Pardons Canada – A Withdrawn Charge Can Still Show Up on CPIC or an RCMP File

The following email we received from a person who was fingerprinted by the police but the charges were later withdrawn.  Even though the charges are withdrawn, the fingerprints can still show up on a criminal background check, which can haunt you for the rest of your life until you apply for a file destruction to remove the prints.  The same applies if the charges were stayed, dismissed, peace bond, diversion, absolute discharge or conditional discharge.

This incident had happened in February 2014 when I had gone to Loblaws to purchase Chicken. I was a student who was struggling to make ends meet and it had been a while since I had eaten chicken.

However, since the price tag on the Chicken was crossing my budget, I had pulled out a lower price sticker of some other Chicken packet and stuck it over the Chicken packet that I had picked. The price tag of the Chicken was about $18 which I had swapped for $10.

So the Police had charged me for a Fraud under $5000.

The Police had taken my Finger prints only once on May 1st 2014.

The Charges levied on me were only Fraud under $5000.

The City was Ottawa, Ontario.

The Court hearing was on 8th May 2014 where I was asked to make a donation (fine) of $300 to Salvation army after which my charges were “Withdrawn”.

It has been over 4 years since this incident and I still have night mares about what effect it could possibly have on my entire life. I have deep regret for what I had done and it has completely changed me as a person. Although I have always been a grounded person, this incident has completely shattered my spirit.

Kindly help me with the Record suspension/ File destruction in this regard so that I don’t have to live with it all my life. I have learnt my lesson in a very hard way but cannot carry the burden of it throughout my life.

Please help me in this regard as this organization is my only ray of hope.