “grandparent scams,” while sentencing a Winnipeg man who acted as a courier in a string of the sophisticated frauds to three years behind bars.

Shane Strebly, who’s in his 40s, pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud, prior to his recent sentencing in front of provincial court Judge Cynthia Devine.

Strebly, acting as a courier for an accomplice or accomplices, took part in defrauding eight elderly victims between the ages of 73 and 89 of more than $30,000 combined over the course of 2023 and 2024, before his arrest by Winnipeg Police Service officers.

Many of the victims lived in seniors’ residences or assisted living.

“This crime has become notorious. Sentences must be severe enough to serve to denounce the crime and deter

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