Couple admits to defrauding volunteer search and rescue organization for 6 years
Brian Bishop and Marina Bishop held leadership roles in CASARA
A husband and wife have pleaded guilty to bilking more than $82,000 from a volunteer search and rescue organization in which they held long-time senior roles.
Brian Bishop, 74, and Marina Bishop, 71, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud over $5,000 at provincial court in St. John's on Wednesday morning.
The fraud spanned a period of more than six years, from April 2015 through September 2021.
They have since repaid the full amount they had fraudulently taken.
Eleven other charges against the duo — including forgery-related offences and breach of trust — were withdrawn.
The Crown and defence made a joint submission for a conditional sentence of 12 months — essentially, house arrest — followed by 12 months of probation.
Judge Bruce Short set over his sentencing decision until next week.
According to an agreed statement of facts filed in court, the Bishops both got involved with CASARA in the late 1980s or early 1990s.
CASARA is a Canada-wide volunteer organization dedicated to the promotion of search and rescue awareness, and helping support Canadian Armed Forces search and rescue operations. It receives federal funding.
Brian Bishop was national vice-president of finance and administration for CASARA until May 2022. He was national vice-president of training and operations for two decades before that.
Marina Bishop was elected as secretary and treasurer for the St. John's zone of the organization's wing in Newfoundland and Labrador, CASARA-NL.
In court filings read into the record Wednesday, the Bishops admitted to depositing federal GST/HST cheques into the zone account, then issuing payments of more than $14,000 to themselves.
Additionally, there were 56 fraudulent transactions related to falsified expense claims made by Brian Bishop, for flights that never happened.
That included $38,000 for claims he made in his own name, plus a total of nearly $16,000 for claims made under the names of two others.
Those other people were unaware of the claims in their names, and the cash was paid to the Bishops.
Brian Bishop also charged CASARA nearly $12,000 in storage fees for a personal aircraft.
The financial issues weren't discovered until after the couple departed their roles in CASARA in 2022.
Victim impact statement describes 'significant' setbacks
In a victim impact statement, current CASARA-NL provincial president Maurice Murphy told the court there have been "significant emotional and financial setbacks experienced by the organization" as a result of the investigation into fraudulent activities by the Bishops.
Murphy said the St. John's zone "has proven to be a motivated contributor" in search and rescue (SAR) operations across Newfoundland and Labrador since the 1980s, and stressed the importance of morale.
"Members who can trust the honesty and integrity of their colleagues, often perform their duties much better," Murphy said.
He said those members now feel "dejected and embarrassed," adding that "significant effort has been required to keep the organization on track and maintain operational SAR readiness."
Murphy said "the entire credibility of our organization has been shaken."
Defence says Bishops accept responsibility
Defence lawyer Jon Noonan stressed that neither of his clients has a criminal record, and noted that Brian Bishop had medical issues nearly a decade ago that created "financial distress" for the couple.
Noonan reiterated that the amount owing had been fully paid, and said the Bishops accept full responsibility.
"They are mortified and embarrassed and sick with shame over what they did," Noonan told the court.
Crown prosecutor Kellie Cullihall acknowledged that their lack of a prior criminal record and repayment of the cash were mitigating considerations, along with the guilty plea.
However, Cullihall cited the amount of cash taken and the six-year period of the fraud as aggravating factors.
"This was calculated, as opposed to an impulsive type of situation," Cullihall told the court.
The case is due back in court Monday for a decision on sentencing.
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