The third suspect in a multi-million dollar fraud at Atlas Copco was arrested this week in Montreal.

On the evening of Oct. 15, Paul Caron, 67, was apprehended as he entered Canada by way of the Pierre Trudeau Airport in Montreal, the Greater Sudbury Police Service reported. This was a joint effort by Canadian Border Services and the Montreal Urban Police.

From Montreal, Caron was to be transported to Sudbury in time for an Oct. 19 bail hearing.

In April 2008, the Greater Sudbury Police Service entered into a joint fraud investigation with the RCMP. Atlas Copco, the complainant, reported an internal fraud that occurred when two of its senior executives allegedly conspired with the company’s health care provider to increase monthly billing and produce fraudulent invoices. The excess money, at least $16 million collected over a decade, was allegedly split between the co-conspirators.

The lengthy investigation uncovered an elaborate scheme where the suspected fraudsters, Dirk Plate, 68, Leo Caron, 66, and Paul Caron, conspired to commit the alleged crimes. They were charged on Oct. 10.

The three men are all residents of Montreal. Plate and Leo Caron were arrested last week by the RCMP Commercial Crime Unit at their residences in Montreal and returned to Sudbury for bail hearings.

Plate was granted bail and given a court return date of Nov. 7. Caron returns to bail remand court on Oct. 23.

Atlas Copco has launched a civil suit against the accused.