A former Yorkton politician will not spend time in jail, but must pay back more than $15,000 he obtained by fraud.
Chad Blenkin, a management consultant who ran unsuccessfully for the NDP in Yorkton in the 2011 provincial election received a two-year suspended sentence in Yorkton Provincial Court October 5.
In a joint submission between the Crown and defence, the Court heard that in 2013 on two separate occasions, Blenkin funneled customer payments intended for the NAU Group to a numbered company for which he was an account holder.
NAU noticed the discrepancy in 2015 and following a police investigation, Blenkin was charged in May of this year with one count of fraud over $5,000, one count of fraud under $5,000, one count of trafficking in the proceeds of crime and one count of laundering the proceeds of crime.
The amounts were $15,142 and $1,890.
On August 17, Blenkin pleaded guilty. Sentencing was scheduled for October 12 to allow time for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
Prosecutor Andrew Wyatt explained that based on Blenkin’s lack of criminal record, guilty pleas and favourable pre-sentence report the Crown had agreed to a suspended sentence with conditions that he live at an approved residence, observe a 12 a.m. to 7 a.m. curfew for the first six months, participate in personal counseling and provide full restitution to NAU.
The defence, represented by Saskatoon attorney Brian Smith, did not add much, merely referring to the section of the pre-sentence report that dealt with his client’s personal circumstances. Smith defended the joint submission noting the sentence was in line with the Court of Appeals (COA), which has ruled restitution is a mitigating factor in sentencing. The Saskatchewan COA has also taken the position, contrary to some provinces, that conditional sentences should always be available regardless of the amount of the fraud.
Smith also informed the Court his client was able to make full restitution immediately.
Blenkin himself addressed the Court saying he was disappointed in himself, embarrassed, had learned from the process and took full responsibility for his actions.
Judge Ross Green accepted the joint submission, ordering restitution be made forthwith and tacking on the mandatory victim surcharge of $100 on each charge reflecting the offences occurred before the victim surcharge was doubled in 2014.
