A trusted manager, responsible for Windsor’s entire police fleet, secretly diverted over $31,000 of public funds for personal gain. James Brush, a 17-year veteran of the Windsor Police Service, stood in court Tuesday and admitted to a calculated scheme of fraud that betrayed the public’s trust.
The unraveling began with a simple allegation: improper use of a company gas card. Investigators focused on four suspicious purchases, requesting receipts and surveillance footage from gas stations across Ontario – Windsor, Barrie, and the remote town of Burk’s Falls. What they discovered was far more extensive than initially suspected.
Video evidence revealed Brush brazenly using a corporate vehicle and card while on vacation, fueling personal travel with taxpayer money. This initial discovery triggered a deeper dive into his spending habits, exposing a pattern of deceit spanning over a decade.
Between 2021 and 2024 alone, Brush made 70 personal gas purchases totaling $7,684. But the gas card was just the beginning. A meticulous review of other corporate credit card statements revealed 57 purchases at car dealerships and auto parts stores, amounting to a staggering $23,709.
The purchases weren’t for routine maintenance. Investigators found parts invoices for vehicles Windsor police didn’t even own. A $54.92 trailer bearing kit, never installed. Paint for a John Deere, a machine completely outside the police department’s inventory. The discrepancies were glaring.
Brush’s spending included a $1,402 parts order for a Ford Fusion, the parts never making their way into the vehicle. He purchased a drive shaft for a Jeep Grand Cherokee, but the police force only owned a model from an earlier year, and the invoice was actually for a Dodge Nitro. The list went on: Nissan valve trains, Volkswagen brake pads, even boat parts.
The former fleet manager, who earned over $129,000 annually at the time of his arrest, was responsible for overseeing the maintenance and acquisition of all police vehicles – cruisers, motorcycles, and boats. He held a position of significant responsibility and authority, a fact that amplified the shock of his betrayal.
Arrested in July 2024 and subsequently fired, Brush pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud over $5,000. Five other fraud-related charges are expected to be withdrawn. Sentencing is scheduled for March, leaving many to wonder what became of the illicitly obtained vehicle parts and the full extent of his deception.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of oversight and accountability, even within institutions entrusted with public safety. It’s a story of a long-held trust shattered by a calculated and self-serving scheme.
