Serial rent dodger arrested for fraud, possession of stolen property

A man who's been accused by several Nova Scotian landlords of running up thousands of dollars in debtsis now facing charges after police say he refused to pay for a hotel stay and failed to return a rental car.

Nadav Joseph Even-Har, 40, was arrested on Wednesday night for fraud and possession of stolen property. He is also facing three charges of theft under $5,000 related to outstanding warrants in Antigonish County.

RCMPSgt. Jadie Spence saidpolice received a report about a man who refused to pay for his hotel stay at a business on Bell Boulevard in Dartmouth. The man fled before officers arrived.

Spence said officers learned that the suspect had rented a vehicle from abusiness at the Halifax airport on Nov. 22 and never returned it.

"[Hotel staff]basically told us, 'Oh, this is the type of car it is,' and then we went to the car rental agencies to see if anyone had rented a similar type car, and then that's when his name came up," he said.

He said officers located the suspect near Commodore Drive in Dartmouth. Even-Harwas charged with fraud related to the unpaid hotel bill, and possession of stolen property over $5,000 related to the rental vehicle.

Spence said Even-Har alsofaces three charges of theft under $5,000related to outstanding warrants in Antigonish County.

Even-Har was remanded into custody. He appeared in Dartmouth provincial court on Thursday and is scheduled for a bail hearing Friday morning, Spence said.

'Nightmare' tenant

CBC News has previously reported on Even-Har'sdealings with Cole Harbour landlord Jason Selby, who saidEven-Harowes him thousands of dollars in unpaid rent.

Two of Even-Har's former landlords shared similar stories with CBC News, one of whom described Even-Har as a "nightmare to deal with" in a letter to the RCMP.

As of Dec. 9, the Nova Scotia RCMP said they were looking into Selby's complaint, but Spence could not provide an update on this specific case.

He said Even-Har now faces a total of 17 charges, including the new charges:

• Seven charges of fraud
• Two charges of possession of stolen property
• Four charges of theft under $5,000
• Two charges of uttering a forged document
• Two charges of false pretences

According to Nova Scotia court records, Even-Har has multiple convictions for forgery and theft.

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