OTTAWA — The RCMP says it has charged a consultant with fraudulently overbilling the federal government.

An RCMP news release says 62-year-old Andrew McDermott and his company, AM Government Consulting Inc., face two counts of fraud over $5,000.

The release says Public Services and Procurement Canada launched an investigation in 2021 into a federal consultant who worked on multiple Shared Services Canada contracts held by different private sector contractors.

It says evidence indicated the consultant submitted fraudulent timesheets that resulted in overbilling between May 2020 and June 2022.

The case was referred to the RCMP, which confirmed that the consultant had overbilled the government on separate contracts.

Public Services and Procurement Canada says in 2024 it found three subcontractors that were suspected of fraudulent billing, and the department suspended their security status.