OTTAWA — An Ottawa man is facing six criminal charges after police say he threatened and extorted his own sister, a Bell Canada employee, to obtain cellphones in an alleged fraud exceeding $7 million.Ottawa police announced Thursday that Rabih Kassis, 45, was charged following an investigation into the theft of cellphones from Bell between June 2022 and September 2025.The investigation began after Bell filed a complaint about missing devices.Police allege Kassis repeatedly threatened, harassed and extorted his sister, who worked for the telecommunications company, to fraudulently obtain thousands of cellphones.Investigators believe the phones were then sold.Police also confirmed that Kassis's sister has since died.Kassis has been charged with theft over $5,000, fraud over $5,000, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, uttering threats of death or bodily harm, criminal harassment through repeated telecommunications and extortion.The alleged scheme stretched over more than three years, with police estimating the total losses at more than $7 million.The Ottawa Police Service says its investigation remains ongoing and is asking anyone with information to come forward.None of the charges have been proven in court.
