Employment agency owner facing two charges under Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
An Ontario employment agency owner is now facing the consequences of violating the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).
Kevin Kielty – sole owner of an employment agency called One Team – has been fined $70,000 and handed a two‑year probation order after a joint Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) immigration investigation into illegal foreign worker placements at Banff‑area hotels, the federal government announced.
Kielty, a resident of Ontario, pleaded guilty in the Alberta Court of Justice on March 2 to two counts of unauthorized employment of foreign nationals under the IRPA. He received a combined sentence of two years’ probation, 50 hours of community service and a $70,000 fine, according to CBSA.
Previously, the RCMP arrested two individuals for illegally recruiting foreign workers and a third for human trafficking.
Banff-area investigation
Kielty’s conviction stems from a joint investigation involving the CBSA and the RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region’s Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET). In June 2022, those agencies received information from the Ontario Provincial Police and Barrie Police Service about suspected illegal immigration‑related activities tied to hospitality jobs in Alberta.
According to the CBSA, the initial investigation “identified a group of foreign nationals travelling from Ontario to Alberta to work illegally in the hospitality industry in Banff National Park coordinated by an employment agency called One Team.” The agency said further investigation “identified an additional 90 foreign nationals from Mexico working illegally in four resort hotels in the Banff and Jasper area,” all linked to the same network.
On May 30, 2024, Kielty was charged with two employment‑related offences under IRPA: section 124(1)(c), for employing foreign nationals in a capacity in which they were not authorised, and section 131, for counselling foreign nationals to work in Canada without authorisation.
That was Kielty’s second conviction for employment‑related offences under section 124(1)(c) of IRPA, the CBSA said. In November 2023, after a previous CBSA investigation in Ontario, he pleaded guilty to four counts and was sentenced to 18 months of house arrest with various conditions. Repeat offending and escalating penalties signal to HR leaders that authorities may look more closely at patterns of conduct, not just isolated incidents.
Law enforcement stresses collaboration and worker protection
Federal officials are casting the case as an example of how cooperation across agencies is being used to protect the integrity of Canada’s immigration system and vulnerable workers.
“This conviction demonstrates how collaboration between Canada’s law enforcement partners is protecting the integrity of our immigration system,” said the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety. “I want to thank the CBSA, RCMP and local and provincial police services involved in this investigation for their work to bring those who knowingly violate Canada’s immigration system to justice.”
For employers, that cooperation increases the likelihood that information about irregularities in recruitment or employment can quickly move between police, CBSA and other regulators.
Janalee Bell‑Boychuk, Regional Director General, Prairie Region, CBSA, said the case reflects the agency’s broader mandate.
“The Canada Border Services Agency works diligently to uncover immigration fraud schemes, gather evidence and prosecute offenders,” she noted, adding that CBSA will “continue to investigate and pursue prosecution for individuals who abuse Canada’s immigration system and safeguarding workers from exploitation.”
Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner Lisa Moreland, Regional Commander, RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region, linked the investigation to concerns about labour trafficking. “By sharing information and coordinating efforts, we can more effectively identify and disrupt crime while safeguarding individuals who may be vulnerable to labour trafficking,” she said.
Rising number of investigations
CBSA is responsible for “identifying, investigating and prosecuting individuals and entities that are connected to organized crime, human smuggling, immigration fraud, terrorism and other violations” of both the Customs Act and IRPA. The agency said it receives referrals for suspected immigration offences from a variety of sources, including partner organisations and other government departments, and encourages the public to report suspicious immigration activities through its Border Watch Line at 1‑888‑502‑9060.
Between April 1 and Dec. 31, 2025, the CBSA opened 241 criminal investigations into suspected offences under IRPA, underlining an active enforcement posture.
The federal government has committed $1.3 billion to bolster security at the border and strengthen the immigration system, investments that CBSA says will “strengthen border security and our immigration system” while keeping Canadians safe.
Previously, the British Columbia Supreme Court ruled that an employer could be held liable for damages incurred by foreign nationals who paid for Canadian jobs.
