Jail sentence urged for volunteer who stole nearly $300K from community club

Prosecutors are seeking a two-year jail sentence for a woman who stole nearly $300,000 from the St. Andrews Community Club, leaving it on the brink of financial ruin.

Sharon Wasny, 53, previously pleaded guilty to one count of theft over $5,000.

The thefts occurred between 2005 and 2012 while Wasny was the volunteer treasurer at the community club located in the Rural Municipality of St. Andrews, north of Winnipeg.

"The community as a whole has been emotionally damaged and getting support, as in new volunteers, has declined to almost nothing," club president Rob Ataman wrote in a victim impact statement read out in court Tuesday.

"I would like to say 'shame on you' to the offender. The damage to the community will not quickly disappear."

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Club administrators started a deep look into the club's finances in 2012 after Manitoba Hydro called to say it was about to cut off service after months ofunpaid bills. Volunteers spent three years investigating and combing through club financial records before the RCMP launched its own investigation in 2015.

"It took countless hours by volunteers to validate the claims to RCMP," Ataman said. He said Wasny "held all the records and refused to disclose any of the club's financial information."

'This is about maintaining a certain lifestyle'

Court heard Wasny wrote cheques on the community club's credit union account to pay $208,000 in personal credit card bills. She used a community club credit card to steal another $77,000 and wrote two cheques for $7,000, which she deposited into her personal account.

Wasny expressed remorse in a pre-sentence report prepared for court, "but her actions tell a very different story," Crown attorney Jocelyne Ritchot told Judge Tim Preston, noting Wasny was hostile to financial committee volunteers who were trying to unravel her web of thefts.

According to the pre-sentence report, Wasny said she was going through financial difficulties after suffering a house fire and a split with her business partners that left her with expensive legal bills.

But an examination of her own financial records revealed she was spending money on frills such as anti-wrinkle products, jewelry and three trips to Vancouver in one year alone to watch the Vancouver Canucks.

"She's clearly more than, quote, 'just surviving,'" Ritchot said. "This is about maintaining a certain lifestyle."

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With the club nearly bankrupt, building repairs fell by the wayside and equipment was ruined for lack of maintenance, court heard. Fees at the club rose from $25 per family per year to $125 per child per sport.

Angry community members threatened and harassed club volunteers, Ritchot said.

"Such a huge increase, as you can imagine, would not be warmly received," she said.

Defence lawyer Marty Minuk recommended Wasny be sentenced to one year in jail, arguing she has already suffered public shaming and has been providing home care for her ailing husband.

Preston adjourned sentencing to Nov. 14to give the defence time to provide confirmation of Wasny's husband's medical status.