BC Woman Receives Probation for Stealing $14K in Funds Raised for Students

A B.C. woman who pleaded guilty to stealing more than $14,000 raised by volunteers for school supplies and hot meal programs will serve no jail time, a provincial court has ruled.
The Provincial Court of British Columbia suspended the passing of sentence for parent council treasurer Andrea Blanchard and instead handed the 49-year-old mother of two teens three years of probation. She was sentenced Oct. 28 after pleading guilty to one count of theft over $5,000 last year.
Blanchard was the treasurer of the South Rutland Elementary Parents Advisory Council (PAC) in Kelowna when she stole $14,295 over a period of nearly three years to pay bills after her husband lost his job, according to the court decision.
Judge Clarke Burnett called her decision to steal from the PAC “an egregious breach of the trust.”
Blanchard was school council treasurer from September 2014 to December 2018, the court said. Her duties as treasurer included overseeing the council’s financial activities including collecting and depositing donations, applying for grants, writing cheques, and writing financial reports.
When her spouse lost his employment in 2015, the expense of running their household became “unmanageable” on one income, according to court documents.
“The family’s financial situation was so dire that their electricity was cut off,” the judgment noted.
The thefts from PAC funds began in January 2016 and continued through November of 2018, according to the ruling. Blanchard created false financial statements, forged the PAC president’s signature on documents and arranged for the PAC’s bank statements to be sent to her residence in a bid to conceal the thefts.
“She believed she would be able to pay back the PAC before her deceit was discovered,” the judge wrote.
The PAC president discovered the theft in December of 2018 after accessing the council’s bank account. The president called the RCMP and immediately removed Blanchard as treasurer.
“Her crime grossly impeded the PAC’s ability to support SRE and the children who attended it,” Burnett wrote. “Underprivileged children suffered as a result.”
Other aggravating factors included the breach of trust in her role as treasurer, the length of time over which the thefts were committed, and the “sophistication” of the offence that included multiple “discrete acts of deception,” the judge said.
The mitigating factors considered by the judge included her guilty plea and lack of criminal record as well as the fact that she has repaid all of the funds she stole from the PAC in addition to all the legal and accounting fees the council incurred.
The judge said the fact that Blanchard identifies as Métis was also considered, and that “particular attention” must be afforded to aboriginal offenders when applying a sentence.
The judge described Blanchard as being gainfully employed, adding that she has had steady work since high school and is currently employed by Service Canada. ​​She was placed on suspension pending the outcome of sentencing.
He noted that Blanchard does not suffer from any addictions or mental health diagnoses, but began to experience anxiety when she started stealing from the school council.
“The stigma associated with the offence has been devastating to her,” Burnett wrote. “She feels very shameful and guilty about what she did.”
Burnett rejected defence counsel’s bid for a conditional sentence saying that while Blanchard has made financial restitution and is remorseful, “her actions were deliberate and calculated.”
“When Mrs. Blanchard and her family first experienced financial difficulties, she could have sought the assistance of charitable organizations, government supports, or friends,” he said. “She chose not to. Instead, she resorted to theft. She knew what she was doing was wrong. This was not an impulsive act.”
Burnett sentenced her to three years of probation, with 100 hours of community service to be completed within two years. She must also participate in a restorative justice program and attend any counselling recommended by her probation officer.
The suspended sentence, which will leave Blanchard with a criminal record, was the most appropriate option, the judge said.
“She only stopped when her deceit came to light. She stole in excess of $14,000,” he said. “Her moral blameworthiness is extremely high.”