Couple charged with alleged theft of $72K from Town of North West River

A former town clerk and a former councillor in North West River are facing charges for allegedly stealing nearly $72,000 from the Labrador community.

Holly Flowers was working in a position of trust as a town clerk when she allegedly stole the money, according to RCMP.

Her charges include theft over $5,000 and criminal breach of trust.

The bills were astronomical.- David Kieser

Timothy Blake, who sat on town council for 10 months in2015-16, is charged with theft over $5,000.

According to town officials, Flowers and Blake are married.

Two years ago, town councillors in North West River realized there was a money problem. According to council minutes, money was coming into the office but not showing up in the town's bank account.

An auditor was called in to investigate and, according to council minutes, when then-town clerk Holly Flowers was asked to explain what happened to the money, she said it was too stressful and quit her position without notice.

Since leaving North West River, Flowers had been working as a clerk for theRigoletInuit Community government, but on Mondayshe was suspended without pay pending the outcome of the criminal charges.

'It was a surprise'

North West River Mayor David Kieser said he learned of the charges against the town's former clerk on Monday when reached for comment by CBC News.

"Brand new news to me," he said. "It was a surprise."

The investigation into the missing money dates back to before Kieser was elected in September 2017.

"The bills were astronomical and I might venture to say that we were very close to insolvency, basically.But with a very creative town manager, a lot of help from the province, we bounced back and we are sitting in a very good spot right now [financially]," Kieser told CBC's Labrador Morning.

The provincial government gave the town a large sum of money to help pay off the debt, Kieser said, and with a bit of luck with no equipment breaking down, the town got by.

"It gave us the breathing room that we were desperately in need of," he said.

"With Christmas approaching and the snow, the removal of the snow, it was all cost, cost, cost. But when that money came in it gave us a huge relief."

While declining to comment on theinvestigation, Kieser said he's hopeful there will be some answers when the matterwraps up.

Both Flowers and Blake are due to appear in provincial court in Happy Valley-Goose Bay in September.

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