Cameron Ortis, the ex-RCMP intelligence official found guilty of attempting to sell secrets, will serve seven years behind bars as part of a 14-year sentence with time served handed down on Wednesday.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Maranger delivered the sentence in an Ottawa courtroom Wednesday, after Ortis was found guilty of breaching Canada’s official secrets law.
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Ortis was the head of the RCMP’s “Operations Research” group, and had access to highly-sensitive intelligence gathered by both Canadian authorities and security partners. He was arrested in 2019 and has remained in custody since his conviction in November.
A jury found Ortis guilty of three charges of violating the Security of Information Act and one count of attempting to do so. He was also found guilty of breach of trust and improper use of a computer system. Crown prosecutors called for a decades-long sentence, while Ortis’ lawyers argued he should get off with the time he’s already served behind bars.
It was an “unprecedented” case, Maranger said while handing down the sentence.
“Our reputation among Five Eyes (security alliance) partners may never be the same,” after Ortis’ actions, Maranger said.
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