A man who defrauded a Summerland non-profit association is spending the next six months under a conditional sentence, with three months of house arrest.
Michael James Peters pleaded guilty to one count of fraud on the date of his trial, Nov. 15, 2016.
in June 2014 the chequebook for the Summerland Fall Fair was misplaced. A representative with signing authority for the non-profit society, the Summerland Exhibition Association, discovered in July, 2014 three cheques were cashed without the consent of the organization. Another cheque was revealed to have been cashed, with a total of four made payable to Peters for a total of $3,840.
One of the cheques was cashed at the Money Mart in Penticton, and an employee there confirmed Peters cashed the cheque.
Peters has a prior record including five robberies. In his pre-sentence report, Peters said the offences were a series of bank robberies. Peters was last in court in 2013 for a driving while prohibited charge. Peters’ defence counsel Michael Patterson said the description of his client’s involvement in bank robberies in the pre-sentence report was “hyperbole.” Peters last property-related offence was in 2012.
Peters told the court he has an upcoming surgery for a serious back injury which has been plaguing him for the past 14 months.
“I take full responsibility. There was a large portion of negligence on my part. I should have looked into some things a little further,” Peters told the court.
He said he was running his painting company during the time of the offence.
Lerchs said Peters had no connection to the organization, however Peters told the court the cheques were related to his painting company.
“These were painting-related cheques. They were signed on the bottom ‘painting,’” Peters said. “I understand I was negligent. I understand there were precautionary procedures I could have been involved with that could have deterred the circumstances I’m in today. For that I apologize. I just want to put it in the past.”
Crown counsel Ann Lerchs sought a sentence of four months jail and 12 months probation.
Judge Gail Sinclair sentenced Peters to serve six months in the community, with three months under 24-hour house arrest and three months on a curfew to remain in his residence from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
“If you screw up, it’s real jail,” Sinclair said.
Peters was also ordered not to possess any identification, cheques, credit cards or financial documents in any name other than his own.
Peters was also sentenced to 18 months probation, and ordered to pay $3,840 in restitution to the Summerland Exhibition Association.