Toronto Lawyers Face Fraud Charges as Clients Await Missing Millions
The once high-flying legal duo of Nicholas Cartel and Singa Bui has seen a dramatic fall from grace, now at the center of a sprawling fraud investigation that has left numerous clients financially devastated. The couple, who previously enjoyed a lavish lifestyle in a $5-million Lawrence Park mansion with luxury cars and designer wardrobes, are accused of misappropriating millions of dollars held in trust from real estate transactions.
Legal and Criminal Proceedings Unfold
In December, Singa Bui, 42, was disbarred by the Law Society of Ontario after being found to have misapplied funds from trust accounts related to 13 clients. She was ordered to pay $740,000 into the compensation fund and potentially up to $1 million more. Her husband, Nicholas Cartel, 61, is currently suspended from practicing law and faces a disciplinary hearing. Both have been charged criminally: Bui with 42 counts including fraud over $5,000 and criminal breach of trust, while Cartel faces one count of fraud over $5,000. They deny all allegations.
Clients Left in Financial Ruin
The scandal began unraveling in 2023 when clients of their boutique firm in Liberty Village complained that funds from real estate deals were not being released. Victims include firefighters Paul Evans and Shaun Henderson, who have lost a combined $435,000 of their life savings. Evans, nearing mandatory retirement, is out $202,000, while Henderson and his wife invested $233,000. "We did everything right. We trusted professionals," Henderson lamented. Despite obtaining default judgments, including a recent $500,000 ruling against Cartel, clients report that no insurance or compensation fund has stepped in to recover their losses.
Contempt of Court and International Travel
Court documents reveal a pattern of evasion. Superior Court Judge William Chalmers issued an arrest warrant for Bui in September 2024 after she failed to appear at hearings. When she finally surrendered her passport, it showed she had traveled to Portugal and, earlier, to Milan and Zurich in October 2023—coinciding with when millions went missing. The judge found both in contempt for not providing financial records; Cartel was jailed for 30 days and Bui for 20 days. Cartel has claimed Bui was hospitalized for mental health reasons and undergoing electroshock therapy, but surveillance showed her walking with family without assistance.
Financial Fallout and Denials
The couple's mansion sold at a $1 million loss in October, and they now reportedly live with family members. In a fiery email, Cartel defended himself, stating, "I do not accept any conclusions made by the lower Court which is replete with errors in law... No party can assert that I was their lawyer." He has consistently blamed Bui, calling her the managing partner while he focused on class-action law. However, Judge Chalmers noted in a ruling that the defendants "continue to treat the process with contempt."
Victims Seek Justice and Accountability
For clients like Henderson, the legal victories feel hollow without recovered funds. "We want answers; we want accountability," he wrote in a legal document. "And above all, we want our money back – the money we spent decades saving, the money that was supposed to give our children a future." The case highlights concerns about the effectiveness of protections within the legal system, as victims question whether existing safeguards truly work when professionals are accused of misconduct.
