Multiple schemes to defraud the government over 17 years earned an Okanagan woman more than two years in jail and an order to pay back over $350,000.
According to the judgement published on Nov. 27, Norlene Dale White, 66, was sentenced on Oct. 17 in Penticton court after being found guilty in 2024 by a jury of four charges of fraud over $5,000, two charges of use of a forged document and one charge of attempted fraud.
White used her sisters, for whom she was caretaker, in her scheme to defraud the government. She herself was also supported by the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction and received benefits from them, including some that were fraudulently claimed.
Out of the total, $72,000 of the fraud was attributed to claims that specialized vehicles were required to transport White’s sisters to medical appointments beyond the normal costs of mileage between 2014 and 2021. Out of the 79 approved requests for Ministry funding for the special vehicles beyond the normal mileage, 75 did not actually use those vehicles.
The second fraud involved claiming moving expenses from Osoyoos to Nanaimo, based on White’s landlord, David Johnson, providing a false letter to submit to the Ministry.
A year later, White claimed expenses for moving her sisters from Osoyoos to Penticton, with Johnson once again providing a letter claiming the home the sisters were living in was slated to be demolished. This time, there was no evidence the Ministry paid the claimed expenses, which led to the attempted fraud charge.
White claimed the sisters had to move a second time, this time from Penticton to Okanagan Falls in 2015, claiming their residence had been sold and claiming $9,660 in expenses.
The last and most extensive fraud, which lasted from 2004 to 2021, involved White claiming support and benefits while failing to inform the ministry that she was living with Johnson, failing to inform the Ministry that they were in a marriage-like relationship and failing to disclose any of his assets.
That led to $261,000 in benefits being disbursed to her by the Ministry over those 17 years.
Defence for White sought to have her receive a two-year conditional sentence that would be served in the community, followed by three years of probation.
A maximum sentence for the fraud was 14 years in jail, with 10 years the maximum for the forged documents.
None of the case-law presented for the sentencing had amounts similar to White’s fraud. The only other one that came close, R. v. Oliynyk from 2002, involved spouses who pleaded guilty to defrauding the Department of Social Services of approximately $157,000.
“As noted, the amount appears to be unprecedented when viewed against other welfare fraud cases,” said Justice Giaschi.
The length of time of the various schemes, the deliberation and planning involved and the use of her sisters in the frauds were also noted by Giaschi as aggravating factors.
After considering the aggravating factors and the mitigating ones, including the letters of support, Justice Giaschi sentenced White to serve a total of three years in jail, which he reduced to 30 months after considering the Crown’s position and White’s age.
Defence had also sought a smaller restitution order than the full $350,000, but Justice Giaschi rejected the claim that paying the full amount would bankrupt her where a $150,000 order would not.
“The very nature of the offences of which she has been convicted means that her assets are hidden and her financial means is unclear,” said Justice Giaschi.
The Justice gave White until April of 2026 to pay the Minsitry of Finance the restitution.