Brandon Harder
Regina Leader-Post
Arlene Marie Irving has been sentenced to two years in jail, less a day, for defrauding Regina’s Mobile Crisis Services of nearly $140,000.
That was the decision of Judge Doug Kovatch, who briefly delivered the bottom line to Irving on Wednesday afternoon at Regina provincial court.
Following the decision, she was led from the courtroom by a deputy sheriff.
The decision came after Irving pleaded guilty on Oct. 1, 2024 to a charge that she defrauded Mobile Crisis Services of $139,616.82 “by deceit, falsehood or other fraudulent means” between Jan. 1, 2016 and Jan. 31, 2021.
Kovatch’s decision fell short of the three-year sentence sought by the Crown, but it was more severe than the conditional sentence sought by the defence, which would have allowed Irving to avoid jail as long as she followed court-imposed conditions.
In addition to the jail time, Kovatch imposed an order that prohibits Irving — for life — from working or volunteering in any role that involves “having authority over the real property, money or valuable security of another person.”
However, the judge declined to impose a restitution order. His written decision states: “In my view, Ms. Irving is destitute and unable to pay. She is going to jail for a considerable period of time and when she comes out, she will be beyond the normal retirement age.”
Irving was 61 years old when she was criminally charged in January of 2022. By that time she’d already been fired by the non-profit organization, which provides social and health crisis interventions and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The judge decided that if Irving is able to get a job when she’s out of jail, her income will likely be minimal.
Irving’s position within the non-profit gave her control over payroll, including for herself, according to facts read into the court record by prosecutor Travis Avery in October.
“It was discovered that Ms. Irving had been using her position to overpay herself,” Avery said in court at that time.
Kovatch’s written decision stated that he accepts Irving has had a “difficult life,” including addictions issues. But he concluded the convicted woman has a “very high degree of moral culpability” in relation to the offence.
He also considered a criminal record that, “while dated,” indicated a past conviction for fraud.
“The Court is required to denounce such conduct and say to professional persons that such conduct will not be tolerated,” the judge wrote.
bharder@postmedia.com
