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Whistler security operators under investigation

Simons appealing deportation order The provincial government is warning Sea to Sky corridor residents to stay away from three companies offering security services.

Simons appealing deportation order

The provincial government is warning Sea to Sky corridor residents to stay away from three companies offering security services.

They are SecurCom,, SecurPro, and Atina Management Services, all of which operate in the Sea to Sky corridor.

"We still have enforcement action against these businesses," said Sandra Sajko, registrar of security programs for the province.

"There are outstanding violation tickets that we’re looking to enforce so the investigation is on-going.

"Under the Private Investigators and Security Agency Act the registrar may revoke the licence if there are serious safety concerns and in this case that was the case."

SecurCom and SecurPro had their licenses yanked by the government last September after an investigation. Atina has never had a permit to operate as a security provider.

"I can’t comment on the details of the investigation other than that it was determined there were serious public safety concerns," said Sajko.

However at least two people with these companies, Peter Hans Simon and Sybille Anita Simon, were allegedly continuing their security work after the licence was yanked.

"All (these companies) are associated with the Simons," said Sajko.

The Simons are a well-known couple in Whistler where they have run SecurCom since the fall of 1999.

What wasn’t so well known about the duo was their legal troubles.

In 1997 an civil action was launched against them to recover unpaid rent amounting to $14,000.

In 1999 they were investigated for investment fraud in Vancouver and in January of 2000 the couple pleaded guilty to two charges involving defrauding three investors in Vancouver and Prince George of about $96,000.

They were sentenced to 60 days in jail on one count and received a one year conditional sentence on the other.

These convictions make them inadmissible to Canada and resulted in their being ordered deported last month.

They are currently free while awaiting a hearing on their appeal of the deportation order.

They were also barred from trading on securities markets for 10 years by the B.C. Securities Commission following the fraud convictions.

And just to make things even more interesting the couple is wanted in Germany on warrants alleging what the German consulate calls "economic crimes."

None of this comes as a surprise to Don Reid, owner of Sea to Sky Security in Whistler.

"We have heard all kinds of things and we could never figure out what was going on," said Reid who has himself complained numerous times to the provincial government about the practices of the security companies in question.

"They actually went to do a quote at a house that we were going to after them up in Sunridge.

"The owner opened the door and almost dropped dead because Sybille was at the door to do the quote and it turns out this lady was one of the people who had had fraud committed against (her).

"This was maybe three to four months ago."

Since Reid started his company over 800 SecurCom/SecurPro clients have switched to his company.

According to Ross Morben who hired the Simons to work for his security and guard patrol companies in 1998 they were a hardworking, charming, conscientious couple.

"They said they basically specialized in corporate turn around and had come to Canada as economic investors," said Morben who claims he is still owed money by Peter Simon.

"Initially they said they had this disaster in buying a fishing lodge. (They) sold that at a loss and were working on this investment in Vancouver, which also didn’t work, and they chose Whistler because they very much loved the outdoors they said.

"Peter would often take his German shepherd and he would go winter camping for two or three days and go hiking up Garibaldi."

Peter Simon is also known as Peter Weirauch according to Immigration and Refugee Board documents.

They reveal that the couple came to Canada in July 1994. They married in B.C. soon after and the groom took the bride’s name of Simon.

When contacted at their Emerald Drive home the couple said they had no comment.

"Peter was a very slick individual in hindsight but the amount of monies weren’t great enough to bother me enough to take it to court," said Morben.

In April 1999 Morben liquidated his security company Spearhead Security, which was the official agent of ADT Security, and Whistler Guard and Patrol.

ADT kept the Simons on to run the operation and Peter Simon bought the guard company from Morben.

In the fall ADT allowed them to become the authorized dealer for ADT, having found that the Simons had a legitimate licence for SecurCom and for the guard company.

However company record searches reveal that SecurCom had one principal, Parm Pooni, of Squamish. The Simon name does not appear as a director.

Pooni, who is not alleged to be implicated in the Simons legal troubles, did not return calls.

In January of 2000 the Simons began to serve their 60-day jail sentence at the Squamish police station on weekends, while they continued to run their security agencies.

Steven Millen, vice-president of marketing and public relations for ADT, said the first time they heard about the Simons’ problems with the law was when this reporter called last summer.

"Following the phone call there was an investigation," said Millen.

"Our policy is to check these things most definitely. But we rely on the dealer licence (given by the government)."

"Who is on the paperwork is not necessarily the issue for us."

Since the licences for SecurCom and SecurPro were pulled in September ADT’s Burnaby office has taken over operations in Whistler.

"It is an important region for us and we are working hard to give the best service to our clients," said Millen.

ADT has no connection to Atina Management Services. Atina did not return phone calls by press deadline.