Husband headed to trial for fraud charges against dental clinic, while charges against wife dropped

By Peggy Revell on December 14, 2017.

Medicine Hat News

The preliminary inquiry for the case of a couple accused of defrauding a Medicine Hat dental office of more than $80,000 has wrapped up — with the case against the husband proceeding to trial, and the case against the wife dropped.

The hearing, which ran on Dec. 11 and 12 at the Medicine Hat Courthouse, was meant to determine whether there was enough evidence against the pair for the case to proceed to trial.

A judge determined there was enough evidence against Matthew Ridley, the clinic’s manager, for the charges of three counts of fraud over $5,000 to proceed.

But it was determined the case against Ridley’s wife, Joanna, who faced a single count of fraud over $5,000, was not strong enough to move forward with.

The couple was arrested in Nov. 2015 after an investigation by Medicine Hat police. The investigation came from a complaint filed by Crestwood Dental Clinic in 2014. The alleged amount defrauded from the clinic is more than $80,000.

A publication ban prevents any of the information and evidence given during the hearing from being published.

Ridley’s next appearance will be an arraignment date of Jan. 12 at the Court of Queen’s Bench to make the next step.