Former RM official allegedly stole $30K from curling club, then paid it back with municipal funds

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This article was published 22/02/2024 (594 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A former high-ranking rural municipality official has been charged with theft after an RCMP probe into allegations she pilfered $30,000 from a Carberry curling club and then used municipal funds to pay it back.

The Carberry RCMP detachment was alerted on Dec. 7 about “a significant theft” from the club and that its former volunteer treasurer had stolen money over the past year.

RCMP said the woman, while working as chief administrative officer of the Rural Municipality of North Cypress-Langford, used unauthorized funds to pay the curling club back.

RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Julie Courchaine alleged the woman cut a cheque to the club and told others at the municipal office that the payment was for something else.

Courchaine said the woman, after leaving the treasurer role, knew the theft would be discovered by the new volunteer, so took unauthorized municipal funds to pay the money back.

“It is substantial — it is a significant amount of money, $30,000,” said Courchaine. “That was not her money to use — hence the theft charge.”

Courchaine said she believes the curling club reimbursed the RM.

The club could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday.

“It is a big loss — these are smaller rural communities, trying to keep everything going, and a curling club is one of those… hopefully they can keep things running,” said Courchaine. “It is going to have a big effect on the community member.”

Mounties charged a 36-year-old woman with theft over $5,000. She was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in Brandon provincial court on April 4.

RCMP did not release her name Thursday, but the Free Press has confirmed the accused is Trisha Fraser, who is no longer working for the rural municipality.

It was not immediately clear whether Fraser quit the job or was fired. A social media profile indicates she became CAO — the highest ranking non-elected official — at the RM in 2019.

Fraser told Neepawa’s local access community television station in 2022 that she had worked in legal administration before becoming an administrative assistant at the municipality.

Rural municipality officials declined comment Thursday.

RCMP believe the theft was committed on Aug. 9 last year, court records show. Fraser has no past court record.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca