Woman gets conditional sentence for defrauding Paqtnkek First Nation
A woman who stole more than $350,000 from Paqtnkek First Nation near Antigonish, N.S., has received an 18-month conditional sentence for her crimes.
Dawn Marie Johnson, 41, was sentenced Monday in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Antigonish after previously pleading guilty to forgery and fraud. She was an employee of the band at the time of the offences.
In addition to the conditional sentence, Johnson must serve 12 months probation and participate in a healing circle. She's also been ordered to repay $111,664.26.
When RCMP announced the charges against Johnson in the fall of 2014, they accused her of stealing the money from the band over a period of four years. Police say they received a complaint about misappropriation of funds in December 2013.
As a result of that first investigation, police said the band discovered a misappropriation of funds in excess of $50,000 involving the Mi'kmaq Employment and Training Secretariat. Further investigation revealed a total of $350,000 misappropriated between 2010 and 2013.
Johnson was arrested on Sept. 24, 2014.
