Police in British Columbia are investigating an unusual and troubling case involving a man accused of marrying multiple women over several years without legally ending his previous marriages.
The case centres on Jason Washington, a former U.S. Marine and mixed martial arts fighter, who multiple women allege entered into marriages with them while still legally married to others. Authorities in the Vancouver-area municipality of Delta confirmed they have received a complaint and launched an investigation.
If charges are laid, it could mark one of the first major bigamy prosecutions in the province in more than a decade.
The allegations have also sparked broader concerns about how marriage licences are issued and whether provincial systems do enough to verify marital status before approving new applications.
Advocates say the case exposes a serious gap in oversight. Battered Women’s Support Services said licensing bodies should be ensuring they are not unintentionally enabling deception or abuse.
Several women who spoke publicly said they believed they were entering valid marriages, only to later discover their spouse may have still been legally married to other partners. Some said they left relationships quickly out of concern for their safety and did not complete divorce proceedings, creating further complications.
Washington has denied wrongdoing, saying his relationships were genuine and claiming responsibility for paperwork rested with the women involved.
The fallout has been significant for those affected. One woman, identified publicly only as Sharon, said she discovered after marriage that her husband allegedly had multiple prior spouses, with only one known divorce. She has since sought an annulment but says proving the absence of divorces across several jurisdictions has become an exhausting legal challenge.
Family law experts say such situations can create serious consequences for unsuspecting spouses. If a court determines a later marriage was invalid because an earlier one remained in force, claims involving separation, property division or divorce can become far more complex.
Legal remedies may still exist, but they often require separate court action, added cost and prolonged emotional strain.
The case is also renewing calls for stronger safeguards. Unlike some jurisdictions, most Canadian provinces rely heavily on applicant declarations rather than comprehensive checks of prior marital records. Critics argue that while criminal penalties exist for false statements, prevention should not depend solely on honesty at the application stage.
Beyond the legal questions, the story highlights the human cost of deception in intimate relationships. For the women involved, the issue is not only about paperwork or criminal law, but trust, financial security and emotional harm.
As investigators review the complaint, the case may prompt a wider conversation about whether Canada’s marriage licensing systems are equipped to protect people from fraud and abuse in an increasingly mobile, cross-border world.