A couple who defrauded a volunteer search and rescue group of more than $80,000 have been sentenced to house arrest.
Brian and Marina Bishop, now in their early 70s, held top jobs with the local branch of the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, known by the acronym CASARA.
He was provincial president while she was secretary-treasurer when they started stealing the money in 2015, up until 2021, to help with their own financial struggles.
In total, they took almost $82,500.
That included redirecting federal rebates to their own account and writing cheques to themselves, forging the names of friends and co-workers, as well as claiming expenses for flights by planes that never left a hangar.
Court was told the Bishops have since paid all the money back.
They pleaded guilty and were sentenced this morning to 12-month conditional sentences, essentially house arrest, which was the joint position of the Crown and defence. That’ll be followed by another 12 months of supervised probation, including counselling for money management.
They’re also barred for life from work or volunteerism that involves any control over property or cash.
The crimes shocked the entire CASARA organization, leaving members dejected, embarrassed and deeply affecting morale, which it was noted is key to the group’s search and rescue missions.